CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 18010OZ HONG KONG L
TELNO 177
OF 17180OZ JANUARY 90
INFO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC151
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
N 1990
SY OFFICER
REGISTRY
INC.
- ༥༧.༢-༠
30
026117 MDHOAN 1335
Action Taken
TOP COPY Q DIST >
FROM HKD
OUR TELNO 173 AND YOUR TELNO 208: HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE
1. IN RESPONSE TO AN ORAL QUESTION FROM TONY BANKS MP,
THE
SECRETARY OF STATE ANNOUNCED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON
17 JANUARY THAT WE HAD ENTERED A SIX-MONTH RESERVATION ON BEHALF
OF HONG KONG.
2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ADDED QUOTE THE RESERVATION WILL APPLY
TO HONG KONG ONLY. IT WILL ALLOW HONG KONG TRADERS TIME TO DISPOSE OF THEIR LEGALLY ACQUIRED IVORY IN AN ORDERLY FASHION AND ENABLE WORKERS AND CARVERS TO FIND ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT. AFTER THAT, HONG KONG WILL BE FULLY PART OF THE AGREED SYSTEM. UNQUOTE
3. WE ARE CONTENT WITH YOUR DRAFT PRESS RELEASE, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS:
A.
WE SUGGEST THAT THE POINT IN THE PENULTIMATE PARAGRAPH ABOUT THE NEED TO GIVE HONG KONG TRADERS TIME TO DISPOSE OF THEIR STOCKS IS GIVEN GREATER PROMINENCE BY INSERTING IT IN THE FIRST
PARAGRAPH.
B. IN THE THIRD LINE OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, WE SUGGEST THAT INSTEAD OF SAYING QUOTE TO BAN ALL TRADE IN IVORY UNQUOTE, IT WOULD BE MORE ACCURATE TO SAY QUOTE TO LIST THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT ON APPENDIX I TO THE CITES CONVENTION WHICH WOULD MEAN A BAN ON ALL INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN IVORY AND ELEPHANT PRODUCTS
UNQUOTE.
WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR ISSUING THE PRESS RELEASE AT
18020OZ AS PROPOSED.
4.
HURD
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CONFIDENTIAL