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Much depends also on the degree of local public concern and sympathy the ivory traders and workers are able to generate. We cannot rule out the possibility of the legislature blocking the necessary legislation (either principal or subsidiary) that has to be
to be introduced
introduced to give full effect to the CITES ban unless a grace period is built into the legislature. This would achieve, in effect, the result of a reservation but without the proper CITES basis. Such a scenario is highly undesirable and should be avoided.
Retraining/Assistance in Job Placement
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Despite the present tight employment situation in Hong Kong, it is possible that the ivory workers may find it difficult to obtain suitable alternative employment particularly the older ones. Therefore, the Commissioner for Labour proposes that a special register should be opened by the Local Employment Service to assist ivory workers to find new jobs. In addition, the Labour Relations Service will advise ivory workers of any benefits due to them under the Employment Ordinance, such as
severance payment on redundancy, and will assist in resolving any problems which may arise between workers and their employers in this regard. If any employers are unable to pay their workers the benefits due to them, as a result of insolvency, some relief will be available to workers from the Protection of Wages Insolvency Fund. We feel, however, that it is important to offer retraining for any craft smen who may seek such assistance. The Director of Technical Education and Industrial Training advises that a special programme could be introduced to train these craft smen for other employment though additional funds would be necessary for training material, temporary training staff and subsistence allowances to trainees.
3
The International Dimension
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those who are considerations
It is perhaps unfortunate that the countries in which the conservationist lobby has made the strongest impression (i.e. North America and the European Community) are those whose goodwill is vital to Hong Kong. There are obviously wider considerations here than those of the security of Hong Kong's ivory trade and employed in it.
Aside from those conservation is becoming a key issue in the developed nations. It would be unwise for Hong Kong to be seen as going against the gathering momentum of this movement. Any action taken by Hong Kong must therefore have regard to world opinion, and, more specifically, the current "green" public opinion in Europe and North America. Pursuing an international "buy-out" scheme is unlikely to be seen as a contentious move by the conservation lobbies.
While the
entering of a reservation per se may be contentious, it might
CONFIDENTIAL