With an awareness of the global multilateral environmental agreements (or ‘MEAs’) that shape many national laws and conservation initiatives, botanic garden managers can develop policies that foster outward-looking partnerships, support legal compliance, and connect with governments. This manual introduces several MEAs that are particularly relevant to botanic gardens, with a focus on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).