TNAG-1956-FCO40-2785-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 123

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 3052

OF 140831Z SEPTEMBER

AND TO PRIORITY

89

HKGO LONDON

222)

RESTRICTED

HKC 151

235

435227

MDLIAN 0438

OUR TELNO 2780: HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE

FOLLOWING DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES'S DISCUSSIONS

WITH BOTH GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS IN WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, LONDON AND LAUSANNE, WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT IT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO PRESENT HONG KONG'S POSITION TO

THE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES TO CITES.

2. MOST OF THOSE TO WHOM DAF SPOKE AGREE THAT HONG KONG HAS A CASE FOR CONTINUED TRADING IN EXISTING STOCKS. MANY, HOWEVER, MAY FEEL COMMITTED TO ACCEDING TO THE DEMANDS OF CONSERVATIONISTS. AT THE SAME TIME CONSERVATIONISTS ARE COMING

TO THE PRIVATE VIEW THAT BANNING TRADE WILL NOT SAVE THE ELEPHANT.

TAKEN TOGETHER WITH LOCAL CONSIDERATIONS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD

3 =

(A)

(B)

MAKE A CLEAR STATEMENT OF OUR POSITION AT THE CITES

CONFERENCE: AND

IF THE PARTIES AGREE TO BAN ALL TRADE IN IVORY, ASK THE UK TO ENTER AN APPROPRIATE RESERVATION ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF AS WAS DONE ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION IN 1977.

4. AS REGARDS (A) WE WISH THE CONFERENCE TO BE ADDRESSED ON THE

LINES OF THE DRAFT IN MIFT. THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE

ADDRESS SHOULD BE MADE BY THE UK DELEGATE OR A HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE REQUIRES FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE HEAD OF THE

UK DELEGATION.

5.

AS REGARDS (B), WE HOPE THE NEED FOR THIS COULD BE AVERTED BY THE CONFERENCE ADOPTING THE DRAFT RESOLUTION ANNEXED TO PAPER DOC.7.43.2 ISSUED BY THE CITES SECRETARIAT. DAF HAD DETAILED DISCUSSIONS WITH CITES OFFICIALS ON THE TEXT OF THE DRAFT RESOLUTION. IT WAS AGREED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO AMEND ITS

PAGE

1

RESTRICTED

By sin