ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVES TO ILLICIT DRUG CULTIVATION, TRAFFICKING MUST BE CREATED HEAD OF UN DRUG CONTROL OFFICE TELLS SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

18 February 1998

Press Release
SOC/4440

ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVES TO ILLICIT DRUG CULTIVATION, TRAFFICKING MUST BE CREATED HEAD OF UN DRUG CONTROL OFFICE TELLS SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

19980218 Describes Strategies to Eliminate Illicit Cultivation in 10 Years, As Commission Continues Review of 1995 World Summit for Social Development

Viable economic alternatives to cultivating and trafficking illicit drugs must be created, the Executive Director of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, Pino Arlacchi, told the Commission for Social Development this morning. The international community had called for the adoption of strategies to reduce cultivation of narcotic crops at the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995), he added.

Addressing the Commission as it continued reviewing efforts to implement the goals of that Summit, Mr. Arlacchi said his Office was striving to eliminate illicit crop cultivation over the next 10 years. If that goal was to be achieved, however, bilateral and multilateral donors must actively support alternative forms of development.

Another key factor in the fight against drugs, he added, was convincing the world community that the problem could be solved. The final goal of anti- drug efforts should be eliminating the problem, not coexisting with it. The General Assembly's special session on international drug control, scheduled for June 1998, would start the real war against drugs and convince nations and people that there could be a drug-free world.

Also this morning, the Commission discussed promoting social integration and participation. The representative of South Africa said her country was "a rainbow nation", in which citizens actively participated in social transformation. To build national unity, the Government was taking direct steps to see that those whose rights had been violated in the past received reparation and adequate services.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Mexico, Malta, Finland, India, Norway, United States, Canada and Mongolia.

The Commission is scheduled to meet again at 3 p.m. this afternoon to continue discussing the promotion of social integration and the social aspects of criminal activity.

Commission Work Programme

The Commission for Social Development met this morning to continue discussing two themes: enhancing social protection; and the social dimensions of crime and substance abuse. It was considering those themes in the context of its overall review of efforts to implement the goals of the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995).

It was also scheduled to hear an address by the Executive Director of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, Pino Arlacchi.

(For background information on reports before the Commission, see Press Release SOC/4430 of 9 February.)

Statements

GUSTAVO ALBIN (Mexico) said a concerted international effort was needed to address the global and changing nature of the scourge of drugs. His Government was taking action to fight against consumption, production and marketing of illicit drugs, using an integrated approach. Its national plan focused on building a preventive culture, which included education. Civil society was being enhanced to create a culture that rejected involvement in drug activities. Strengthening civil society and preventive activities were part of the country's overall effort to promote actions that combated the demand and supply of drugs.

Rehabilitation measures were being expanded, he continued. Addiction- related illnesses were being addressed and communities were being made aware of drug-related information. Scientific research on drug addiction, as well as sociological research on preventing addiction, was being conducted. Policies were directed towards mobilizing society against drug trafficking.

In spite of those efforts and similar efforts throughout the international community, information supplied by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme indicated that drug-related activities were increasing, he said. That fact underscored the importance of global efforts. The Commission's conclusions could provide valuable input into activities carried out towards the special General Assembly session on drugs, to be held in June this year. The attendance and participation of heads of State and government at that session would indicate the international community's commitment to be free of the problem of illicit drugs in the twenty-first century.

ALFRED GRIXTI (Malta) said his country was committed to creating a society for all, characterized by responsive government, non-discrimination, tolerance, respect for diversity, equality and social justice. The Government, therefore, not only ensured that those principles were put into practice, but also ensured that the practices were filtered down and decentralized to all levels of

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government. Also, the current restructuring of his country's industrial sector, which would eventually lead to the creation of a free trade zone, would include the active participation and inputs of all the social partners involved.

He added that, by the end of the year's parliamentary session, an independent inquiring magistrate would be established to investigate cases of corruption or abuse of power independently of a government request. Another recent development was the adoption of a new mission statement for Malta's Employment and Training Corporation. That statement was in line with the agenda for promoting social integration, as discussed by the Commission. It ensured equitable access to training programmes and employment services for all people.

SNOWY MOLOSANKWE (South Africa) said her country was "a rainbow nation", in which social integration was promoted through democracy and the active involvement of its citizenry in social transformation. To address the needs of the country's vulnerable population, the Government was working to deinstitutionalize care for older persons and develop family-focused and community-based care. South Africa had hosted the third global conference of the International Federation on Ageing in 1997 and was now actively participating in follow-up activities. Its national policy on youth proposed that youth participate actively in community service, ranging from cleaning streets to caring for the elderly, sick and disabled.

To transcend past conflicts and build national unity, the Government was ensuring that those whose rights had been violated under the past system were given reparation and rehabilitation, she continued. The country's national crime prevention strategy integrated four elements: enhancing the effectiveness of the criminal justice process; utilizing environmental design to reduce and prevent crime; promoting public values and education; and combating the influence of regional and transnational criminal networks. While much remained to be done, South Africa was proud of its achievements during its four years of democratic governance.

REIJO VAARALA (Finland) said his country had created a welfare State that ensured citizens against risk, but imposed mutual responsibilities on them. That "solidarity agreement" had been the foundation of social policy, providing society with a sense of security. Though care for individuals had been the core issue, Finland had also attempted to create a stable, peaceful and integrated State. To help integrate people of all ages into society, his country had implemented a generational agreement, which built pension systems based on collective responsibility, public care for children and the elderly, and an educational system for children and young people.

Global competition and market-oriented changes, however, were eroding traditional social programmes, he said. Those agreements that formed the basis for social cohesion and integration were now at risk, raising the

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possibility of increasing social exclusion. The global economy and relentless competition perpetuated a new way of looking at social programmes. Nations needed to find a new form of social awareness, which counterbalanced the dominant economic view of the future. The issue of social responsibility was in no way resolved by increased dependency on global markets. There was a growing need to create global social agreements, which could minimize the negative effects of markets on those in vulnerable positions. Nations needed to find a new balance between the global market,m on the one hand, and national cohesion and inclusion, on the other.

ROHINI NAYYAR (India) associated herself with the statement made for the "Group of 77" developing countries and China. Analysing vulnerability based on age and social groups was useful for designing concrete programmes to address the problems of vulnerability. However, there were larger, structural causes of vulnerability. Solutions needed to be designed at both the macro and micro levels. Reports and statements before the Commission tended to underplay structural problems, whose solutions must be approached at the global level.

A key component for enhancing social protection and reducing vulnerability was food security, she said. For the poor and vulnerable, access to food at prices they could afford was the most critical variable affecting their security. Current orthodoxy was opposed to subsidies. However, some State intervention to guarantee minimum nutritional needs was necessary. While recognizing the importance of developing tripartite cooperation between governmental, non- governmental and civic organizations, she said the role and capacities of non- governmental organizations to fill the vacuum created by State withdrawal from economic sectors should not be exaggerated.

Because government had the primary responsibility for social programmes, India had focused on decentralizing decision-making and strengthening local elected bodies, she said. She then stressed the importance of ensuring equal access to land for women through changes in inheritance laws.

State governments were required to earmark funds under the various development programmes for traditionally disadvantaged castes and tribes, to ensure that they were not excluded from development and to help them overcome traditional exclusions, she continued. Her country had initiated programmes to address the increase in HIV/AIDS, and to address the special needs of street children and the disabled. In recent years, drug abuse had been combated through a three-pronged strategy: curbing traffic in illicit drugs; dealing with addicts; and increasing awareness. Greater efforts were now needed at the grass-roots level to protect vulnerable and alienated groups.

HILDE CAROLINE SUNDREHAGEN (Norway) said her country gave priority to programmes aimed at improving employment among young persons, the long-term

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unemployed, immigrants and refugees. In 1997, a national forum for integration of persons with occupational disabilities was established, to find ways and means to prevent occupational diseases and early retirement due to occupational injury. Another priority was the eradication of child labour worldwide, which was both a human rights and development issue. Addressing child labour was not only a question of political decisions and appropriate legislation, but also of fighting poverty and promoting social change.

She said that fighting poverty and promoting social change was essence of the follow-up to the Social Summit. She emphasized that the costs linked to the development of health services and primary education were investments in human resources, which were crucial when fighting poverty. Improving health services and education benefited both economic development and productivity. The urgent challenges of economic and social development required the United Nations to coordinate effectively the policies and activities of its various bodies, including the specialized agencies. To that end, the Economic and Social Council should strengthen its policy and coordination role, in particular, through streamlining its subsidiary bodies and improving its working relationship with financial institutions and the World Trade Organization.

PINO ARLACCHI, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, said criminals were exploiting the opportunities created by the globalization of the world economy. They trafficked in diverse commodities, including human beings. Criminal organizations were well-financed and structured. They were major forces in destabilizing governments, particularly developing countries, through violence and corruption.

More than 200 million people were today subject to contemporary forms of slavery, he continued. Traffic in human beings was estimated to generate some $6 billion annually, according to a report of the International Organization of Migration. Trafficking in human beings was a problem that involved all countries. His Office was currently undertaking a global study to better understand trafficking in human beings and to propose measures to dismantle the networks involved.

Terrorism was another menace to society, he continued. Terrorists continuously adjusted their patterns and methods of operation. They took advantage of gaps in legal systems and in international cooperation to pursue their activities, often in collusion with organized crime groups. Organized crime networks, drug cartel, and terrorist groups threatened the very principles of democracy. In addition, levels of violence had increased, due to the availability of weapons. The world today was awash in arms, he said.

By exploiting the economic trends of the 1990s -- globalization and liberalization -- transnational crime had become a major force in world finance, he continued. Globally illicit funds remained modest when compared with the aggregate economies of developed countries, but they could corrupt

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and destabilize markets and smaller economies. Drug traffickers and members of organized crime must be deprived of economic clout and influence derived from their illegal profits.

Since the World Social Summit, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, as part of the Office, had vigorously applied its strategy for reducing demand for illicit drugs. That strategy was based on balanced efforts to reduce demand, counter trafficking, and reduce supply. The Drug Control Programme gave priority assistance to Member States in applying international drug-control treaties. During the past five years, it had assisted 80 governments in applying those conventions. Member States must demonstrate their political will and turn the treaties into effective instruments for countering illicit drugs.

Drug trafficking and abuse affected the family, health and crime, he said. Research had confirmed that dysfunctional family life, rather than poverty, was one of the most significant factors in predisposing an individual to use drugs, in countries as far apart as Mexico and Ireland.

Drug abuse was a burden on society, he continued. The drug addict's health costs were 80 per cent higher than those of the average citizen in the same age group. In addition, drug abuse and trafficking were linked to other kinds of criminal activities. Trafficking often resulted in violent conflicts between competitors over market shares. While drug abuse and trafficking represented a considerable burden to society, traffickers continued to make huge profits. The bulk of the income generated from drug sales remained in consumer countries. Most profits were made and reinvested in industrialized countries.

The Social Summit had called for the adoption of strategies to reduce cultivation of narcotic crops and for national and international development programmes to create viable economic alternatives, he recalled. The international community should recognize its achievements. The governments of Bolivia, Colombia and Peru had undertaken ambitious alternative development programmes to eradicate illicit crops. In South-East and South-West Asia, countries -- assisted by the Drug Control Programme -- had made significant strides in eliminating production of the opium poppy. The Drug Control Programme was preparing an international strategy to eliminate illicit crop cultivation over the next 10 years, which would rely on bilateral and multilateral donors to support forms of alternative development.

Through its technical cooperation activities, the Drug Control Programme had fostered social integration, he said. It involved governments, local communities and target groups in defining and developing programmes at the local level. Drug control objectives could only be achieved with the direct involvement of local authorities. In pursuing its drug control objectives,

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the Drug Control Programme promoted human rights principles. To reduce demand for illicit drugs, the Drug Control Programme had concentrated on mobilizing civil society and the private sector. To mobilize the international community, the upcoming special session of the General Assembly would be called upon to adopt a declaration on the guiding principles of demand reduction. He invited governments to give their full support to that initiatives.

The Assembly's upcoming session on international drug control would be a landmark event, he said. The international community must demonstrate its willingness to mobilize the resources needed to translate its commitments into action. The Drug Control Programme must be provided with both the financial and human resources it required to initiate activities in response to the work of the Assembly.

The international community had the instruments to address the drug problem, he said. The drug control treaties had yielded positive results. On the eve of the twenty-first century, the international community must define the legacy it wished to pass on to the next generation in the field of drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice. The security and health of individuals and society at large was at stake.

Responding to a question on preparations for the General Assembly's special session on drug control, Mr. Arlacchi said a number of action plans had been created to counter different aspects of the drug trade and criminal activities, such as money laundering. There was also a document drafted that would promote judicial cooperation in fighting drugs.

A key goal of the session was to focus on reducing the demand of illicit drugs worldwide, he said. While there were many measures to fight trafficking and production, those efforts would not be successful if the countries of the world did not engage in the process of reducing demand for drugs. The same time-frames applied in attempting to reduce drug supplies should be used when attempting to reduce demand and curbing addiction.

When asked how optimistic he was about fighting drugs, Mr. Arlacchi said many of the political obstacles that once prevented efforts to combat the drug trade were now eliminated. For decades, there was conflict between the developing and the developed countries in creating strategies to reduce the drug trade. Now, the atmosphere in the preparatory committee was based on sharing responsibilities for the drug problem and creating common goals for addressing it.

He added that the results of efforts to combat the drug problem depended on the final goals set by countries. The world community must take the position that the problem could be solved. The final goal should be eliminating the drug problem, not co-existing with it. While there was a tendency to believe that the efforts to combat drugs had failed, it should be

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noted that the world community had only recently begun to use strategies to combat drugs. While there were failures in the fight, there had also been successes. When a group of countries began to make efforts to seriously reduce drug consumption and trade, there were reductions. In the 1990s, there had been a significant reduction in addicts, which would have seemed impossible in the 1980s.

The world community should also be encouraged to give greater priority to combating drugs, he continued. Those priorities were shown in the relatively small budget given to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme. Worldwide, the resources given to fight drugs was very small. The major problem was convincing people that there could be an effective fight. The special session was intended to start the real war against drugs and convince nations and peoples that there could be a drug-free world. Nations should begin the next century on that premise, he said.

Responding to a question on youth culture and drug use, he said there was now a wealth of information on the internal dynamics of youth culture and drug abuse. The key task now was to turn that information into new proposals in the field of demand reduction.

BETTY KING (United States) said that her country's President had made fighting international organized crime a priority. The General Assembly had criminalized bribery and corruption, and United Nations system bodies were strengthening Member States' institutional capacities to fight corruption. Member States had agreed to core standards and norms to ensure protection of international human rights standards while fighting crime. She applauded the fact that the Secretary-General had strengthened the Organization's crime- fighting abilities.

The illicit drug industry threatened social stability and welfare in her country. Drug abuse led to loss of human potential, and undermined family cohesion. The financial cost of drug abuse was staggering. Drug use and drug markets could be devastating to communities. In the United States, youth were being educated to reject the use of illegal substances, while the Government attempted to break foreign and domestic sources of supply. In light of the high social costs of drug abuse, crime and violence, no effort should be spared in reducing their impact.

LOUISE GALARNEAU (Canada) said, on measures to help families, that federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada had developed the National Child Benefit, an income-support programme for low-income families, which would be implemented in July 1998. The Benefit would prevent and reduce child poverty, promote attachment to the workplace and reduce overlap and duplication between levels of government. Canada was also concerned about the high rate of unemployment for youth, thus, the Youth Employment Strategy was

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introduced in 1997 to increase the Government's investment in youth employment programmes by almost 50 per cent, or $315 million over three years.

On the issue of people with disabilities, she said that often people were denied full participation not because of their disability, but due to a lack of appropriate support and opportunities. The Government launched in 1997 the Opportunities Fund, which would provide $90 million over three years to support innovative approaches in integrating persons with disabilities into the workforce. Her Government had also taken steps to integrate aboriginal peoples, through a plan that addressed the needs of communities, as well as the mistakes and injustices inflicted on them in the past.

On efforts to mainstream the gender perspective, she said her Government had implemented a new employment insurance system that ensured full coverage for part-time workers and multiple job holders -- the majority of whom were women. Also, Canada's new pension plan now included special features that accommodated women's child-rearing responsibilities, longer lifespans and unique relationship to the labour market.

OCHIR ENKHTSETSEG (Mongolia) associated herself with the statement made for the Group of 77 and China. Mongolia had undergone dramatic changes in the social, economic and cultural spheres, due to dramatic market reforms over the past seven years. The economy was now on a more secure footing. Market liberalization and a favourable legislative framework had resulted in the private sector's share in the economy increasing from 6 per cent to 64 per cent between 1990 and 1996. However, inefficient State enterprises, inadequate communication networks and the brevity of the country's free market tradition, combined with the fact that Mongolia was a land-locked country, had compounded the reform challenge and created social hardships.

To address problems of deteriorating social services and an unprecedented increase in poverty, Mongolia had been taking measures to improve the living standards of its vulnerable groups, she said. National action plans were being implemented to empower and protect vulnerable groups through education and public works. Also, programmes to address issues faced by youth and the disabled were being elaborated. She hoped the Division for Social Policy and Development would provide country-level technical assistance to Member States in the follow-up to the Social Summit.

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