16 U.S.C. § 4221 — Review of African elephant conservation programs

(a) Within one month after October 7, 1988, the Secretary^* must seek information about each ivory-producing country’s African-elephant conservation program by (1) publishing a Federal Register notice asking interested parties to submit information and (2) sending a written request through the Secretary of State to each country.

(b)(1) The Secretary must review each program and, within one year after October 7, 1988, issue and publish in the Federal Register whether the country meets all these criteria: (A) it is a CITES^* party and follows the CITES Ivory Control System^*; (B) its conservation program uses the best available information and it is quickly compiling information on habitat condition and carrying capacity, total population and trends, and annual reproduction and mortality; (C) elephant taking is effectively controlled and monitored; (D) its ivory quota^* is based on the information in (B) and reflects ivory confiscated or used domestically; and (E) it has not authorized or allowed raw-ivory exports above its CITES quota. (2) If within that year the Secretary finds too little information to decide, the Secretary may delay the decision until no later than December 31, 1989, and must publish a statement explaining the delay when making the finding.