CONSUMING STATES URGED TO REDUCE DRUG DEMAND IN THEIR TERRITORIES, AS NARCOTIC DRUGS COMMISSION CONCLUDES GENERAL DEBATE
Press Release
SOC/NAR/730
CONSUMING STATES URGED TO REDUCE DRUG DEMAND IN THEIR TERRITORIES, AS NARCOTIC DRUGS COMMISSION CONCLUDES GENERAL DEBATE
19960419 Twenty-four Speakers State Their Views on Drug Legalization, Cultivation and Trafficking, Convening of World Conference on Drugs(Reproduced as received from the UN Information Service.)
VIENNA, 18 April -- Major drug-consuming countries must reduce demand in their territories, speakers told the Commission on Narcotic Drugs as it concluded three days of general debate this afternoon. That debate focused on government action to implement the Global Programme of Action on drug abuse and trafficking, and on policy directives addressed to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP).
In various statements made, participants continued to oppose the legalization of narcotic substances. Joining that consensus, the representative of Switzerland asserted that the negative consequences of legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco, outweighed those of illicit drugs. As example, instances of hospitalization and even death were higher among users of legal drugs. The representative of Austria said the Programme had not developed sufficiently indispensable specialized core functions. The UNDCP could not lead or coordinate international drug control efforts without a solid information management, analytical and research capacity. The view that headquarters functions should be limited to support and administration completely missed the founding vision of the UNDCP.
Drug cultivation and trafficking in Afghanistan had been exacerbated by a 17-year war, its representative said, adding that farmers needed financial assistance to help them stop poppy cultivation. He called attention to large-scale drug activities in the west and south-west of the country, in areas controlled by the Taliban Islamic Movement.
The representative of Guinea told the Commission that illicit drug activities in Liberia and Sierra Leone, countries racked by civil wars, involved warlord manipulations. He asked that a mission be sent to investigate the cultivation and sale of illegal substances in refugee camps in Côte d'Ivoire which sheltered refugees from the neighbouring countries.
The representative of the Society for Threatened Peoples called for a transparent discussion on drug control policies that would involve civilians. Such a democratic process should culminate in a world summit on drugs. The inclusion of the coca leaf in Table I was an historic error based on a false argument. He insisted upon a review of the reasons for its inclusion.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Nigeria, Republic of Korea, Brazil, Ukraine, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Germany, Bulgaria, Algeria, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Côte d'Ivoire, Malta and Argentina. The representatives of the Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior and the Richmond Fellowship also spoke.
General Debate
SWAIT THEEB SOUDI, of the Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior, called for intensified efforts at the local, regional and international levels to combat the drug problem. If a decrease was achieved in one area, an increase was detected in another. Likewise, if there was a decline in the volume of the drug problem in one country, the Council found an increase in another.
The Arab region, with its geographical location between the countries of illicit supply and demand, was intensifying efforts to limit and control those problems. Strategies included the adoption and implementation of the Arab Convention for Combating Illicit Use and Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The Council also adopted the Unified Model Arab Law for Drugs as a guide for members engaged in enacting new, or amending existing, laws. His organization had conducted many studies dealing with the drug phenomenon and its developments.
MUSA BAMAIYI (Nigeria) said his country had recently constituted a high-powered ministerial task force on drugs and established an office of a special adviser on drugs and financial crimes. Measures to strengthen detection, arrest and prosecution of drug traffickers and barons had been implemented. Nigeria placed emphasis on prevention measures which were also cheaper. Preventive drug education curricula had been included in core subjects taught at primary and secondary schools.
He observed that new trends had emerged: drug traffickers utilized multiple passports; minors were used as couriers; and the use of mail courier services to import and export drugs was becoming noticeable.
The drug problem did not differentiate between developing and developed countries in its impact. For that reason, accusations, counter-accusations, castigation and isolation of any country would not ensure the necessary well orchestrated global action against drugs. There should be dialogue and understanding leading to the desired global cooperation and coordination
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necessary to launch a total attack on drug traffickers all over the world. He cautioned against the politicization of the drug war, calling such an approach counter-productive.
SEUNG-KON LEE (Republic of Korea) observed that the UNDCP had taken a lead role in containing drug abuse since its establishment. It had launched a series of strategic initiatives which enhanced its status and role as a focal point for international drug control.
He hoped the UNDCP would continue to concentrate on core issues, with a balanced approach between supply control and demand reduction. Regional, subregional and cross-border cooperation was essential for the effective containment of drug flows. Regional cooperation could begin with the sharing of information and experience. In addition, the UNDCP should continue to strengthen inter-agency cooperation with relevant intergovernmental organizations, as well as financial institutions, particularly the World Bank.
AFFONSO CELSO DE OURO PRETO (Brazil) emphasized the importance of creating new international strategies, and supported the proposal for an international conference on narcotic drugs. Among Brazil's drug initiatives was a 1994 legislation on supervising chemical precursors. Since then, some 14,000 companies that sold those products had been registered. Brazil also actively participated in regional activities.
Drug users should not be the object of the full impact of the repressive side of the law, he said, even though they were not considered to be innocent victims. While disapproving of the use of drugs, measures should not unduly alienate or brand consumers. He clarified that, contrary to conflicting reports, Brazil was not a major producer of coca.
A. UDOD (Ukraine) said his Government had adopted a national strategy against drug trafficking and was committed to increasing the effectiveness of its law and order agencies to face the challenge of illicit drugs and associated crimes. It had adopted new legislation that took maximum account of the provisions of the relevant United Nations Conventions and related activities of other countries. At the government level, a council for controlling drug addiction had been set up.
Despite the complications of Ukraine's social and economic transition, his country was doing everything it could to comply with its obligations in the fight against drug abuse. Those efforts were already showing positive results. The legalization of drugs was unacceptable, at least without careful study in advance. Ukraine had investigated the use of methadone, but that approach had not received the support of the country's leading specialists. Consolidation of efforts and the political will of governments to solve the problem would lead to positive results in protecting people from the threat of drug abuse.
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NAZIH SHARAYDEH (Jordan) said that despite efforts to control the drug problem, the situation was deteriorating, casting its shadow over societies and posing a threat and challenge to mankind. Jordan was a transit point because of its location between producer and consumer countries. As such, 95 per cent of the drugs and stimulants seized in Jordan originated outside the country. Nevertheless, a substantial amount of money was spent to prevent such transit. New legislation had been enacted and current laws provided harsh penalties. However, addicts who presented themselves for treatment were no longer viewed as criminals.
Even though Jordan was not a cultivator or producer of drugs, it had implemented effective controls over chemical precursors. He called for assistance from international organizations and donor countries, saying that the efforts so far might suffer if help was not forthcoming.
PAUL J. DIETSCHY (Switzerland) said the struggle against the growth, production and sale of drugs and associated criminal activities had produced disappointing results. An objective analysis of the cost benefits led to the observation that the international community had failed in limiting the global level of the threat of illegal drugs. He recommended that the policies of programmes to prevent drug abuse be evaluated.
His Government did not believe that the legalization of drug use was a solution. Legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco had generated problems that far exceeded those of illegal drugs, for example, the cases of hospitalization and death due to alcohol and tobacco abuse. It would be dangerous to make other drugs freely available. The risk of massive increases in consumption and the subsequent related costs were great.
The struggle of the community of States to seek consensus on every question might take years. There was also the question of finances. Meanwhile, the cartels had huge financial resources and did not hesitate to corrupt officials to help them carry out their criminal activities. The burning question of drugs could only be solved if the international organizations had effective and rapid solutions. Although the community of States convened great conferences and passed resolutions, it had great difficulty in implementing them. "There is a great production of paper, but not much in the way of implementation", he said. Dugs abuse was similar to other diseases. In the beginning stages, addicts should be helped to free themselves of drugs because the task became more difficult in the later stages. When successful, the addict could then rejoin society. Switzerland had conducted scientific trials with the use of medically prescribed intravenous heroin, morphine and methadone for addicts. The results appeared to be positive so far and the data had shown a considerable reduction in crime levels. The final evaluation should be ready after 1997, and the World Health Organization (WHO) would carry out an independent evaluation.
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His Government had decided to accede to the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and its Protocol. As one of the main processors of psychotropic substances, Switzerland was able to control their production in consonance with the international Conventions. It would also participate in the fight against trafficking and money laundering.
KHANLAR VELIYEV (Azerbaijan) said an analysis of the drug situation showed a steady increase in the consumption of narcotic drugs and drug-related crimes. Several factors facilitated drug abuse and drug trafficking in his country, including high unemployment and a decrease in living standards. Drug traffickers had profited from Azerbaijan's restored independence, taking advantage of the simplified entry and exit procedures and the increase in the import and export of goods. That situation was exacerbated because economic difficulties precluded the purchase of equipment and facilities for detecting drugs, tracing shipment and registering legal drugs.
He requested help from the UNDCP in establishing a programme to exchange intelligence on trafficking.
VLADIMIR E. TARABRIN (Russian Federation) said cooperation between the UNDCP and other international organizations had been strengthened. The Programme did much useful work in countering the advent of the laundering of drug money. At the same time, it could and must play a more substantial role in harmonizing and coordinating international action against the practice. He cautioned that the UNDCP should act as a catalyst and a coordinator and not take on excessive financial costs.
He supported practical cooperation between the UNDCP and Russian institutions. That would require careful preparation, and the Russian authorities were addressing that issue. It would be useful to have clearly coordinated UNDCP programmes for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
ALFRED PROTZ (Germany) raised certain concerns regarding the Programme's activities. He said the UNDCP might not be able to initiate pilot projects in alternative development programmes, given the drastic resource decrease of 41.2 per cent for supply reduction activities. Alternative development remained an indispensable element of UNDCP activities, but if the trend continued, that programme would inevitably become a marginal sector.
Germany was one of the eight major donors that had provided 90 per cent of the total voluntary contributions to the UNDCP. Its present unhealthy dependence on a handful of donors was not sustainable. The financial burden of international drug control had to be borne by all countries that were affected. He supported the ownership approach proposed by the UNDCP which involved a broadening of the donor base.
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NICOLAI MARIN (Bulgaria) affirmed the relevance of the priorities identified in the Global Programme of Action and the General Assembly resolution on measures to strengthen international cooperation. He encouraged United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representatives to promote drug control activities at the field level. UNDCP's coordination of assistance to Eastern and Central European countries should be improved, as those nations were particularly vulnerable to drug-related crime. Efficiency and scarcity of resources did not go together; he, therefore, called for considerable effort by all countries to improve the financial situation of the UNDCP.
Although he supported the proposal for an international conference on drugs, he believed that, in view of financial constraints, a special General Assembly session would be an appropriate forum.
MOHAMED GHECHAM (Algeria) said that because of its geographical location, his country was a transit area for illicit drugs. As a result, such drugs were being misused there as well. The authorities had taken measures to reduce the supply and demand and had set up a national committee to reduce drug traffic.
On the legal level, the Government had enacted various legislative measures. Algeria had also acceded to all the international drug Conventions, and it was now reforming national laws to bring them in line with the 1988 Convention, with particular emphasis on the problem of money laundering. Among other measures, the licit use of psychotropic substances was supervised; the Ministry of Youth and Sports cooperated with other agencies in a programme geared to steer young people away from drug use; and addicts were offered services to ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Algeria worked to eliminate the trafficking of illicit drugs, in coordination with neighbouring States.
Algeria wanted to strengthen its cooperation with the UNDCP and welcomed the suggestion that experts be sent to help reform its national plan. However, he noted the low implementation rate and low level of resources earmarked for Africa, which impeded efforts to counter the drug scourge. African countries needed technical assistance on information and deterrence techniques. On other points, he said he opposed the legalization of the non-medical use of pernicious drugs. As for sharing the costs of the drug control programme, he looked forward to further explanation, bearing in mind that the best solution lay in the active solidarity of all States to reduce the effects of the drugs plague.
MANUEL SUPNET (Philippines) said he supported many recommendations of the report that focused on implementation of the Global Programme of Action and UNDCP policy directives. States should be encouraged to develop national drug control strategies that provided a framework for their implementation.
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The Philippines' master plan outlined specific areas of implementation concerning drug supply reduction, drug demand reduction, information and training, treatment and rehabilitation, and regional and international cooperation.
Calling for a more active dialogue with relevant non-governmental organizations, he suggested convening an expert group that would establish the objectives and expected results of alternative development programmes and evaluate their effectiveness. The study should be comprehensive and address all crop substitutions, including marijuana, and it should consider debt-for-alternative-development swaps.
He supported the call for a high-level forum that would assess current international Conventions and other international instruments for cooperation on drug control.
DIYANATH SAMARASINGHE (Sri Lanka) said the debate between proponents and opponents of drug legalization was not helpful. Instead, it should be about research into the different degrees of control appropriate to different forms of non-medical use.
Given its experience in preparing its master plan, Sri Lanka wanted to highlight the need for greater development of the capacity to evaluate demand reduction activities. Having successfully eradicated large tracts of cannabis plantations, he suggested that alternative development strategies used elsewhere in relation to coca and opium plantations could be extended to areas of extensive cannabis cultivation.
If an international conference or special session were convened to consider drug abuse and illicit trafficking, he recommended that it should include an agenda item on narco-terrorism. Alleged "causes" that were sometimes espoused might unwittingly lend themselves to exploitation by narcotic trafficking networks. Some of the profits could be used for the supply of arms and equipment for alleged political or terrorist causes, while the much larger illicit trafficking business would proceed under cover.
DANIELA ROZGONOVA (Slovak Republic) declared that her country's priority was prevention. Statistics revealed that the most endangered groups were children and youths under eighteen years old. Nearly 90 per cent of all addicts undergoing treatment were in that age category. Decisive steps had been taken to educate the public through media campaigns. It was essential to create a stimulating environment for young people during their free time. The answer to the growing drug problem was multidisciplinary and required the mobilization of the entire society.
The increase in drug abuse in Slovakia was facilitated by the relatively low market price of drugs in Eastern Europe, a strategy used by drug dealers
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to establish and expand the customer market in those countries. On cooperation, Slovakia had signed a subregional memorandum of understanding that focused on three areas: development of legal frameworks, law enforcement and demand reduction.
DUNJA PISKUR KOSMAC (Slovenia) said that while multinational cooperation played a central role in the international drug trade, there was also much to be learned from national cooperation on issues of drug demand reduction. That should be a high priority in international cooperation as well.
Heroin, cocaine and cannabis consumption was increasing in Slovenia, along with the appearance of the first cases of infections from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among drug injectors and their partners. The present low prevalence of HIV infection among injecting drug users could increase if the virus became widespread. National guidelines for the management of drug addicts, including a methadone maintenance harm reduction strategy, had been implemented. Further strategies, such as an outreach programme, were planned.
FAGNIDI FIACRE ADAM KILI (Côte d'Ivoire) said he was against the legalization of narcotic drugs as that would mean a victory for drug traffickers. While trafficking and drug abuse had grown, that was due to the weakness of certain structures. Many States still did not have laws against drug-related activities. Moreover, some States which participated in international meetings on drug abuse had still not ratified the Conventions.
The authorities in Côte d'Ivoire worked daily to reduce drug abuse and trafficking, he said. That did not mean they were neglecting the preventive aspects of the struggle against drugs. His Government supported the convening of an international conference because cooperative means were the only effective way to fight the drug scourge.
FERDINAND MAYRHOFER-GRUNBUHEL (Austria) expressed concern that the UNDCP had not developed some indispensable core functions, such as a solid information management and analytical and research capacity. Competence in all major fields of drug control was essential. The view of some people that headquarters functions should be limited to support and administration completely missed the founding vision of the UNDCP. Prospects for developing and maintaining those core functions were now bleak, given the severe cuts in staff and budget.
A key reason for Austria's support of an international conference was the conviction that a political event was required to ensure that the UNDCP received the right directives. Austria would support the proposal for a special Assembly session. However, that session would have to achieve at least two objectives: a strong move towards world-wide implementation of the drug treaties and the Global Programme of Action; and securing the founding vision
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of the UNDCP as a specialized organization and the centre of competence in all aspects of drug control. LAYE LANSANA CAMARA (Guinea) said his Government had acceded to all the international Conventions on drugs since 1991. On the national level, it had focused its policies and structures on the effort. Legislation had been enacted to fill the void in the legal code. An office against drugs had been set up and the police and army were working throughout the territory to reduce the level of drug abuse. His Government had taken a clear stance against the legalization of narcotic drugs. Drug use in Liberia and Sierra Leone, which were racked by civil wars, involved warlord manipulations and all their implications, he said. In the refugee camps in Côte d'Ivoire, cannabis was cultivated and sold. Hard drugs were also involved. He requested that a mission be sent to investigate the drug use in the refugee camps. DAVID SCICLUNA (Malta) said the drug problem was given priority by his Government, which used a three-pronged approach: prevention, treatment and law enforcement. Demand reduction had six areas of intervention: the community, schools, the workplace, professionals, the media and the sport and leisure industry. An intersectoral approach was emphasized in all programmes and non- governmental organization contributions were recognized.
The foundation for containing the drug problem lay in the active participation of all citizens. The country's drug policies rejected demands for the legalization of illicit drugs. Malta was a party to the three drug Conventions and subscribed to cooperation at the national, subregional, regional and international levels.
ABDULAKARIM GHAFOOZAI (Afghanistan) said the problem of drug cultivation and trafficking in his country had been exacerbated by a 17-year war. The situation negatively affected the Government's ability to contribute to the implementation of the Global Programme of Action. A resolution of the problem depended on an early political settlement. In spite of enormous problems, Afghanistan had exerted efforts to stop the illicit activities. It had appointed a commissioner to coordinate national efforts and prepare a national strategy plan for the President.
Law and order were lacking in some of the areas controlled by the opposition. Financial assistance was needed to help the farmers substitute poppy cultivation, particularly in areas where the cultivation was the predominant source of livelihood. The absence of a viable channel of assistance to farmers was a major problem; the aid being channelled through NGOs was inadequate. Regional cooperation should be stimulated by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control. The situation needed to be discussed at a high-level international gathering, and Afghanistan supported the proposal for a special session devoted to drugs. The Fund should establish an office in Kabul, to closely monitor the drug situation.
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Several provinces in the west and south-western part of his country were under the military occupation of the Taliban Islamic Movement, which engaged in large-scale cultivation and trafficking of narcotics. They owned Western-made portable drug processing and refining machines that could produce heroin. In the last five months alone, some 200 tonnes of narcotics had been exported from those areas. He said that when asked by British journalists why they did not ban the cultivation, the Taliban replied that the reason was because the drugs ended up in Europe and the United States, that "they are only endangering the lives on the non-believers. It is, therefore, a holy trade". The situation required serious attention. He stressed the need for the major consuming countries to take measures to reduce the demand for narcotics. Equally important was a coordinated approach between producing and consuming countries.
GENARO CAHUNA, of the Society for Threatened Peoples, said the problem of drugs affected all countries and had practically been integrated into a legal and financial system. Policies and legislation currently in force should be reviewed. He called for a transparent discussion on drug control policies that would also include civilians. Such a democratic process should culminate in a world summit on drugs. The struggle against drug abuse was of interest to farmers and indigenous people and their participation was essential.
The lack of assured markets for legal crops pushed some segments of the farming population to grow illegal drugs, he said. The root cause of expansion of such crops was rural poverty and also because legal crops generated meagre profits. What was needed was an integrated programme to remove the impediments imposed by the industrialized North and to avoid violent measures which violated the human rights of farmers. The inclusion of the coca leaf in Table I was an historic error that had affected the situation of the indigenous peoples. Investigations into the benefits of that plant had been impeded. He insisted upon a review of the reasons for including the coca leaf in Table I.
ELLY JANSEN, of Richmond Fellowship International, said a coordinated approach to drug control was more effective and cheaper than uncoordinated efforts. Her organization had established 200 mental health, child abuse and drug abuse projects. The Fellowship explored a country's needs, consulted with the government and other concerned parties and then developed a plan. A board was then formed, staff recruited and funding sources identified. A government had to contribute part of the funding and guarantee ongoing funding once the project was fully established and when the co-funding period was over.
EUGENIO CURIA (Argentina) supported the Austrian statement and drew attention to the overlapping mandates of the UNDCP and the Commission on Crime Prevention in certain areas, such as money laundering. The Executive Director should consider setting up a joint body to coordinate efforts in overlapping areas, thereby allowing for greater efficiency and effectiveness.
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