The 13th meeting of the Plants Committee (PC-13) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) convened from 12-15 August 2003, in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting drew together some 75 participants representing governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

Delegates at PC-13 met in Plenary throughout the week to discuss 27 agenda items on a range of topics, including, inter alia, follow-up of decisions from CITES' 12th Conference of the Parties (COP-12), review of the Appendices, checklists and nomenclature, strategic planning, regional reports, and significant trade. Several working groups were set up to address specific issues, including: prioritizing the working programme for the period until COP-13; clarifying language and terms used in resolutions on registration of nurseries exporting artificially propagated specimens of Appendix I species, and on regulation of trade in plants; the terms of reference and schedule for the review of criteria for amending the Appendices I and II; evaluating the Significant Trade Review; implementing the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Global Strategy for Plant Conservation; and improving communication between regional representatives and Parties.

Despite a heavy agenda, the Plants Committee managed to get through its work, but due to time constraints not every agenda item was given the attention it deserved and many issues will be revisited at the Committee's next meeting early in 2004.