TNAG-1956-FCO40-2785-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 50

Mr Stowe

многоде No17/10

718/10

15/10

FROM:

DATE:

CC:

HKCISI/1

Mr Waldegrave

16 October 1989

PS/Mr Maude Mr Bayne o/r

Mr McLaren Heads of:

MAED

HKD News Dept

Secretary of State

CITES CONFERENCE: TRADE IN IVORY

1. There are two main issues. First how we should vote on the question of allowing trade in existing legally held stocks of ivory. Second, assuming that the Conference votes against such trade what action will we need to take with Hong Kong?

2. On the vote I am in no doubt that we must hold to the line I agreed earlier with David Trippier under which the UK will abstain having allowed a Hong Kong member of the UK delegation to speak in favour of such trade. I have told Chris Patten of this and he has accepted it.

3. I have also asked officials here to consider urgently the difficult question of what happens if we are outvoted. Do we then face a demand to implement a decision by the Conference on trade in existing legally held stocks? Hong Kong has some 670 tonnes of ivory valued at £83m . The issue is politically important and we need to come to a view quickly on whether HMG is legally and/or morally obliged to ask the Hong Kong Government to enforce any decision accepted by HMG at CITES, and how in practice the Hong Kong Government should implement it. We will in particular need to consider whether either HMG or the Hong Kong Government might be liable to pay for compensation.

B71ADA

William Waldegrave

275,