TNAG-1956-FCO40-2785-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 86

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041043 MDHIAN 9201

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FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 616

OF 101508Z OCTOBER 1989

FROM UK DELEGATION TO CITES

ROUND UP 9 OCTOBER

SUMMARY

HKCISI

f

1. CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION EG. RULES OF PROCEDURE PASSED WITHOUT ANY SURPRISES. MEETING OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT WORKING GROUP HEARS REPORT FROM CAMEROON RECOMMENDING SPLIT LISTING OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT.

DETAIL

2. AFTERNOON SESSION OF CONFERENCE BRINGS NO SURPRISE IN DEBATES ON CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION. AFRICAN ELEPHANT WORKING GROUP MEETING HELD DURING EVENING OF 9 OCTOBER AT RELATIVELY SHORT NOTICE. DEBATE LASTED OVER TWO HOURS, AND AT TIMES WAS RAMBLING WITH SEVERAL INCOHERENT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DELEGATES. CAMEROON REPRESENTATIVE PRESENTED VERBAL REPORT THAT NO CONSENSUS HAD BEEN ACHIEVED AMONGST AFRICAN STATES ON LISTING OF ELEPHANT. CAMEROON THEREFORE PROPOSED SPLIT LISTING, WITH EASTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICAN ELEPHANT POPULATIONS ON APPENDIX I AND SOUTHERN AFRICAN POPULATIONS CAPABLE OF CONTROLLED EXPLOITATION ON APPENDIX II. THIS WAS STRONGLY OPPOSED BY EAST, CENTRAL AND WEST AFRICAN DELEGATIONS. CAMEROON REPORT, WHICH CONTAINED NOTHING WE DID NOT ALREADY KNOW, WILL NOW BE PRESENTED TO CONFERENCE. REAL WORK ON ELEPHANT WILL GET UNDER WAY IN COMMITTEE I THIS AFTERNOON, 10 OCTOBER.

3. FOLLAND WAS APPROACHED AT RECEPTION ON EVENING OF 9 OCTOBER BY ALEX KIRBY, AGRICULTURE CORRESPONDENT OF BBC, TO CONTRIBUTE A SHORT PIECE FOR ''TODAY PROGRAMME MORNING OF 10 OCTOBER. FOLLAND AGREED WITH EVENS THAT UK VIEW IN GENERAL TERMS SHOULD BE PUT ACROSS, GIVEN THAT KIRBY HAD ALREADY ELICITED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NGOS. NEWS DEPT HAVE BEEN ASKED TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO MAED THE TRANSCRIPT. FOLLAND

ALSO GAVE A SHORT INTERVIEW TO SKY TELEVISION.

FOR BUNCE, DOE

4. KOESTER (DENMARK) APPROACHED FOLLAND ON 9 OCTOBER ABOUT NORTH

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