TNAG-1955-FCO40-2784-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 6

OF E BRA 2 TG

6. 2.1989

9:57

MUSEUM

NATIONAL D'HISTOIRE NATURELLE

ZOOLOGIE

MAMMIFÈRES

DISEAUX

BR, RUE DE BUFFON

75008 PARIS

TÉL. 381-99-56

The Earl of Caithness

Minister for Housing

Environment and Countryside Department of the Environment

2 Marsham Street

LONDON SW1P 3EB

England

PARIS, LE 19 July 1989

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My BuncC

advice på for cs/mm 8.

Mr Folland

Dear Mr. Minister,

We are Thank you for your thoughtful letter of 29 June. very much encouraged by your strong position in favour of the African elephant,

The two at us participated in the CITES African Elephant Working Group in Gaborone, Botswana, of the 4th through 8th of the present month. Prof. Pfeffer was the delegate representing the French Government, and Dr. Clark the delegate representing the Israeli Government.

We wish to note that the British delegata, Mr. Holland, represented Her Majesty's Government admirably, making a number of practical and pertinent interventions. His attitude throughout the conference well reflected what we understand to be British opinion on the matter.

Unfortunately, we are not in a position to applaud the Hong Kong delegate's performance with such enthusiasm. First, we were both astonished that Hong Kong was afforded the status of a sovereign state at this meeting which was conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. Hong Kong sat apart from the U.K. delegate and spoke with equal authority.

Further, the Hong Kong delegate espoused policy quite contradictory to that currently held in London.

In both his

oral interventions, and in the "information paper" he

distributed, the Hong Kong delegate called for continued trade in ivory, albeit under stricter controls."

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It appeared to us that Hong Kong's attitude, as well as similar perspective maintained by Japan, served to exacerbate a threat from three southern African states South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. These countries threatened to file "reservations" if CITES accepts an international ban on the ivory trade in October.

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