TNAG-2297-FCO40-3321-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IRO)-Sub-Gro-1991 — Page 131

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING

·16, 15, 14

YOUR TELNOS 1309-1311: IRO SUB-GROUP MULTILATERAL TREATIES: CONSERVATION

1.

THANK YOU FOR TURS AND YOUR AGREEMENT THAT THESE TWO CONVENTIONS SHOULD CONTINUE TO APPLY TO HONG KONG AFTER 1997.

2. PARA 2 OF FIRST TUR: HMG HAS CONTRIBUTED POUNDS 65,000-75,000 ANNUALLY (DEPENDING ON THE EXCHANGE RATE) TO THE WORLD HERITAGE FUND UNDER ARTICLE 16 OF THE CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE. WE CAN CONFIRM THAT NONE OF THIS AMOUNT IS IN RESPECT OF HONG KONG AND THEREFORE THAT THERE ARE NO FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG WHICH MIGHT AROUSE CHINESE SENSITIVITIES (CHINA IS OF COURSE A PARTY TO THE CONVENTION). WE HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH YOUR DRAFT PAPER.

3. WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED A DIFFICULTY IN OUR CONSIDERATION OF YOUR PAPER ON THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE REGULATION OF WHALING (1946) AND ITS PROTOCOL. OUR TREATY SECTION HAVE NO RECORD OF THIS CONVENTION EVER HAVING BEEN EXTENDED TO HONG KONG, OR INDEED ANY OTHER DTS.

4. THEY HAVE ASKED WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CONVENTION COULD HAVE BEEN CONFUSED WITH THE 1935 CONVENTION FOR THE REGULATION OF WHALING WHICH WAS EXTENDED TO HONG KONG ON 17 FEBRUARY 1937. THE 1946 CONVENTION LARGELY SUPERSEDES THE 1935 CONVENTION. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT OUR TREATY RECORDS ARE INCOMPLETE AND THAT THE 1946 CONVENTION WAS INDEED EXTENDED TO HONG KONG AS YOUR PAPER SUGGESTS. ANNEX B TO YOUR PAPER (WHICH WE PRESUME IS IN YOUR POSSESSION) PRESUMABLY CONTAINS THE ANSWER TO THIS DILEMMA. IF SO WE SHOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL FOR A COPY.

5.

ONCE THIS PROBLEM IS RESOLVED WE WILL LET YOU HAVE OUR DETAILED COMMENTS ON YOUR WHALING PAPER.

Jee 25)।

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