Note No: 9
Her Britannic Majesty's Embassy present their compliments
to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and have the honour
to refer to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, opened for signature at Washington on 3 March 1973.
The seventh Conference of the Parties held in Lausanne in
October 1989 proposed certain amendments to the Appendices which
will come into force for all Parties to the Convention on
18 January 1990.
In accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3 of Article
XV of the Convention, the Government of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland hereby enter a reservation,
on behalf of Hong Kong, with respect to the amendment of the
Convention providing for the listing of the African elephant,
Loxodonta Africana, on Appendix I of the Convention.
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland wish to make clear to the Government of the Swiss
Confederation that this reservation will remain in force for a
period of six months only from 18 January 1990, and that they will
apply the Convention to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland and to the British Dependent Territories with the sole exception of Hong Kong. The Government of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland also wish to make it
clear that imports of ivory into Hong Kong have been, and will
continue to be, prohibited and that only ivory currently held legally in Hong Kong will be permitted to be re-exported during the period of the reservation.
Her Britannic Majesty's Embassy avail themselves of this
opportunity to renew to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
the assurance of their highest consideration.
BRITISH
EMBASSY
BRITISH EMBASSY
BERNE
17 January 1990
BERNE