RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3052
OF 140831Z SEPTEMBER
AND TO PRIORITY
89
HKGO LONDON
222)
RESTRICTED
HKC 151
235
435227
MDLIAN 0438
OUR TELNO 2780: HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE
FOLLOWING DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES'S DISCUSSIONS
WITH BOTH GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS IN WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, LONDON AND LAUSANNE, WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT IT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO PRESENT HONG KONG'S POSITION TO
THE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES TO CITES.
2. MOST OF THOSE TO WHOM DAF SPOKE AGREE THAT HONG KONG HAS A CASE FOR CONTINUED TRADING IN EXISTING STOCKS. MANY, HOWEVER, MAY FEEL COMMITTED TO ACCEDING TO THE DEMANDS OF CONSERVATIONISTS. AT THE SAME TIME CONSERVATIONISTS ARE COMING
TO THE PRIVATE VIEW THAT BANNING TRADE WILL NOT SAVE THE ELEPHANT.
TAKEN TOGETHER WITH LOCAL CONSIDERATIONS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD
3 =
(A)
(B)
MAKE A CLEAR STATEMENT OF OUR POSITION AT THE CITES
CONFERENCE: AND
IF THE PARTIES AGREE TO BAN ALL TRADE IN IVORY, ASK THE UK TO ENTER AN APPROPRIATE RESERVATION ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF AS WAS DONE ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION IN 1977.
4. AS REGARDS (A) WE WISH THE CONFERENCE TO BE ADDRESSED ON THE
LINES OF THE DRAFT IN MIFT. THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE
ADDRESS SHOULD BE MADE BY THE UK DELEGATE OR A HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE REQUIRES FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE HEAD OF THE
UK DELEGATION.
5.
AS REGARDS (B), WE HOPE THE NEED FOR THIS COULD BE AVERTED BY THE CONFERENCE ADOPTING THE DRAFT RESOLUTION ANNEXED TO PAPER DOC.7.43.2 ISSUED BY THE CITES SECRETARIAT. DAF HAD DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH CITES OFFICIALS ON THE TEXT OF THE DRAFT RESOLUTION. IT WAS AGREED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO AMEND ITS
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