TNAG-1957-FCO40-2786-Hong-Kong-Animals-and-Plants-(Protection-of-Endangered-Speci-1989 — Page 87

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Hong Kong Government decided in June this year to ban the import of any further raw ivory. In October, the Executive Council decided to

phase out the ivory trade altogether, whatever the outcome of the

CITES Conference. But Hong Kong's aim at the Conference was to win

the right for their traders to be allowed to dispose of their

existing stocks, which the Hong Kong Government maintain were all

legally acquired in conformity with CITES regulations.

7. The Hong Kong members of the UK delegation were given the opportunity to present their case at the Conference but the general mood of the Conference was strongly opposed to any continued trade.

Department of Environment and FCO Ministers agreed before the

Conference that the UK would abstain in the vote on the Resolution

which would have allowed continued trade in existing stocks.

Both

the then Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister confirmed during the Conference that we should stick to that line despite active lobbying from the Department of the Environment to change our position and vote against the Resolution.

8. Following the defeat of this Resolution, the Hong Kong Government have been considering urgently what can be done to alleviate the difficulties of those employed in the ivory trade. There is no legal liability on the Hong Kong Government to pay compensation to those affected. But the Hong Kong Government is under considerable political pressure from the ivory trade to pursue the idea of international compensation or, failing that, to secure a realistic breathing space which would enable dealers to dispose of their existing stocks. The Hong Kong Government's position is complicated by the fact that it depends on the approval of the Legislative Council to pass the necessary legislation to implement the ban. The cause of the ivory traders has been taken up robustly by members of the Legislative Council.

International Buy-Out Fund

9. It was not until the closing stages of the CITES Conference that the Hong Kong Government informed us of their wish to raise the idea of an international compensation fund. late to do so at the Conference itself.

But by that time it was too

If we were now to pursue

CONFIDENTIAL