TNAG-2129-FCO40-3044-Hong-Kong-and-the-ivory-trade-1990 — Page 64

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 18010OZ HONG KONG L

TELNO 177

OF 17180OZ JANUARY 90

INFO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

HKC151

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

N 1990

SY OFFICER

REGISTRY

INC.

- ༥༧.༢-༠

30

026117 MDHOAN 1335

Action Taken

TOP COPY Q DIST >

FROM HKD

OUR TELNO 173 AND YOUR TELNO 208: HONG KONG AND THE IVORY TRADE

1. IN RESPONSE TO AN ORAL QUESTION FROM TONY BANKS MP,

THE

SECRETARY OF STATE ANNOUNCED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON

17 JANUARY THAT WE HAD ENTERED A SIX-MONTH RESERVATION ON BEHALF

OF HONG KONG.

2. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ADDED QUOTE THE RESERVATION WILL APPLY

TO HONG KONG ONLY. IT WILL ALLOW HONG KONG TRADERS TIME TO DISPOSE OF THEIR LEGALLY ACQUIRED IVORY IN AN ORDERLY FASHION AND ENABLE WORKERS AND CARVERS TO FIND ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT. AFTER THAT, HONG KONG WILL BE FULLY PART OF THE AGREED SYSTEM. UNQUOTE

3. WE ARE CONTENT WITH YOUR DRAFT PRESS RELEASE, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS:

A.

WE SUGGEST THAT THE POINT IN THE PENULTIMATE PARAGRAPH ABOUT THE NEED TO GIVE HONG KONG TRADERS TIME TO DISPOSE OF THEIR STOCKS IS GIVEN GREATER PROMINENCE BY INSERTING IT IN THE FIRST

PARAGRAPH.

B. IN THE THIRD LINE OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, WE SUGGEST THAT INSTEAD OF SAYING QUOTE TO BAN ALL TRADE IN IVORY UNQUOTE, IT WOULD BE MORE ACCURATE TO SAY QUOTE TO LIST THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT ON APPENDIX I TO THE CITES CONVENTION WHICH WOULD MEAN A BAN ON ALL INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN IVORY AND ELEPHANT PRODUCTS

UNQUOTE.

WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR ISSUING THE PRESS RELEASE AT

18020OZ AS PROPOSED.

4.

HURD

YYYY

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