INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ESSENTIAL TO FIGHTING DRUGS, SPEAKERS TELL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Press Release
ECOSOC/5646

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ESSENTIAL TO FIGHTING DRUGS, SPEAKERS TELL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

The economic limitations of developing countries have rendered them incapable of combating the drug scourge without international cooperation, the Minister for Home Affairs of Guyana told the Economic and Social Council this morning as it continued its high-level segment on international cooperation against illicit drug trafficking. Bolivia's representative said his country had spent $21 million on exterminating its coca crops and 30,000 peasant families had been induced to give up coca production. However, if programmes for demand reduction were not successful, efforts to halt production would fail. He stressed that, although the principle of joint responsibility had been recognized, it was still the poorest countries which bore the burden of combating drug abuse and trafficking. The representative of Egypt expressed concern that only limited funds were being dedicated to international cooperation in the fight against drugs. The representative of Bangladesh cited the Secretary-General's report which estimated that the amount of laundered money available for criminal investment was larger than the gross national product of 154 of the world's 207 economies. Gabon's representative suggested that some portion of assets confiscated from convicted traffickers should be dedicated to a special fund for the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP). The representative of France called for an increase in the UNDCP's donor base. The representative of Finland expressed concern at opportunities for drug traffickers in the newly open markets of former communist countries. The Minister for Internal Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia said the process of change in his country had made it vulnerable to the spread of drugs, particularly among the young. To facilitate regional cooperation, the country had held the first southern-Balkan conference against organized crime and illegal drug trafficking in June. Other statements were made by the representatives of Belgium, Austria, United States, Czech Republic, Tunisia, Nicaragua, Canada, Pakistan and Luxembourg. The observer for Switzerland also spoke. The Council will meet again at 3 p.m. to continue the high-level segment of its substantive session.

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this morning to continue its high- level segment, which is discussing international cooperation against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotics and psychotropic substances and related activities. (For a summary of the Secretary-General's report before the Council, see Press Release ECOSOC/5644 of 25 June.)

Statements

ALEX REYN (Belgium) said that only universal cooperation would allow the international community to form a common front against the threat of drugs. The United Nations had adopted a series of legal instruments aimed at the problem, and Belgium had ratified all of them. The complex, constantly changing nature of the drug problem required a multisectoral approach embracing economic development, law enforcement and therapeutic measures. Belgium opposed any legalization of illicit drugs.

He said the lessons of the last two decades had convinced Belgian authorities to integrate therapy and law enforcement, to adopt a policy of public health risk-reduction, and to increase coordination among various policies. Belgium had refocused drug control towards prevention and therapy, while maintaining its law enforcement approaches.

TOMISLAV COKREVSKI, Minister for Internal Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, said drug traffickers were becoming more organized and were increasingly using weapons and sophisticated means of communication. He stressed the need for measures against money laundering, for confiscation of property acquired through drug trafficking and for simplifying the extradition of main drug dealers.

His country was in a process of change and, in such an environment, the use of drugs could easily spread, particularly among the young, he said. Moreover, the country had become a transit territory for drugs. Aware that cooperation was conditioned by coordination in the work of police forces around the world, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia had built a modern skilled and professional police force, which would exchange knowledge and experience with other police forces. It had also opted for cooperation on a European and regional level and had held the first southern-Balkan conference against organized crime and illegal drug trafficking last June.

THOMAS ZELTNER, observer for Switzerland, said his Government considered that legalization of illicit drugs was not the solution to the drug problem. Effective means, that could be easily carried out, should be found to deal with the problem. Efforts should also be intensified against illicit

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trafficking in narcotic drugs, as well as precursors. Commitment must be strengthened in the fight against money laundering.

He also urged the adoption of pragmatic measures to reduce the number of new illicit drug consumers within States. He called for close cooperation and efficient coordination between all national institutional actors from public health, education, social affairs, as well as the justice system involved in illicit drug abuse and trafficking of drugs. His country had set up a surveillance network to deal with the problem of diversion of precursors and essential chemicals to illegal markets, he added.

ABDEL KHALEK AL TAHAWY (Egypt) said that his country was used as a transit point for drugs because of its strategic location and its many ports and airfields. His Government had acceded to many bilateral agreements with its neighbours to address that problem. His country was urging other countries to reduce the production of hashish, which was widely consumed in Egypt. It was also developing legislation to combat money laundering.

The drug problem required international solutions, he said. Egypt attached great importance to international cooperation in that regard. Since 1979, Egypt had followed United Nations activities in that field and it had benefited from its experience. He was concerned that only limited funds were being dedicated to international cooperation in the fight against drugs. Egypt would endorse any international effort that did not impinge upon the sovereignty of individual States.

BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER (Austria) said the institutional effort of the Organization in the first half of the United Nations Decade against Drug Abuse had been remarkable. It attested to the remarkable priority that the issue had been accorded by Member States and the leadership of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP). Cooperation had expanded with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division. The drug menace had to be countered in a comprehensive approach encompassing demand, as well as supply, reduction.

The Council's high-level segment should send a clear message that international drug control remained a top priority of the global community, she said. The UNDCP's leadership role should be confirmed. It should be agreed that governing bodies of agencies, including the international financial institutions, should address drug control issues. The UNDCP should be provided with adequate financial means, and governments should work to overcome legal barriers to the promotion of international cooperation.

JEAN-LOUIS WOLZFELD (Luxembourg) said that the international community must coordinate efforts at the national, regional and global levels to combat the drug scourge. His Government, in compliance with the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic

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Substances, concluded at Vienna in 1988, had established a fund for combating drug trafficking. That fund regularly reviewed his country's anti-money- laundering provisions. It also cooperated with judicial authorities and financial regulators of other States.

The weakest members of society -- youth and children -- were those most affected by drug abuse, he said. Drug prevention, the establishment of basic health services, and combating poverty were being used jointly in Luxembourg. His Government had established information and consultation services and had sought to extend psychological care to drug abusers. The international community should look to the United Nations to coordinate the global battle against drugs. The proposed 1998 special session of the General Assembly to discuss the issue of combating illicit drugs would be welcome.

PASI PATOKALLIO (Finland) said that the distinction between drug- producing and drug-consuming countries had been lost long ago. Drug abuse was being driven by the vast gaps in standards of living and the inequality of opportunity for people in various countries. In order to address drug production in developing countries, alternative income-generating activities should be promoted for poor farmers. Efforts at good governance were also of vital importance -- political accountability, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, civilian control of the military and an efficient civil service.

Political transformation in the formerly communist societies had brought about a free market and nascent democracy, but it had also created opportunities for drug traffickers, he said. Since the early 1990s, Finland had witnessed an increased use of its territory as a transit country. It was attempting to combat that trend with an approach that focused on both supply and demand.

General BARRY R. McCAFFEY, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy of the United States, recalled that President Clinton had declared his country's commitment to combating the drug scourge when he addressed the General Assembly last year. On that occasion, the President had called for intensified international cooperation to protect all children and adults who were threatened by the drug menace. The United States had developed a new global strategy to combat the problem. Some strides had been made in the area of demand reduction, which had considerably improved since the 1970s. However, new problems were emerging and required quick responses.

He said that although the consumption of illicit drugs had declined, the United States had experienced an explosion in the level of cigarette smoking among youth. The Government was aware that an enormous effort would be required to deal with the problem and to prevent drug abuse among youth.

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In the United States, there were some 2.7 million drug users who caused harm to themselves, their families and their neighbourhoods, he went on. An alarming number of persons were being detained in prisons in the United States for drug-related crimes. The United States accorded great importance to cooperation with Latin American countries in the fight against crime. For example, it fully supported Peru's efforts in that regard. His country stood ready to expand its cooperation regionally through such groups as the Organization of American States (OAS) or the European Union.

JAN BELOHLAVEK (Czech Republic) said his country had enacted legislation against money laundering and profits from illicit activities. An inter- ministerial anti-drug commission had been established in 1993. The Czech Republic had benefited from the expertise of other countries with longer experience in combating drug abuse and trafficking.

The Czech Republic had cooperated closely with the appropriate authorities of importing countries, he said. This year, attempts to export about 980 kilograms of ephedrine to Mexico and another 1,000 kilograms to Colombia had been detected. The confiscated substance was intended for the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine. The Czech Republic was aiming its primary prevention programmes at children through the involvement of parents and teachers in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

FEROZE MOHAMED, Minister for Home Affairs of Guyana, said that international narcotics trafficking was threatening countries' political stability, democratic institutions, socio-economic growth, financial systems, security, health and well-being. Quick to exploit the advantages of globalization, traffickers had deepened their penetration of countries around the world. Guyana's economic limitations had rendered it incapable of interdicting the quantity of illicit drugs being transshipped through its territory.

International cooperation was essential to strengthening the capacity of developing countries to more effectively fight against drugs. Efforts should include education, legal and regulatory mechanisms, the training of personnel, financial and technical support, the creation of incentives for drug-producing farmers and the establishment of drug-information systems. A strong argument could be made for the establishment of an international trust fund to support the anti-drug efforts of developing countries. International financial institutions should be approached with such a proposal.

SLAHEDDINE ABDELLAH (Tunisia) said his country fully agreed with the statement made on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries. There had been an insidious expansion of drugs as the international cartels became stronger. New means were required to tackle the problem. The Secretary- General, in his report, had defined the situation as a threat to all countries. The political institutions of poorer countries were threatened

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by the spread of drugs. According to the WHO, almost 22 per cent of the individuals currently suffering from HIV and AIDS were drug addicts.

The phenomenon of drugs hindered development, he said. Although Tunisia was neither a producer nor a consumer of drugs, it had been used as a transit route by drug traffickers. The country had taken steps to protect its young people from drugs. Any action against the drug scourge should have a development dimension and should also aim at tackling poverty. In particular, economic development of producer countries was crucial. Policies on money laundering must be harmonized. He suggested that the money seized from money- laundering operations be contributed to the UNDCP.

ERICH VILCHEZ ASHER (Nicaragua) said that the United Nations should examine the possibility of a new international legal instrument aimed at drug trafficking. Drug abuse was affecting human development and threatening political stability. Powerful multinational cartels were threatening the international community. Global trafficking was the second largest commodity in world trade -- just behind arms and ahead of petroleum exports.

Nicaragua was today developing multisectoral strategies in the areas of law enforcement, public health and economic development, he said. Those mobilized in the fight against drugs included the national legislature, various ministries, youth and social groups and civil society. His Government was exchanging its experiences with other States and with regional and international organizations. New legislation enacted in Nicaragua embraced provisions of the 1988 Vienna Convention. A new draft law was also being prepared to deal with the problem of money laundering and administrative corruption.

CHRISTINE STEWART (Canada) said every State had a responsibility to control the production, distribution and use of drugs. Cooperation among States was vital and should take place at the global, regional and bilateral levels. Linkages between international bodies addressing the drug problem must be strengthened. Canada took a balanced approach to demand reduction and was directing special efforts towards reducing substance abuse among youth. It supported the proposal that a declaration be drafted on principles for demand reduction which could guide the efforts of States in that area. Canada was pleased to announce a contribution of $1 million to the United Nations Drug Control Programme for the 1996-1997 period.

She went on to say that drug traffickers had vast resources which allowed them to subvert entire segments of some societies. The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice had approved a draft international code for public officials which the Council should also approve and send to the General Assembly for adoption. Developing countries were voicing concern about their growing levels of drug abuse. "We must also hear the cries everywhere of addicted infants, children, youth, adults -- the victims, many

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of whom live abandoned on our streets, in our tenements, in our hospitals." Unless policy-makers understood the passions of those caught in the grip of the drug scourge, their efforts would not succeed.

AHMAD KAMAL (Pakistan) said that the perceived dichotomy between producer and consumer States should be replaced by the principle of shared responsibility. Support should be given to the proposal to draft a declaration on principles of demand reduction. The Secretary-General's report made only timid recommendations in its section on the global dimensions of the problem. "We presume this has been done deliberately to provide an opportunity to the participants of the high-level segment to suggest bold policy measures." It was necessary to avoid the trap of a fatalistic attitude towards the problem of illicit drugs. However, there was no cause for complacency either. Demand was rising because of mushrooming addiction in countries where drugs were produced. The answer was not to revamp the existing United Nations drug-control machinery, but rather to put it to better use.

He went on to describe Pakistan's efforts to curb drug abuse, including measures aimed at eradicating the production of opium, poppy and cannabis. Pakistan was a party to the major drug-control conventions and was working to bring its laws in line with their provisions. Still, the main responsibility for dealing with drug abuse rested with the traditional consumer countries. It would be critical to improve police work and extradition procedures. "The issue of sovereignty should no longer be a point of contention, especially because the drug lords have ignored frontiers between States." New legal frameworks should be created to combat tax evasion and money laundering. Law enforcement measures should be supplemented with prevention and treatment programmes. Crop substitution programmes should be supplemented with broader development schemes.

CHRISTOPHE MAGANGA (Gabon) said that in order to meet the recommendations of the various international drug-control instruments, countries should ratify them and bring national legislation into line with them. Gabon had adopted such laws, which faithfully reflected the provisions of all relevant United Nations conventions.

Many developing countries were fertile terrain for drug trafficking and money laundering, he said. Weak national juridical and legislative structures made them easy victims. Drug traffickers handled enormous amounts of money. Some portion of assets confiscated from convicted traffickers should be dedicated to a special fund for the UNDCP. Voluntary contributions would also assist UNDCP with carrying out the various responsibilities entrusted to it.

REAZ RAHMAN (Bangladesh) said illicit criminal activities related to drug abuse and trafficking had spilled over national boundaries and spread beyond regional levels. As the Secretary-General had pointed out in his report, the amount of laundered money available for criminal investment was

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larger than the gross national product of 154 of the world's 207 economies. The globalization of the problem had made it imperative that all countries join their efforts in response. The South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation had adopted a regional convention to prevent drug abuse and suppress the illicit traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The immediate source of almost all narcotic drugs and most psychotropic substances in Bangladesh were its neighbouring countries, he said. The country was sometimes used as a smuggling route for drugs from the "golden crescent", as well as from the "golden triangle". International cooperation was essential to trace trafficking patterns and to take remedial measures, as a paucity of information on the dynamics of drug movement often led to inappropriate deterrent responses.

ALAIN DEJAMMET (France) said that the United Nations provided the most appropriate framework for combating drug abuse. The international community had demonstrated its understanding of the problem, but the rapidly changing nature of drug trafficking meant that strategies must be constantly updated. The ratification and implementation of the 1961, 1971 and 1988 Conventions was essential. The UNDCP should be the focal point of United Nations action. For the Programme to function effectively, its base of donors should be increased. States benefiting from its activities should be asked to contribute to it as well.

EDGAR CAMACHO OMISTE (Bolivia) said his country was a major producer of coco. However, in 1995, it had moved to destroy 5,492 hectares of surplus coca. An additional 14,000 tonnes of coca leaf production had been prevented. From January to May 1996, more than 8,000 square metres of coca seedlings had been destroyed. Bolivia had spent $21 million on that extermination. Thirty thousand peasant families had given up coca production, whereas another 20,000 were still engaged in its production. The Government was in constant dialogue with them.

A high degree of responsibility had been shown by Bolivia, he said. Although the principle of joint responsibility had been recognized, it was still the poorest countries which bore the burden of combating drug abuse and trafficking. He stressed that if programmes for demand reduction were not successful, efforts to halt production would fail. More than 70 per cent of profits generated by drugs went to the countries where drugs were distributed. In line with the principle of shared global responsibility, development programmes were essential to eradicating drugs.

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