NARCOTIC DRUG COMMISSION MEMBERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES ON PREPARING NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL PLANS
Press Release
SOC/NAR/733
NARCOTIC DRUG COMMISSION MEMBERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES ON PREPARING NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL PLANS
19960423 Delegates also Discuss Demand Reduction Programmes, Stimulants And Precursors, System-Wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control, Medium-Term Plan(Reproduced as received from UN Information Service.)
VIENNA, 22 April -- There was agreement among Commission on Narcotic Drugs members this morning on the need for national drug control plans, and that a fundamental role of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) was to provide assistance to countries requesting it in formulating their respective plans.
The Commission also discussed four other topics, hearing statements on stimulants and the use of their precursors in the illicit manufacture of and trafficking in drugs, monitoring of the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control, the principles and practice of primary and secondary prevention in demand reduction programmes, as well as the draft medium-term plan for 1998-2001 on international drug control.
With two options before it, in a secretariat document, on how the Commission should consider national drug control plans -- whether they should be examined by the Commission itself or by a small expert committee set up for that task -- delegates were agreed that the purpose of presenting the plans was to share information and experiences, not for the Commission to endorse or debate them. The representative of Sweden suggested a third option, that workshops and seminars could be convened which would bring together people from various regions to facilitate the exchange of ideas and the formulation of plans. The representative of Australia was among several speakers who suggested a regional forum for such sharing of information on national plans in order that regional or bilateral similarities might be identified. The representative of Nigeria stressed the need for national plans to overlap with subregional and regional strategies and to enhance global coordination and cooperation. At the same time, the representatives of Peru and Madagascar underscored the importance of the voluntary nature of such information exchanges, reminding the Commission that the principles of sovereignty of States and non-interference in the internal affairs of States must be respected.
Also making statements on the national drug control plans were the representatives of Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Colombia, Cuba, Malaysia, Ghana, Iran, Sudan, Brazil and Canada. The Director of the Office for External Relations, Strategic Planning and Evaluation, of the UNDCP, Francesco Bastagli, introduced the item and later commented on the statements made.
In the discussion on the System-Wide Action Programme on Drug Abuse Control and other coordination matters, the representatives of Denmark and Sweden announced that they were sponsoring a draft resolution on the topic, concerned that the issue of drug abuse control was less developed in the other agencies of the system. Statements were also made by the representatives of the Republic of Korea and Japan. Gale Day, Chief of the Inter-agency Coordination Section of the UNDCP, introduced the item and commented later.
The representatives of Egypt and France spoke on the subject of primary and secondary prevention in demand reduction programmes, following the introduction of the item by Peter Storr of the UNDCP's Technical Services Branch, who also reported on the work of the Committee of the Whole.
Sandeep Chawla, Senior Research Coordinator in the Technical Services Branch of the UNDCP, introduced the report of the Committee of the Whole concerning the item on stimulants and the use of their precursors in the illicit manufacture of and trafficking in drugs. He said the Committee agreed that amphetamine stimulants were a global problem, with illicit markets burgeoning, and that international control systems needed to be reassessed. There were no statements.
Speaking on the medium-term plan, under the item on administrative and budgetary matters which was introduced last Friday, were the representatives of Indonesia and the United States. One speaker, Colombia, expressed concern over the number of databases that were being established and suggested streamlining all drug-related information into one source, thereby reducing maintenance costs. The representative of Canada believed that limited resources might require further refinement of the plan. Mr. Bastagli also made a statement.
Administrative and Budgetary Matters: Medium-Term Plan ALICIA FERNANDA QUIJANO (Colombia) requested additional information explaining the UNDCP strategy to develop its information system. Of particular interest was how the various proposed databases would interact with supply and demand reduction strategies. She knew of proposals for a number of databases that would be fed with national information, but how that data would be used and how trends could be measured were not clear. Perhaps, the Commission should consider utilizing the existing database to collect all information from governments, non-governmental organizations, Europol, Interpol and others, rather than creating new ones. That would also reduce maintenance costs.
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SUMARYO SURYOKUSUMO (Indonesia) said the medium-term plan was more concise with the reduction in the number of subprogrammes. He emphasized the importance of the objectives of the Programme. The UNDCP must continue to enhance the effectiveness of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). The attention of both the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC) and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) should be drawn to the report on the medium-term plan.
KATHLEEN WILKINSON PALA (United States) commended the document as being quite comprehensive. She said the role of the INCB was increasingly important, and the UNDCP should continue to give it high priority. Strengthening the implementation of the Conventions was key to the international drug control effort and should continue to be emphasized in the medium-term plan. Under the current budget, the UNDCP could not be everything to everyone. It must address itself to issues where it could be effective, and refine its focus to those governments which showed serious commitment to implement the three drug Conventions and which had master plans in place. Those countries should have priority for UNDCP assistance.
The Commission had a role to play in supporting the UNDCP and its programmes and vice versa, she said, adding that the Commission should seek the more efficient management of meetings and consider shorter sessions of perhaps five days instead of eight.
IHOR MALYNIWSKY (Canada) noted that the draft medium-term plan, with its greater emphasis on results, was a much improved management framework of the Programme. He agreed with its emphasis on establishing information networks and providing assistance to countries. However, more information was required; the link between the plan and the likely available resources was not clear. The plan must address the dichotomy between the scope of the mandate and the level of resources available to address it. He encouraged the UNDCP to examine the plan further and to focus its activities.
FRANCESCO BASTAGLI, Director of the Office for External Relations, Strategic Planning and Evaluation, of the UNDCP, said the Programme was placing emphasis was on analysis of data, and the collection and exchange of information. The options were to empower the Programme directly or for it to become a reference to institutions and to act as a clearing-house or as a reference centre. In the future, the activities should be sustained through the kind of funding that was currently difficult to forecast. All of the main areas of concern should be covered. The Programme was working on a more specific set of definitions of objectives. He agreed that there was need to prioritize activities in relation to the commitments expressed by governments. Ultimately, key elements of the UNDCP programme would be defined in the light of expected income.
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National Drug Control Plans
Mr. Bastagli then introduced the report on national drug control plans and requested the Commission to consider reviewing master plans as part of its efforts to monitor the implementation of the Global Programme of Action. He reported that 23 master plans were completed by national authorities in 1995, and 16 more were initiated, with the UNDCP assisting 28 countries in that exercise. Two options for considering national drug control plans were outlined in the report, he said. The first consisted of considering master plans during sessions of the Commission, in either the plenary or the Committee of the Whole; the second would involve establishing a small expert committee that would be charged specifically with the task.
ANA MARIJA BESKER (Croatia) said her country faced a mounting threat from drug abuse and trafficking. The national capacity to fight the drug scourge had not been adequate. Recognizing the importance of national drug control plans, Croatia had undertaken the formulation of a national strategy covering an assessment of the extent and nature of the problem. The plan included a commitment by the Government to closer international cooperation. Croatia had been appreciative of, and encouraged by, the UNDCP response, and she looked forward to further discussions. She welcomed the proposal for a more systematic evaluation of national drug control plans.
Croatia had strong interest in promoting efforts through a subregional approach. It shared most of the drug concerns of the countries along the "Balkan Route". Now was the right moment to extend UNDCP technical programmes to Croatia.
JAKOB LINDBERG (Sweden) believed that providing assistance to countries in formulating their master plans was one of the most important tasks of the UNDCP. He was eager to give that task priority and to see it expand within the Programme, particularly in Africa. Before considering the options to review master plans, objectives must first be agreed. He suggested that, in addition to one of the two options, workshops and seminars on the development of national plans could be promoted. Those would bring together people from various regions with differing problems and solutions, and would facilitate the exchange of ideas and the formulation of plans.
ALFRED PROTZ (Germany) said that of the two options proposed, he preferred that master plans be considered during the session of the Commission. The presentations would be more realistic and useful, and stimulate other States to make comparative evaluations. Moreover, it would not entail any financial implications. The option of establishing a small expert committee should not be disregarded, however. That approach would avoid public criticisms of the master plans. The best solution would probably be a combination of the two options.
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JOAQUIM RODRIGUES (Portugal) said his Government had adopted its national plan in 1987, had updated it later and was currently redrafting it. The national plan was a dynamic, helpful instrument for drug policy at the national level. He did not agree that an expert committee should be established. The action of the Commission should be limited to establishing the necessary mechanisms. The UNDCP should provide technical and financial support to those governments requesting it.
Ms. QUIJANO (Colombia) considered that the development of national plans constituted the fundamental work of the UNDCP. Those plans must fit into national development programmes and incorporate all drug-related activities in a country. As for the two options, she favoured the first one. The presentation of master plans should not have any political considerations; rather, their aim should be to focus on exchanging information on and experiences about each country's drug-control policies.
ZENAIDA OSORIO VIZCAINO (Cuba) clarified that in 1993 her country had produced, with the assistance of the UNDCP, and submitted a master plan to the United Nations. That document was continually updated and revised, and addressed the drug problem in Cuba.
JOHAN BIN SHAMSUDDIN (Malaysia) said his country shared the sense of alarm expressed over the world-wide increase in drug abuse. Of particular concern was the abuse of drugs among Malaysia's youth. One way to address the problem was to formulate master plans at the national and regional levels. His country was finalizing its third five-year plan against drug abuse. Since action plans should be dynamic in nature, Malaysia was currently revitalizing its own.
In formulating a master plan, the peculiarities of respective countries had to be considered. No two countries could adopt the same plan. The Commission could only adopt guidelines and offer advice to countries in need. Master plans would be meaningless unless they were translated into action. It would be futile for the Commission of any world body to supervise a national plan or programme unless it had the financial means to do so. He supported the sharing of ideas in formulating national plans, but believed that advice should only be given if requested. His Government had reservations about setting up a small expert committee, particularly in view of the current financial situation.
KOFI QUANTSON (Ghana) agreed that a valid flow of ideas would enrich master plans and that discussions in a smaller group would facilitate a greater exchange. Ghana had developed a master plan, but UNDCP assistance to the project had been unduly delayed. He requested that such support be provided as soon as possible. Master plans should also take into account subregional peculiarities, and the UNDCP should assist in the coordination of subregional plans.
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TONY KINGDON (Australia) congratulated Member States that had initiated, developed and implemented master plans, and the United States for its leadership in drug-related activities. While seeing merit in both options regarding the presentation of national plans, Australia's preference, based purely on resource implications, was for them to be made in the Commission. The purpose of presenting plans was to share information and experiences, not for the Commission to endorse or debate them. A third option to consider would be to provide for the sharing of experiences on master plans at regional meetings. The nature of those forums would allow for regional or bilateral similarities to be identified. Their results could also be presented to the Commission.
GHODRATOLLAH ASSADI (Iran) said master plans should be established at the national, subregional and regional levels. His country had a master plan to address all aspects of drug control. It had established 10 subcommittees to prepare a drug control strategy in areas such as prevention, public awareness, public education, data collection, treatment of addicts, regional and international cooperation, law enforcement and the economic damages of drug abuse and trafficking.
MAURICE RANDRIANAME (Madagascar) reminded the Commission that States were free to establish their own drug strategies under the principle of national sovereignty. States were also free to ensure the implementation of those strategies and to meet their international obligations when the resources to do so were available. He questioned the idea of establishing a committee of experts to discuss national plans, given the current administrative and budgetary limitations. An alternative to the options presented might be to convene a series of seminars and workshops that would facilitate the exchange of information and experiences for the officials responsible for establishing of their countries' national plans.
MAHGOUB HASSAN SAAD (Sudan) said the Commission should decentralize its work to formulate practical plans in each region. That would guarantee better support from States on every level and better monitoring. National drug control plans should be based on sound and objective study of the circumstances in every State, and the issues should be discussed in the regional commissions. All aspects should be taken into account because circumstances differed from one State to another, as well as from region to region. Work should be carried out, and technical assistance provided, on a regional basis. A plan should commence at the national level and move up to the regional and international levels. The Sudan could not implement its plan without assistance.
LUIZ MATIAS FLACH (Brazil) said his Government had elaborated a plan, but because of the many regional differences within the country, it was difficult to establish a national programme that would cover all the regional variations. Brazil's national plan encompassed systems for prevention,
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control and law enforcement, and it sought to establish harmony at the regional level. The national plan had to be updated through coordinated action, taking into account the situation in the various parts of the country.
MUSA BAMAIYI (Nigeria) said his country had developed a national plan, called the control strategy, and the measures for its implementation were currently being designed. The plan focused on demand prevention. He emphasized the need for national plans to overlap with subregional and regional strategies and to enhance global coordination and cooperation. Because plans were socio-culturally based, expert groups might have limited success if they did not understand the society for which a particular plan was developed.
LUIS SANDIGA CABRERA (Peru) spoke on the importance of the voluntary exchange of information. The principles of the sovereignty of States and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States must be respected. He added that plans should not be subject to approval by the Commission.
Mr. MALYNIWSKY (Canada) said the plans prepared by each country were moulded to their individual needs. He suggested that the focus of the review be on the challenges and the experiences of each country and that the Commission look beyond the two options proposed. The establishment of an expert committee presented difficulties in terms of the time available. Plans should be examined in regional meetings so that countries could learn from each others' experiences.
Mr. BASTAGLI, responding to the comments made, apologized if some of the information in the report was not up to date. The options listed and other proposals would be further discussed. The Programme was heavily involved in workshops related to national plans. Even if national plans were considered on a regional basis, however, additional finances would have to be secured on an ad hoc basis.
He agreed that plans should take into account national differences. The Commission made available planning information and expertise, as well as information on methods a government might wish to consider. It only responded when interest was expressed by a particular government. The subregional approach made sense up to a point, but that was basically a planning effort, and it was questionable whether a regional approach to planning should be undertaken before a national effort was established.
Stimulants and Use of Precursors
SANDEEP CHAWLA, Senior Research Coordinator in the Technical Services Branch of the UNDCP, reported on the work of the Committee of the Whole on the item on stimulants and precursors. The Committee's work flowed from Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/20 which mandated the work of the UNDCP and
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the INCB in that area, he said. A secretariat document reported on the status of that work, and a conference paper reflected the findings of expert meetings held during the last year on the subject of precursors. The Committee had discussed those two documents last week, he said. It had agreed that amphetamine-type stimulants were a global problem and that illicit markets were burgeoning. International control systems needed to be reassessed. Because one of the most important strategies for dealing with amphetamines was precursor control, the Committee had discussed several strategies aimed at improving such controls. The rapid growth of the problem deemed it necessary to develop the analytical and technical capacity to forecast changes. The issue must be given adequate attention at future sessions of the Commission, the Committee agreed. Moreover, the span of subsequent work in the area should go beyond supply control and should continue to investigate questions of demand for stimulants, as well as the economic and social conditions surrounding that demand. System-Wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control GALE DAY, Chief of the Inter-agency Coordination Section of the UNDCP, introduced the item on monitoring of the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP) on Drug Abuse Control and other coordination matters. He said SWAP consisted of a series of plans drawn up by those who were ultimately responsible for implementing them. It was a living document that was constantly being revised according to available information. The approach could be called incremental. Subsequent versions would include a more structured framework. The initial effort had been transitional in nature and expressed the need to, in effect, rework the Plan. He hoped that in future the consultation and planning process would be conceived together. He pointed out that the document under consideration had been put together without a single meeting and entirely through electronic means. JORGEN BOJER (Denmark) said that the magnitude and complexity of the challenges existing in the area of drug abuse control made coordination and cooperation among the funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations and the international financial institutions imperative. Promotion of such cooperation was one of the most crucial tasks facing the UNDCP. There were encouraging signs that understanding among the entities of the United Nations system of the importance of improved coordination in the area of drug abuse control seemed to have been increasing. However, while noting the progress made, it was important not to underestimate the obstacles which existed. Real progress must be measured in deeds, particularly at the field level. While there were some joint or commonly identified projects, there was still ample scope for improvement. The revised SWAP should contribute to the identification of projects and programmes of United Nations system entities with a potential for incorporation of a drug-control component. In view of the continued importance of improved cooperation and coordination in the area of drug-abuse control,
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the delegations of Denmark and Sweden had jointly introduced a draft resolution on improvements in the SWAP (document E/CN.7/1996/L.8). While success would not be possible without parallel efforts also by Member States, it was essential that the Commission maintain its efforts to ensure progress.
Mr. LINDBERG (Sweden) said that monitoring of the SWAP was a most effective criterion. Cooperation within the United Nations system with regard to drug-abuse control and other coordination matters was less developed than in areas such as the environment. He welcomed the initiatives of the Executive Director to promote an integrated approach at the regional level. He emphasized that the Plan should be a way of thinking and should foster an effective United Nations system approach to the fight against drugs. A main purpose of the draft resolution was to urge other United Nations agencies to include drug control programmes in their strategies. He hoped the developing countries would join in co-sponsoring the text currently sponsored by Denmark and Sweden.
SEUNG-BAE YEO (Republic of Korea) said he supported the strengthening of cooperative inter-agency relations, and with the World Bank in particular. The Bank had created a focal point on drug-related issues, signalling a keen interest in drug-control matters. He stressed that the UNDCP should persuade the Bank to pay attention to demand-related issues, as well as to supply- related ones because demand reduction was no longer an exclusive problem of the developed countries. Many developing countries were suffering from drug consumption and the Bank, whose major role was to help those nations enhance their socio-economic level, should adopt a more balanced policy between drug supply and drug demand. He welcomed the strengthened close cooperation between the UNDCP and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division and their joint efforts to finalize a proposal for a global project on money laundering which aimed at developing the basic legal and institutional framework for an efficient response to transnational crime. The SWAP should be aimed at contributing to the earlier achievement of sustainable development through an effective and efficient drug control. HIROSHI AZUMA (Japan) praised UNDCP's coordination efforts among other agencies. Alternative development was an important measure for combating the drug problem and, as such, should be a priority among the activities of funding institutions such as the World Bank.
Prevention in Demand-Reduction Programmes
PETER STORR, of the Technical Services Branch of the UNDCP, presented the report of the Committee of the Whole under the item on principles and practice of primary and secondary prevention in demand reduction programmes. He said the Committee had completed discussion on three of the five documents before it on demand reduction. It had welcomed the growing prominence given to the subject of demand reduction and had agreed that it should continue to feature at future meetings of the Commission.
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On the subject of regional cooperation in demand reduction, the Committee believed that forums should not focus on alcohol and tobacco but should establish links between those issues and drug abuse, he reported. The importance of monitoring and evaluating demand-reduction programmes was recognized. There was also strong support for the UNDCP strategy for demand reduction. Enhancing the quality and quantity of information was considered to be particularly important since it underpinned other elements of the strategy. The UNDCP had a leadership role with respect to demand reduction and should act as a catalyst and facilitator with intergovernmental organizations. That area of UNDCP activities was under-resourced in comparison to other parts of the Programme. Only a few Member States had responded to a request for contributions to the draft declaration on the "guiding principles of reduction of illicit demand for drugs", he said. Accordingly, the UNDCP had not been in a position to produce a consensus text. A small group had been established to continue working on the matter with a view to finalizing a draft declaration before any international meeting or special session of the General Assembly. He emphasized that such a declaration must truly be a consensus of Member States.
FAROUK HELMY ABOU ELATA (Egypt) said his country had in place a primary prevention programme to prevent the occurrence of drug abuse and a secondary prevention programme that focused on early detection techniques. Also in place was a tertiary intervention programme to prevent additional physiological and psychological degeneration related to drug dependence. Local communities had an important role in establishing demand-reduction programmes. They differed in their approaches, and the policies appropriate for one community might not suit another. He believed that the UNDCP must offer advice and counsel on demand-reduction policies and provide guidelines without going into the details of national plans. That should be left to the individual communities. National plans should benefit from the exchange of information and the integration of assistance from non-governmental organizations. He supported the meetings of the Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA). The draft declaration on demand reduction merited a consensus.
BRUNO GUERQUIN (France) said his country's demand-reduction programme was balanced between law enforcement, prevention and care giving. He emphasized the complementarity between primary and secondary prevention, with the primary level emphasizing the training of personnel, the education of young people, assistance for parents and dissemination of other forms of information in cooperation with non-governmental organizations. With regard to drug users, he underscored the need to provide real care and to take into account associated risks. He called for close cooperation with concerned international organizations on demand-reduction programmes, and said his Government was ready to contribute in the drafting of a declaration on the subject.
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