Thus, the re-export of worked ivory products to other destinations can be prevented, which simplifies trade monitoring and eliminates a potential avenue for illegal trade to develop. Indeed, it was a condition of the transfers to Appendix II that Japan prohibits export or re-export of any ivory for commercial purposes. In addition to the conditions noted above, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have also agreed to restrict the sale of ivory to a single, government-controlled centre in each country, and to export all purchased ivory in a single annual shipment from each country through the most direct route possible to Japan. All countries have further pledged to allow independent monitoring of the sale, packing and shipping process to ensure compliance with all conditions. Finally, all three countries have promised that all net revenues from the sale of ivory will be directed back into elephant conservation for use in monitoring, research, law enforcement, other management expenses or community-based conservation programmes within elephant range.
Elephant ivory continues to accumulate in most range states for a variety of reasons.
In 1994, the ninth meeting of the Conference of Parties mandated that African elephant range states begin a dialogue process and try to resolve the issue of Africa's growing stocks of ivory. As a result, representatives of the range states met to discuss African elephant conservation issues, first in Senegal and then in Zimbabwe. This means that the ivory could not be re-sold in any form and most likely would be destroyed. Disposal of such stocks of ivory would eliminate the security problems and financial liabilities that ivory stocks pose to African governments responsible for their safekeeping. In this way, the disposal of such ivory stocks will directly generate resources for the conservation of African elephants.