TNAG-1956-FCO40-2785-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 65

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04/203 MDHIAN 9535

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FM UKMIS GENEVA

TU DESKBY 12103OZ FCO

TELNO 620

OF 120934Z OCTOBER 1989

(AMENDED DISTRIBUTION 12/10)

H+KCISI/I

FROM UK DELEGATION TO CITES CONFERENCE

ROUND-UP: 11 OCTOBER

SUMMARY

как

1. COMMITTEE I CHAIRMAN PROPOSES TENTATIVE CONCLUSION IN FAVOUR OF SPLIT LISTING OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT. COMMITTEE II DEBATE ON IVORY STARTS WITH RESTATEMENT OF BASIC POSITIONS. POSSIBLE UK ABSTENTION ON VOTE ON EXISTIING STOCKS IN RELATION TO HONG KONG ACCEPTABLE TO COMMISSION AND EC PARTNERS. UK DELEGATION UNDER CONTINUING STRONG PRESSURE FROM BRITISH PRESS.

DETAIL

2. COMMITTEE I CONTINUED DISCUSSION ON THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. A NUMBER OF NATIONAL DELEGATIONS SPOKE. ISRAEL MADE A STRONG INTERVENTION IN FAVOUR OF TOTAL APPENDIX I LISTING, CLAIMING THAT THREATS OF RESERVATIONS WERE SIMPLY INTIMIDATION, WHILST ACCEPTING THAT IF RESERVATIONS WERE ENTERED THE MARKET FOR IVORY WOULD EXIST OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF CITES. JAPAN EXPLAINED THE BASIS FOR ITS CURRENT IMPORT BAN OF IVORY. IT PROPOSED A) A TOTAL BAN ON TRADE IN WORKED IVORY B) A PROVISIONAL BAN ON TRADE IN CONFISCATED IVORY (JAPAN WOULD NOT BUY ANY) AND C) CONSUMERS SHOULD ESTABLISH IMPORT QUOTAS. CHINA SPOKE IN FAVOUR OF SPLIT LISTING. A NUMBER OF NGOS ALSO SPOKE, SOME IN FAVOUR OF A COMPLETE BAN AND OTHERS IN FAVOUR OF SPLIT LISTING. THE CHAIRMAN THEN PROPOSED THE FOLLOWING TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS: THAT ALL COUNTRIES RECOGNISED THAT SOME ELEPHANT POPULATIONS MERITED APPENDIX I LISTING., THAT THERE WAS A CONSENSUS THAT SOME POPULATIONS WERE NOT THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION AND THAT SPLIT LISTING COULD THEREFORE BE RECOMMENDED ON BIOLOGICAL GROUNDS., AND THAT THE DISCUSSION SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED STRAIGHTAWAY TO COMMITTEE II. COMMITTEE I WOULD CONSIDER DISCUSSION IN COMMITTEE II

AND DECIDE THEREAFTER WHETHER TO RECONVENE.

3. COMMITTEE II FIRST DISCUSSED THE PROPOSAL BY ZIMBABWE FOR A MARKETING AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AFRICAN ELEPHANT IVORY WHICH WOULD INVOLVE LEAVING SOME SOUTHERN AFRICAN POPULATIONS ON APPENDIX II.

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