WCC-2025-Res-082 - Progress Report submission form

No 2026 activity reports were recieved and the following summary was obtained from Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).

BGCI's work on illegal plant trade predates the Resolution. In July 2023 its International Advisory Council agreed that coordinated global action was needed. In 2024 BGCI published a Technical Review on the role of botanic gardens in tackling illegal plant trade, which drew on 16 case studies. Developed with IUCN CEC, this work became the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition (IPTC). BGCI launched the IPTC at the World Conservation Congress on 9 October 2025 under the message "Think Twice, Trade Right".

Contributions against the Resolution
Online trade analysis and supply chain mapping (OP1a). The IPTC is a platform for pooling intelligence, research and practical experience. It covers wild populations, community perceptions and consumer demand, and is building a mechanism to share emerging information across regions. BGCI does not cite any specific analytical outputs on online trade or supply chains to date.

Preventing illegal online trade (OP1b). The IPTC's main area of activity is consumer behaviour change, designed with CEC. Outputs include adaptable public resources (social media materials, posters, leaflets, case studies) and purchasing guidance on provenance and warning signs. These reach consumers through botanic garden visitors and online audiences.

Protocols with e-commerce and social media companies (OP1c, OP2b, OP2e). The IPTC is a cross-sector forum that includes horticultural businesses. It promotes verified vendors and responsible platforms, and BGCI collaborates with the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH). BGCI acknowledges that direct engagement with major platforms has not yet happened and remains to be expanded.

CITES enforcement and technical support (OP2a, OP2c). Several areas are planned or in development: identification training for enforcement officials, risk assessment, responsible sourcing guidance, and support for managing confiscated plants. On the policy side, the UK submitted CoP20 Inf. Doc. 76 on BGCI's behalf, referencing the Resolution.
Source, transit and consumer country capacity (OP2). The IPTC has a tiered partnership model (Keystone, Action and Outreach Partners) that is open beyond the BGCI network. Partners gain access to resources and training.

Sustainable supply and benefit-sharing (OP2d). The IPTC promotes propagation, responsible sourcing and legal trade as alternative livelihoods. BGCI describes source-to-consumer partnerships and Nagoya Protocol access and benefit-sharing (ABS) arrangements as areas for future development rather than current activity.
Awareness. The IPTC raises the profile of plants within the wildlife trafficking agenda through its website, webinars, newsletters and partner amplification, for example by SANBI.

Building on work already undertaken, BGCI and the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition can make particularly strong contributions to the next phase of implementation by:
1. Strengthening monitoring of online plant trade, including improved understanding of emerging markets, platforms, species and trade routes.
2. Developing partnerships with e-commerce and social-media companies to improve identification, reporting and removal of illegal plant listings and increase consumer awareness at the point of purchase.
3. Expanding plant identification and enforcement training, connecting the taxonomic and horticultural expertise of botanic gardens with customs, CITES Management Authorities and other enforcement bodies.
4. Developing early-warning approaches using IUCN Red List information, CITES data, horticultural knowledge and emerging trade intelligence to identify species at risk before exploitation causes severe population decline.
5. Supporting responsible propagation and sustainable supply, reducing pressure on wild populations while working with source-country institutions and communities to ensure that conservation and livelihood benefits are retained locally.
6. Improving systems for confiscated plants, including guidance on identification, documentation, care, repatriation and conservation use.
7. Expanding consumer behaviour-change interventions through the international reach of botanic gardens and the horticultural industry.
8. Strengthening international policy coordination, particularly between IUCN, CITES, botanic gardens, governments, enforcement bodies, the horticultural sector and source-country conservation organisations.