1. All elephant range States⁶, and other Parties and non-Parties with an ivory carving industry or internal trade in ivory that is unregulated, should urgently:

2. The Secretariat shall, by 31 August 2007, distribute to all Parties and non-Parties that have been identified in the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) report for the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties as being affected by illicit trade in ivory a questionnaire relating to the control of trade in ivory. Questionnaires should be returned to the Secretariat by 31 December 2007.

3. All elephant range States are recommended to cooperate with relevant research projects studying the identification of ivory, especially by supplying relevant samples for DNA and other forensic science profiling.

4. The Secretariat should seek the assistance of governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations in supporting the work to eradicate illegal exports of ivory from the African continent and the unregulated domestic markets that contribute to illicit trade. The Secretariat shall also, if requested, work with the relevant countries in Africa and Asia to provide technical assistance for the implementation of this action plan. It shall provide similar assistance to any other Parties that have an ivory carving industry or internal trade in ivory. The Secretariat shall also continue its work, in conjunction with national, regional and international law enforcement organizations and networks (such as the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, ICPO-Interpol, Lusaka Agreement Task Force and the World Customs Organization) to assist in combating illicit trade in ivory.

5. From 1 January 2008, the Secretariat shall undertake work to assess progress made with the implementation of the action plan. Where appropriate, this shall include in situ verification missions. Priority should be given to assessment of States that are identified during research by the Secretariat and through other appropriate sources of information to have active and unregulated internal markets for ivory or to be significantly affected by illicit trade in ivory. Particular priority should be given to Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Thailand and any other country identified through ETIS as being significantly affected by illicit trade.

6. Where an elephant range State fails to submit by 31 December 2007 the questionnaire referred to in point 2 above, the Secretariat shall issue a Notification to the Parties advising that the Conference of the Parties recommends that Parties not authorize commercial trade in specimens of CITES-listed species with the State in question. Such a recommendation shall remain in force until a completed questionnaire is received by the Secretariat.

7. In cases where relevant Parties or non-Parties are found not to implement this action plan, or where significant quantities of ivory are found to be illegally sold, the Secretariat shall, following consultation with the Standing Committee, issue a Notification to the Parties advising that the Conference of the Parties recommends that Parties not authorize commercial trade in specimens of CITES-listed species with the State in question.

8. The Secretariat shall report upon the implementation of the action plan at each regular meeting of the Standing Committee.