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Background
3 •
In agreeing to Hong Kong's request for a Reservation
under Article XV of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and flora (CITES) exempting the Territory from the CITES ban on commercial trade in
ivory introduced on 18 January, the Secretary of State made it clear to Hong Kong that the Reservation would be
withdrawn after six months. He said so in the House when
announcing the Reservation on 17 January, and the Prime
Minister, Secretary of State and other Ministers have repeated this commitment on many occasions since. The Diplomatic Note delivered to the Swiss Federal Department of
Foreign Affairs on 17 January entering the Reservation also made this point.
4.
The Reservation does not simple expire after six
months; it has to be withdrawn. The Embassy in Berne will
therefore have to deliver a further Note to the Swiss. The
text has been cleared with the Department of the Environment
(the UK's CITES Management authority), HKD and NTD. I
recommend that HM Ambassador in Berne be instructed to
deliver it on 17 July. News Department do not believe it
will serve any useful purpose to make an announcement of our
action but a line to take will be prepared both for News
Department and for the Prime Minister's use at PM's Question
Time on 17 and 19 July. This will cover questions such as
the amount of ivory remaining in Hong Kong and the success
of the retraining scheme for workers.
5. We also said that Hong Kong will have its enacting legislation to give effect to the CITES Appendix I listing
in force before 18 July. This legislation has now been
approved and ...
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