ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL BEGINS THREE-DAY HIGH-LEVEL DISCUSSION ON INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO COMBAT ILLICIT DRUGS

25 June 1996

Press Release
ECOSOC/5644

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL BEGINS THREE-DAY HIGH-LEVEL DISCUSSION ON INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO COMBAT ILLICIT DRUGS

19960625 The proposed 1998 special session of the General Assembly to discuss the problem of illegal drugs should establish deadlines for universal adherence to international drug control conventions, the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), Giorgio Giacomelli, told the Economic and Social Council as it continued its high-level segment this morning.

The theme of the 1996 high-level segment of the Council's substantive session is international cooperation against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotics and psychotropic substances.

National governments should strengthen their judicial systems in the effort to combat illicit drug trafficking, the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Oskar Schroeder, told the Council. Careful consideration should also be given to extradition, mutual legal assistance and to the confiscation and sharing of assets and proceeds.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rodrigo Pardo Garcia-Peña, said that his Government would continue attacking drug cartels through greater international cooperation and stronger national legislation including larger fines and longer prison terms. Political will was essential in reducing international demand, he said.

The Attorney General of Mexico, Fernando Antonio Lozano Garcia, said that international cooperation in the fight against illicit drugs should fully respect the sovereignty, dignity and territorial jurisdiction of all States.

The Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Sweden, Margot Wallstrom, noting that the report of the Secretary-General before the Council stated that the European Commission and seven governments provided some 90 per cent of funding for the UNDCP, said the Programme needed to go through a reform process and to establish a more stable financing system.

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The Council President, Jean-Marie Kacou Gervais (Cote d'Ivoire), said that the cooperation of all countries would be needed to ensure the implementation of the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, also known as the Vienna Convention.

Drug control should be incorporated into development assistance and cooperation agreements, the representative of Costa Rica, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said. Alternative development, particularly crop substitution, should be an integral part of any international drug control strategy.

Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said that some 150 million people worldwide had incurred significant health risks as a result of using psychoactive substances other than alcohol or tobacco. In response, it was necessary to provide affordable care to those who needed it by strengthening community-based approaches and primary health care.

Also speaking this morning were the representatives of Italy (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), United Kingdom, Argentina, Malaysia, Chile, Germany and Romania.

The Council will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its high-level segment.

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this morning to begin its high-level segment on international cooperation against the demand, traffic and distribution of narcotics and psychotropic substances and related activities.

"Drug abuse and trafficking have become increasingly complex over the last three decades: there are more illicit drugs, production is more widely spread, there is more abuse, and more trafficking routes have opened up. A world market, driven by demand and opportunity, has developed just as much for illicit drugs as for consumer goods, thus globalizing the drug problem."

This excerpt from the report of the Secretary-General illustrates the need for governments to join forces to combat the increasingly internationalized and intensified problem of drug trafficking and abuse. In response to this urgent need, the Economic and Social Council will devote its high-level segment to issues of drug control. As a basis for its discussions, Council members will have the Secretary-General's report quoted above on international cooperation against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of psychotropic substances and related activities (document E/1996/57).

The report describes the deepening problems related to drug abuse, drug trafficking and money-laundering which have been exacerbated in the current era of globalized and liberalized economic relations. This trend has rendered the traditional division between producer and consumer countries no longer applicable. Against a backdrop of increasingly organized drug traffickers and money-launderers, coupled with growing drug use, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme finds itself underfunded and thus unable to fully carry out its important work. Several proposals for solving these problems are presented to ministers attending high-level segment in the report.

"Until the mid-1980s, the drug challenge was perceived as the sole concern of producing and consuming States but the globalization of drug abuse and trafficking has removed that perception beyond any doubt, replacing it with the principle of shared responsibility."

Indeed, according to the report, countries and regions not traditionally associated with substance abuse problems have begun to see a rise in drug consumption. "The highest rates of addiction are no longer found in developed countries, but rather in a number of developing countries in Asia, such as Pakistan, and high growth rates for heroin abuse are also found in Africa."

This trend is in part a function of the opening up of markets and borders. "As governments' managerial role in economies diminishes, organized crime is taking advantage of the attendant relaxation in regulatory regimes."

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An easier regulatory framework makes it easier for criminals to invest drug profits in both legitimate and illegitimate sectors. Illicit drug producers and traffickers have taken advantage of world-wide socio-economic changes to organize themselves globally, and are thus well-placed to spread corruption. This in turn threatens national security by undermining the legitimacy of democratic institutions from within.

Noting that it is sometimes assumed that the illicit drug trade is a cost-free source of jobs, the report says the apparent employment gains are more than offset by insidious and deep-rooted side effects, such as the spill- over from drug production to consumption. Because drug crops are produced in the illegal sector of the economy, they distort national indicators used to set fiscal policy. "Furthermore, the bulk of drug-related income, earned not by farmers but traffickers, is usually deposited abroad or used for legal and illegal luxury imports; few benefit from the profits of the illicit drug trade, which also go untaxed."

The impact of drugs on human capital is illustrated in the report through the example of street children. "Fuelled by demographic pressure, many cities of the developing world have makeshift warrens full of destitute children trapped in a vicious circle on poverty. When poverty and adolescent lack of regard for legal norms combine, illicit drugs, particularly solvents, can seem to offer a means of economic survival, a source of peer respectability, and a convenient albeit temporary escape from reality."

The report cites figures of the Financial Action Task Force of the Group of Seven major industrialized countries estimating that of the $122 billion accumulated annually from cocaine, heroin and cannabis during the late 1980s, about 70 per cent, or $85 billion, became available for laundering and investment. That amount is larger than the gross national product of three- quarters of the 207 economies of the world.

The capital resources of criminals profiting from illegal drugs are increasingly being used to finance diversification into legitimate business activity, according to the report. The intermingling of illicit and legitimate activities poses a serious threat to tackling the drugs problem.

Drug profits continue to grow, the report states, noting that "until and unless global demand becomes saturated, profits will continue to grow in both absolute and relative terms".

In order to counter abuses in the financial sector, the report calls for greater transparency in financial records; anti-racketeering laws; the exchange of intelligence on criminal cross-border financing; and more cross- border cooperation and coordination between those responsible for international drug control.

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The United Nations, according to the report, has both the potential and the comparative advantage to contribute to cooperation between various national authorities. Coordination should also be fostered between the public and private sector. The United Nations could also coordinate international efforts to combat organized crime and money-laundering with other organizations working in the field such as the Financial Action Task Force, and could coordinate the provision of assistance and training in that area to Member States.

Recommendations for strengthening the role of the United Nations are put forth in the report, which notes that the austerity measures facing the Organization could result in reductions of regular budget resources. "International drug control is an urgent priority which calls for solidarity by the international community", the report stresses. The high-level segment should offer the opportunity for Member States to reassert the high priority attached to the global fight against illicit drugs.

Because anti-drug efforts must be closely allied with development policies, the report calls for multi-disciplinary teamwork and consultation at the outset of any project. Member States should act through the governing bodies of development organizations to ensure that they incorporate drug control concerns whenever appropriate in their activities.

Addressing the social dimensions of the problem, the report calls for attention to the relationships between drugs and the family, health, education, employment and crime. Regarding the family, the report states that it is not correct to routinely hold parents responsible for their children's drug-related problems, but adds that drug abuse may be influenced by such factors as harsh discipline or drug use by parents. Studies have shown that illicit drug abuse correlates more strongly with disintegration of the family than with poverty. Conversely, the family can be a potent force for prevention and treatment.

The report states that the average age of first contact with drugs is decreasing worldwide, while new drugs like "ecstasy" and designer drugs are emerging. Disturbingly, more young people than before are injecting drugs.

The health implications are extensive, with premature, drug-related deaths and the spread of HIV/AIDS among the most immediate problems. Other illnesses such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases and cirrhosis may also be linked to drug use. In the absence of specialized care, many countries may have to adapt their existing primary health-care settings.

The report emphasizes education as key to containing the spread of drug abuse. "The high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council could provide a much-needed boost to greater integration of preventive education,

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allied to the promotion of healthy lifestyles, in basic school curricula." In areas where many children lack access to basic schooling, special preventive programmes must be designed.

Regarding crime, the report identifies three types of violence associated with drugs: the pharmacological effects of the drugs themselves (manifest because drugs can increase aggressive behaviour); economic compulsive violence (arising from addicts' need for money to buy drugs); and systemic violence (centring on competition among addicts, dealers and traffickers for market share).

The prevention of drug abuse requires a long-term commitment, the report emphasizes. The drug issue needs to be incorporated into programmes addressing other major issues such as poverty, housing, unemployment or rural development. "What is needed is an approach that involves the widest possible range of social actors to promote healthy development of the young person rather than piecemeal programmes which address drug and substance abuse as an isolated problem."

Statements

The President of the Council, JEAN-MARIE KACOU GERVAIS (Cote d'Ivoire), drew attention to the United Nations programmes to counter the spread of drugs and psychotropic substances. Stressing that the developing countries did not have resources to control the production, sale and spread of drugs, he said the United Nations programmes were invaluable to them. Struggle against the spread of drugs had to be integrated and concentrated. It required the cooperation of all the countries and each country had to make sure that it supported the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances -- also known as the Vienna Convention.

Preventive measures could be taken through the spread of education, he said. In producer regions, substitute activities had to be found and the industrialized countries should look at controlling the export of psychotropic substances. Commenting specifically on the situation in Africa, he said the continent had poor frontiers and that had made it a sought after transit route with its poverty making it desirable. Drug trafficking was developing and drug consumption was currently increasing in Africa. The youth had to be educated to counter the spread of drugs and fragmentary measures would not be enough. He suggested that it would be good for the Council to recommend a special session of the General Assembly to discuss the drug problem.

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Statement by Director of United Nations Drug Programme

GIORGIO GIACOMELLI, Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), said that the global nature of the illicit drug problem demanded globally-conceived solutions. The active involvement of all actors in civil society was required for that struggle.

Several instruments were available in the fight against drugs, including the drug control conventions, the UNDCP itself, and a system-wide plan of action which reflected the multi-sectoral nature of the problem. The difficulty of the challenge should not be used as an excuse to postpone taking action, he said. The international strategy being pursued by the UNDCP included the development of national plans of action, the mobilization of civil society and international coordination at the highest levels. The Programme was dedicated to ensuring complementarity between actions taken at the national and international levels.

The proposal to convene a special session of the General Assembly dedicated to the problem of illicit drugs in 1998 should mobilize international action, he said. That session should establish deadlines for universal adherence to the international drug control treaties, their fulfilment, the creation of national drug-control programmes, the allocation of national-level resources and the provision of adequate resources to the UNDCP.

OSKAR SCHROEDER, President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), said that the international community's drug control system had been predicated upon three treaties -- the 1961, 1971 and 1988 Conventions, which had been ratified by 156, 144 and 132 States, respectively. Those texts had set out minimum control levels and the obligations of governments. The INCB had been entrusted with monitoring and promoting compliance with those Conventions.

Those treaties required universal adherence and proper implementation. As drug trafficking was a dynamic process, responses to that scourge must be equally dynamic. Countries needed to strengthen their judicial systems, he said. Careful consideration should be given by governments to issues such as extradition, mutual legal assistance, the confiscation of assets and proceeds, the sharing of confiscated proceeds, the reverse of the onus of proof and the implementation of controlled delivery.

ANGELO GIORGIANNI (Italy), speaking on behalf of the European Union and of Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Norway and Iceland, said the Union believed that the cornerstones of an effective strategy against illicit drugs continued to be the fight against demand, production and supply, as well as treatment for addicts and effective law enforcement in areas of drug

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trafficking and money-laundering. That strategy needed to be implemented domestically and internationally. The traditional distinction between countries where drugs were manufactured, passed through or were consumed had lost much of its relevance.

The economy was the new front of the fight against drugs and the fight against money-laundering was an integral part of a broader anti-drug policy, he said. Full implementation of the 1988 Vienna Convention and the 1990 Strasbourg convention of the Council of Europe on money-laundering could help create a regulatory environment. To control drug trafficking, fight against corruption was equally important since corruption hindered effective functioning of institutions. States' domestic legislation should implement international agreements and the European Union was in the process of elaborating a convention on corruption. Additionally, the role of civil society was important in primary prevention and alternative lifestyle models had to be explored.

FERNANDO BERROCAL SOTO (Costa Rica), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said that tackling the illicit drug problem meant confronting the related problems of production, supply, trafficking, demand, distribution, consumption, money-laundering, the diversion of chemical precursors, health, social values and ethics. Effective international drug control required close international cooperation; the United Nations system was the most viable mechanism for that cooperation.

More accurate information was needed on the economic dimensions of the illicit drug trade, he said. The diversion of a portion of confiscated drug- related proceeds to the Fund of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme was also needed. Drug control should be incorporated into development assistance and cooperation agreements, and alternative development -- particularly crop substitution -- should be an integral part of the international drug control strategy.

FERNANDO ANTONIO LOZANO GARCIA, Attorney General of Mexico, said that the production, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs had become more serious over the past decade, expanding to include organized crime, money- laundering and illicit arms trafficking. Transnational criminal organizations had neither nationality nor flag; they left a trail of violence, corruption, destruction, degradation and death in their wake. Narcotics trafficking was the primary threat to Mexico's national security.

Mexico's five-year National Drug Control Programme (1995-2000) was based on the conviction that controlling drugs demanded the participation of both government and society. Educational efforts aimed at reducing consumption levels were also essential. International cooperation was an essential facet of drug control, but those efforts should fully respect the sovereignty, dignity and territorial jurisdiction of each State.

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The recommendation of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs that the Assembly convene a special session on drug control in 1998 was welcome. He hoped that the session would affirm that drug control depended on education and on the generation and equitable distribution of wealth by legal means. A comprehensive drug control programme required improved coordination among United Nations agencies, support for alternative development programmes, exchanges of information between law enforcement agencies, prevention of money-laundering, control of chemical precursors and adequate resources for the UNDCP.

NIGEL VARNEY, Head of Action Against Drugs Unit, Home Office, United Kingdom, said no country could be immune from the impact of the drug problem. The traditional distinctions between producer, transit and consumer countries were breaking down. No State could ignore the need for action. In the United Kingdom, there was a worrying increase among young people in the use of stimulants such as "ecstasy", while the use of crack cocaine was a problem in the inner cities, often linked to crime. The Government had responded with a new strategy which combined vigorous law enforcement with prevention and treatment. The United Kingdom remained firm in its opposition to legalization of any drug, and it would fully enforce all prohibitions provided for in the international drug control conventions.

All States must accede to and fully implement the United Nations drug control conventions, he went on. The United Kingdom supported, both in principle and financially, the Organization's Drug Control Programme. It was hoped that the high-level segment would foster a renewed commitment on the part of all governments to take action along the lines of the policies which were already in place. There was no need for new conventions. Efforts must focus on understanding the problem, ensuring that existing mechanisms were used, and securing maximum commitment by all to combat the scourge.

RODRIGO PARDO GARCIA-PEÑA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia, said that the efforts of the international community to tackle the drug problem had failed. While all agreed that an integrated and balanced approach to the problem was needed, concrete efforts in that direction had been limited. There was no truly global strategy against drugs. What was needed was a new strategy which would be legitimate, credible, and symmetrical in that the costs and benefits were fairly distributed. A strategy based on cooperation must reject the use of force and coercion as a means to respond to the drug problem. It must be based on technical, not political, criteria. A spirit of trust must prevail. The drug control components of the United Nations system had the potential to treat the problem in a balanced manner and must receive adequate support.

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Colombia had paid a high price for its extensive anti-drug efforts, he said. The Government intended to complement its many successes with greater international cooperation and stronger legislation to attack the cartels. New legislative initiatives were being adopted, including larger fines and longer prison terms. Colombia had great hopes that its efforts would succeed, but that would depend in part on the actions of the international community. Demand must be reduced. Colombia, more aware than any country of the evils of drugs, called for political will in response. "We must suppress the temptation to make accusations against each other, or to design our policies on the basis of opinion polls, rather than from a desire to reduce the dramatic statistics on addiction and trafficking."

JULIO CESAR ARAOZ, Secretary of State, Programme for Prevention of Drug Abuse and Fight against Drug Trafficking of Argentina, said drug abuse and trafficking along with poverty, AIDS and ecological imbalance made up the challenges that faced the international community. Demand and supply were part of the same problem and had to be faced as such. The differences between producing, transit and consuming countries had disappeared and there was a need for a global response. The last 10 years had been wasted in blaming the producing countries without reducing consumption or in blaming consumers while the narcotic drug production doubled.

Argentina had established a strict control of precursors and essential chemical substances at every stage of marketing, import and export, he said. Social benefits had been given priority over freedom of trade. It was also attempting to lift banking secrecy because necessary protection of clients could not be used to break the law. Radarization of borders to prevent illicit drug trafficking would be accomplished over the next four years. Argentina was opposed to legalization of narcotic drugs and believed that such a step would dramatically increase consumption without eliminating the mafia that traffics with drugs.

RAZALI ISMAIL (Malaysia) said although his country was not a drug producing country, it had a drug problem. It had been used as a transit point for onward trafficking of drugs. The war against drugs had to be tackled on both the demand and the supply side. The feebleness of governmental action and unwillingness of society to severely manifest revulsion for drugs made it possible for drug trade to thrive. Long- term commitment at national level could reduce demand and on the supply side greater international cooperation could impede the movement of drugs.

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He stressed the need for improvements in the United Nations System-wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control. Malaysia had launched a long-term strategy focusing on preventive education, community action for rehabilitation of drug addicts, manpower development and on preventing the entry of drugs into the country along with international cooperation.

BELISARIO VELASCO (Chile) said his country had been implementing since 1992 a national drug prevention policy based on the freedom and dignity of the individual, on the security of society and on the responsibility of the State. Due to the crime associated with drug addiction, the drug prevention policy had been incorporated in the government's social policy. The government had promulgated an act which penalized all criminal activities associated with illicit drugs, including unauthorized sowing of plant species that produced psychotropic or narcotic substances. Regulations had been adopted to authorize the lifting of banking secrecy and to release banking and financial information for use in investigations.

Given the different forms that the drug problem took, it was also being tackled on a decentralized basis through regional councils, he continued. The Government had also increased budgetary resources allocated to prevention and rehabilitation services. Close cooperation had been developed with the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, especially in the training of Chilean professionals in prevention.

HIROSHI NAKAJIMA, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said it was estimated that 150 million people worldwide incurred significant health risks as a result of using psychoactive substances other than alcohol or tobacco. The number of drug injectors was rising, dramatically so in some developing countries. The health consequences of substance abuse were particularly severe for the poor. Family violence was also associated with substance abuse. In response, it was necessary to provide affordable care to those who needed it by strengthening community-based approaches and primary health care.

Particular concern arose over the increase in substance abuse in developing countries, he said. There was also an increase of use in developed countries following years of stabilization or decline, and users were starting at a younger age. Another worrying trend was the rising level of abuse of amphetamine-type drugs. Substance abuse was a global problem which required a global response. A stronger international focus on demand reduction was required. The WHO could mobilize a network of health-care workers, administrators and scientists to develop worldwide collaboration against the drug problem.

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WERNER HOYER (Germany) said that the traditional division between drug-producer and drug-consumer countries had become obsolete. All countries must simultaneously address all aspects of the drug problem. The application of international legal instruments was a valuable tool to combat trafficking, but too many countries had not yet ratified texts such as the 1988 Vienna Drugs Convention. While some States had cynically decided to enjoy the short-term economic benefits of the drug trade, it was not practical to publish lists identifying such States. It was often difficult to distinguish between actual pressure and duress, negligence, or lack of political will. Still, the international community should continue to use diplomatic dialogue to offer help and exert pressure.

The work of the UNDCP had been hampered by a steady decline in specifically earmarked resources, he said. At present, the Programme was financed from voluntary contributions by a small number of countries. The Executive Director of the UNDCP had made a number of sensible proposals which had been endorsed by the thirty-ninth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Innovative repression strategies could be highly effective in combating drug trafficking because they operated beyond the limits of conventional law enforcement, he said. Two such strategies involved the control of precursor chemicals -- designed to cut off drug cartels from their means of production -- and efforts to eliminate money-laundering, which attacked the cartels' profits and their ability to wield influence. While repression could produce short-term results, only alternative development, particularly in Asia and Latin America, could provide alternative income generation to the producers of narcotic crops.

LZAR COMANESCU (Romania) said since 1989, the opening of borders and freedom of travel in his country had led to increased traffic of people and goods. In a very short time, the Romanian authorities had to fight against illicit traffic of drugs. After the outbreak of conflict in former Yugoslavia, that phenomenon had worsened. The "Balkan route" of drug trafficking had been diverted through Romania. In 1993, a squad for combatting organized crime had been set up in the country. Due to joint endevours with authorities from Turkey, Hungary, Austria and Germany, two drug trafficking networks using the "Balkan route" had been destroyed.

Increasingly, Romania had become a storing place and a drug market had emerged among teenagers, he said. The country also had a developed chemical industry which could be used in illicit production of synthetic drugs. Illegal attempts to purchase substances had already been identified. He stressed that the establishment of an efficient

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surveillance mechanism required closer cooperation between states. The economies in transition needed assistance from countries with well established expertise in fighting illicit drugs.

MARGOT WALLSTROM, Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Sweden, said that the true losers in the chain of participants in international drug trafficking were the poor farmers that produced primary crops, and the drug addicts to be found at either end of the chain. To win the fight against drugs, multilateral action must address all links of the chain. Toward that end, all international organizations must give drug control a much higher priority.

The UNDCP had a crucial role to play in international drug control because it was free of national interests, could act globally as well as regionally, and possessed well-known expertise. But to a large measure, the Programme had become an agency used by donors for their bilateral programmes. That could lead to a situation in which its neutrality was discredited. The Secretary-General had pointed out that the European Commission and seven governments provided some 90 per cent of the Programme's funding. Sweden believed that the UNDCP needed to go through a reform process and to establish a more sable financing system.

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