1 . The 7th Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which took place in Lausanne from 9-20 October 1979 voted in favour of up-grading the African elephant from Appendix II to Appendix I of the Convention, thereby banning international trade. The UK voted in favour.
Conference also voted not to allow trade in
existing stocks of ivory. The UK abstained on behalf of Hong Kong, which has some 600 tonnes of ivory, worth around £80m, legally imported under CITES procedures, and which employs some 3,000 people in the ivory trade.
The Prime Minister has agreed
2. The amendment to the Convention comes into force on 13 January. Parties to the Convention can, before then, exempt themselves from decisions on re-listing by entering a reservation with the Depositary Government, Switzerland. with the Foreign Secretary that we should agree to Hong Kong's
a six-month res ation on their behalf to request for s to enter allow them time to dispose of their stocks in an orderly fashion. Our Embassy in Berne will enter a reservation with the Swiss
We are Federal Department of Foreign Affairs tomorrow, 17 Januarv. making it clear that we will wichdraw the reservation in six months' time and that we do not consider it to apply to the UK or to any British Dependent Territory other than Hong Kong.
3. Our decision will undoubtedly give rise to severe criticism in Over the House, from conservationist groups, and from the public. 100 MPS from all sides of the House have already signed an Early Day
They will claim that the ivory in Motion opposing any reservation. Hong Kong was originally poached, and that by allowing Hong Kong to trade its stockpile we will create a loophole for the entry onto the market of further poached ivory. We and Hong Kong believe that the system of control now in operation, which includes a ban on imports, export licensing, possession licensing for quantities in excess of 5kg, and the setting up of a Customs task force and a computer data base to track the movement of ivory, will prevent this.
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