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MDHIAN
4.
IT IS SCENARIO (C) WE MUST SEEK TO AVOID GIVEN THE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF LEGALLY HELD STOCK IN HONG KONG: BOTH (A) AND (B) WOULD MEET THE OBJECTIVES EXPRESSED IN PARA. 1 OF OUR TUR. BOTH WOULD ALSO APPEAR TO NEED A RESOLUTION ALONG THE LINES ENVISAGED IN PARA. 4(C) OF TUR AND ON WHICH WE PRESUME THE CITES SECRETARIAT IS WORKING (PARA. 1(B) ABOVE).
5. WE HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY IN JUDGING WHETHER THE CITES CONFERENCE IS LIKELY TO ACCEPT SCENARIO (A) OR (B) AND THERE- FORE HOW HIGH A PROFILE WE SHOULD ADOPT IN PRESSING OUR CASE. OUR INITIAL FEELING IS THAT AS A MINIMUM WE SHOULD OFFER TO ASSIST THE CITES SECRETARIAT IN DRAFTING A SUITABLE RESOLUTION. WE MAY WELL, HOWEVER, HAVE TO WORK HARDER, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE AMERICANS (WHO, WE UNDERSTAND, DRAFTED RESOLUTION 5.11 PARA. 3 OF TUR) ARE LIKELY TO
OPPOSE CHANGE. ALSO THERE IS A NEED TO CORRECT MISAPPREHENSIONS (E.G. THAT IN PARA. 2 OF NAIROBI'S TELELETTER OF 14 JULY THAT A BLACK MARKET IN IVORY EXISTS IN HONG KONG).
6.
WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ASSESSMENT, AND THOSE OF DOE ON THIS AND ON THE EXTENT OF LIKELY AMERICAN INFLUENCE ON CITES PARTIES.
7.
WE HAVE BEEN ASKED BY HKGOL WHETHER WE HAVE DATA AS TO DETAILS OF IMPORTS FROM EC COUNTRIES AND WHETHER PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE IN FULL OR IS PARTIALLY OFFSET BY RE-EXPORT OF WORKED PRODUCTS BACK TT THE EC. WE HAVE NO HELPFUL DATA ON THIS. IT IS LIKELY THAT SOME RAW IVORY FROM BELGIUM IS WORKED IN HK FOR REEXPORT TO BELGIUM BUT WE CANNOT SEPARATELY IDENTIFY STOCKS, NOR DO WE KNOW PAYMENT DETAILS.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
33
MINIMAL
MAED
HKD
NEWS DEPT
ADDITIONAL 1
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE,
~~~~
LONDON
DISTRIBUTION
34
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PAGE
MR BAYNE
MR SLATER
MR MCLAREN
2
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