Sixty-first General Assembly

Third Committee

6^th & 7^th Meetings (AM & PM)

SPEAKERS UNDERLINE IMPORTANCE OF SOLIDARITY, COOPERATION, AS THIRD COMMITTEE

CONCLUDES DISCUSSION OF CRIME PREVENTION, INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL

Developing Countries Stress Need for Assistance to Bolster Capacity

To Combat Cross-Border Criminal Activity, with UNODC Playing Central Role

The Third Committee (Social, Cultural and Humanitarian) concluded its general discussion today of crime prevention, criminal justice and international drug control, with several speakers expressing concern over drug trafficking at the hands of transnational organized crime, and the threat it posed to peace, security and development.

Pursuing a theme raised before the Committee the day before by Jean-Paul Laborde, Chief of the Terrorism Prevention Branch of United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the speakers underlined the importance of international solidarity and cooperation.  Developing countries added, however, that they needed help from both the United Nations and developed countries to bolster their capacity to combat cross-border criminal activity, with UNODC playing a central role.

Afghanistan’s representative said he expected international help in fighting narcotics, alongside terrorism.  There was a strong link between terrorists and subversive attacks on the one hand, and drug trafficking on the other, which undermined peace, security and development, its representative said.  Poverty was still overwhelming in Afghanistan, which was emerging from more than 24 years of conflict.  It was, therefore, important that income earned from opium should be replaced by income from legitimate sources.  Creating an alternative livelihood would strengthen the credibility of the Government and reduce the risk of humanitarian crisis.

A number of Afghanistan’s neighbours referred to it in their presentations.  Iran’s representative said the widespread cultivation of opium poppies and the production of opiates and heroin in Afghanistan had caused it a great deal of social and economic problems.  Despite the seizure by Iran of nearly 180 tons of drugs of various kinds of drugs in the first six months of this year, trafficking through Iran had increased, as it remained the shortest and principal land route to Europe.

The Russian Federation’s speaker expressed particular concern, as well, saying Afghanistan was on the verge of becoming a narco-State.  Turkey, meanwhile, cited the links between terrorism and organized criminal trafficking of drugs and human beings as causes for serious concern.

Ghana’s representative said Africa was fast becoming a major transit hub for cocaine and heroine to Europe.  Record seizures in the past two years were evidence that drug traffickers were increasingly using West African countries along the Gulf of Guinea to smuggle cocaine from Latin America into Europe.

On behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the representative of Jamaica said the continuing demand for cocaine in Europe and the demand for cannabis everywhere were of particular relevance to CARICOM countries, considering their central location and the links between illicit drug trafficking and other forms of crime.

Mexico’s representative said that, at a time when the fight against terrorism was at the top of the international agenda, the world could not reduce its efforts to combat organized crime and drug trafficking, which posed an equally great threat to international peace and security to all Member States.  Like many other delegations, she said the fight against these scourges was a shared responsibility, based on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and equal jurisdiction.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Cuba, Singapore, Viet Nam, Algeria, Israel, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, India, Venezuela, Kenya, Syria, Thailand, Morocco, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Albania, Armenia, El Salvador, Cameroon and Lebanon.

Representatives of the International Organization for Migration and the Food and Agricultural Organization also spoke today, as did a representative for Interpol.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 9 October, to begin consideration of its agenda item on the advancement of women.

Background

The Third Committee (Social, Cultural and Humanitarian) met today to continue its general discussion of crime prevention and criminal justice, as well as of international drug control.

For more background information, please see Press Release GA/SHC/3848 of 4 October.

Statements

MAKOTO HASHIZUME ( Japan) said trafficking of persons was a grave human rights violation and international crime, which countries must tackle together.  Japan had taken several steps that had proven effective in curbing trafficking.  It had shared its successes and discussed steps to cooperate on similar efforts with Governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and religious groups.  More multilateral action was needed, however.  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) must ensure cooperation and coordination with relevant partners in accordance with the Economic and Social Council resolution submitted by Japan and which had been adopted by consensus last year.

He also stressed the need to strengthen efforts to combat the drug problem in the Asia-Pacific region.  The demand for amphetamine-type stimulants -- long a concern in Japan -- was growing in other countries.  Such stimulants were mainly manufactured in East and South-East Asia.  As an Asian country, Japan was seriously concerned over this problem and was committed to doing all it could to combat it.  He supported UNODC’s projects in East and South-East Asia and he requested that UNODC step up its efforts there.  He also lauded UNODC’s recent management reform -- including the introduction of results-based management and an overarching strategy -- and stressed the importance of coordinating its efforts with related organizations.

JIA GUIDE ( China) said China was pleased to note that international efforts regarding drugs, transnational crime and terrorism had produced initial results.  Opium production had been declining; cocaine production had stabilized and there had been a steady alleviation of the drug situation in the Golden Triangle.  However, the road ahead remained long and arduous.  Opium cultivation in Afghanistan had risen 56 per cent in 2006 and the drug control situation there was worrisome.  The international community should pay close attention to that problem and take active measures, as it was important to address both the root causes and the symptoms of the Afghan drug problem.

China attached great importance to drug control, and had achieved remarkable results in enacting and enforcing drug-control legislation, he said.  It had expanded its People’s Campaign against Drugs, and its law enforcement authorities had solved numerous big cases of drug trafficking, dealing heavy blows to groups and individuals who had been engaged in drug trafficking.  China also attached great importance to regional and bilateral cooperation.  China believed that judicial assistance, extradition and confiscation of the proceeds of crime were at the heart of international judicial cooperation.  Both the United Nations Convention against Organized Crime and the United Nations Convention against Corruption had provisions in that regard.  However, in practice, due to different legal systems, double standards and an overemphasis on political considerations by some countries, those provisions had yet to play their due role.  China hoped that double standards and political considerations would be set aside so as to strengthen international cooperation.

YERZHAN KAZYKHANOV ( Kazakhstan), speaking on behalf of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), said that, despite progress in drug control, challenges remained complex.  In particular, drug aggression from Afghanistan remained prodigious in scope, with the Afghan opium trade involving around 500,000 people and much of the traffic going through CIS countries.  In that regard, he was pleased with the results of the June meeting in Moscow on narcotics trafficking.

The CIS countries were hoping, he said, for the successful development of the coordination mechanism for the uniform services of the region in that process.  There was already much cooperation among law enforcement services in the region.

He called on the international community to reinvigorate its efforts to turn Afghanistan into a narcotics-free State.  In addition, more cooperation from Afghanistan with regional processes would strengthen those endeavours.  No one nation could handle such a problem by itself, however, and the United Nations and regional organizations must all work together.

JENNIFER FELLER ( Mexico) expressed concern over the devastating social and political impact of organized crime and narcotic drug trafficking.  At a time when the fight against terrorism was at the top of the international agenda, the world could not reduce its efforts to combat organized crime and drug trafficking, which posed an equally great threat to international peace and security to all Member States.  Organized crime, narcotic drug trafficking and corruption were both national and international problems that could only be solved through international cooperation.  The fight against these scourges was a shared responsibility, based on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and equal jurisdiction.

She condemned the views expressed by some delegates during the previous day’s session about the crime and drug problem in some States, stressing that empirical evidence had shown that a unilateral focus would merely weaken national efforts and strengthen organized crime groups and drug cartels.  Demand for drugs was intrinsically linked to drug production and distribution.  In that regard, Mexico had taken steps to strengthen the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism in Latin America to combat narco-trafficking.  Mexico was also active in the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission.  It had presented effective strategies to the Commission’s expert group for maritime traffic to end drug transport.  Her country had also presented important initiatives in precursor chemical control to the group of experts on chemical substances and pharmaceuticals.  One of Mexico’s greatest concerns was the alarming increase in the use of synthetic drugs, which was a global problem.  She called on UNODC to develop and implement short-term strategies to prevent and treat pharmaceutical drug dependency.

KERIM URAS (Turkey), aligning his statement with that of Finland on behalf of the European Union, said that his country had taken extensive measures at the national, regional and international levels to combat trafficking in human beings, for which it was a destination country.  A national plan of action provided a range of services for victims, and a national outreach programme had reached many victims and created public awareness.  In addition, Turkey had initiated and participated in a variety of regional efforts.

Similarly, he said his country was combating drug trafficking with the belief that international cooperation and exchange of information was of prime importance.  In that light, Turkey had signed and ratified all relevant United Nations drug-control treaties and took an active role in most major international initiatives.  Enhancing such cooperation was crucial.

Finally, he noted that links between terrorism and organized criminal trafficking of drugs and human beings caused serious concern.  Since terrorist organizations also used business and charitable fronts for funding their activities, an integrated approach should be adopted in combating terrorism and other forms of organized crime.

NANA EFFAH-APENTENG ( Ghana) said that UNODC’s World Drug Report 2006 revealed encouraging signs in the reining in of the global drug trade in the medium-term and the long-term.  Last year, global opium production had fallen 5 per cent while cocaine production had remained stable.  Also last year, record levels of opium and cocaine had been seized and the market for amphetamine-type stimulants had stabilized.  Despite such progress, drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking continued to be major threats to international peace, security and socio-economic development, with devastating consequences for developing countries in particular.  Africa was fast becoming a major transit hub for cocaine and heroin to Europe.  Record seizures in the past two years were evidence that drug traffickers were increasingly using West African countries along the Gulf of Guinea to smuggle cocaine from Latin America into Europe. 

In recent years, Ghana had stepped up efforts to prevent and crack down on illegal drug use and trafficking through effective law enforcement and stronger international cooperation, he continued.  The newly created inter-ministerial Narcotics Control Board of Ghana guided and coordinated all national efforts -– including crop-substitution programmes and eradicating cannabis plants -- to combat the scourge.  Ghana, like other African countries, did not have laws on precursor chemical control nor any designated competent authority to implement article 12 of the 1988 Convention.  Ghana and its neighbours were at risk of being used, not only as transit country, but also as a stockpiling logistics base for traffickers.  He called on UNODC to give Ghana technical assistance and training to prevent the country from being used to convert precursor chemicals into consumable drugs.

KANG BYONGJO ( Republic of Korea) supported the collective efforts of the international community to combat transnational crime, and expressed hope that that commitment would be renewed in the current session of the General Assembly.  Describing his country’s efforts to combat corruption and terrorism and to institute criminal justice reform, he hoped, in particular, that the Assembly would provide adequate authority to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice for the management of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund by adopting the proposed draft resolution.

Describing his country’s efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking, he said that international efforts to reduce both the supply of, and demand for, narcotics still needed to be intensified.  His country had been very active in such efforts, as well as international efforts to combat money-laundering, for which it anticipated obtaining full membership in the Financial Action Task Force concerning money-laundering in the near future.

JORGE CUMBERBACH MIGUEN ( Cuba) said that, in the context of neo-liberal globalization, transnational organized crime and illicit drug trafficking had become almost uncontrollable.  No country was able to tackle terrorism, drug trafficking, people smuggling, money-laundering or arms smuggling on its own, even with state of the art military and intelligence technology.  The answers to the problem were well known, but many were doomed to ostracism and to negligent oblivion in archives or resource centres.  It was critical to realize the principle of shared responsibility in tackling transnational crime and to refrain from the threat and use of force backed by military technology.

There was no place for double standards in fighting crime, he said.  It was inconceivable that the United States, where the dirty business of drug trafficking generated between $13.6 billion and $48.4 billion a year for drug dealers, and where there were 34.5 million cocaine users, tried to declare itself the judge of others in the matter of drug trafficking.  It was also absurd that the United States, where a law applying only to Cubans promoted illegal and insecure immigration, aspired to set the standard in fighting trafficking in persons.  How could the United States declare itself the champion of the world fight against terrorism when it was ready to release the most notorious terrorist and murderer in the Western Hemisphere, Luis Posada Carriles?  Despite the damages caused by the criminal blockade imposed by the United States Government, and thanks to his country’s social and political system, which favoured equality and justice, Cuba had achieved countless successes in crime prevention, criminal justice and fighting the world drug problem.

TRACY CHAN ( Singapore) said that, despite international achievements in reducing illicit drug trafficking, challenges remained due to increased trade in cannabis and increased use of methamphetamines in Asia and Africa, among other areas, and it was important to meet the 2008 General Assembly targets in reducing the scourge.

Singapore, she said, had always been serious in fighting drugs, having seen how opium and heroin addiction tore apart the fabric of a society.  Nationally, the country had adopted a multipronged approach that focused on prevention, education, treatment and care, as well as rigorous law enforcement.

Her country had also cooperated extensively with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other international partners, she said.  That sort of cooperation was crucial, since drug traffickers respected no borders, and the United Nations had a key role in galvanizing global efforts.

PHAM HAI ANH ( Viet Nam) said his country was concerned about the increasing linkage between different types of crime.  It was imperative to step up concerted efforts to combat transnational crime at the national, regional and international levels, with measures that were comprehensive, balanced and in compliance with national and international law, particularly the principle of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs.  The United Nations should play a leading role in coordinating international efforts, and he welcomed its recent achievements.  However, Viet Nam shared the Secretary-General’s view that much remained to be done.  Technical assistance was most desirable to help developing countries. Time was needed and the circumstances of individual States should be taken into account.

At the national level, many legal and practical measures had been undertaken in Viet Nam, he said.  Legislation against corruption had come into effect on 1 June 2006, and Viet Nam thanked UNDOC for helping to draft it.  At the regional level, Viet Nam had spared no effort to strengthen cooperation on combating transnational crime within regional forums such as ASEAN.  At the international level, Viet Nam was now party to a large number of international instruments.

RAYMOND WOLFE (Jamaica), on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the continuing demands for cocaine in Europe and cannabis everywhere were of particular relevance to CARICOM countries, considering their central location and the links between illicit drug traffic and other forms of crime.

The Governments of the region, he said, had invested heavily in the protection of borders and regional cooperation, and they objected to the mass deportation of individuals from overseas as a result of their criminal activities elsewhere.  They also considered unilateral monitoring and threats of sanctions on their countries as counterproductive.

Instead, CARICOM countries, he said, continued to call for international assistance -- particularly technical assistance -- to enhance interdiction efforts, as well as programmes aimed at reducing the demand for drugs and providing alternate employment opportunities to eliminate the need for reliance on narcotic production for livelihood.

In that context, he said, CARICOM countries were deeply concerned at the scaling down of the activities of the regional UNODC office in Barbados, as well as the lack of an effective outcome of the 2006 Review Conference on small arms.

SALIMA ABDELHAK ( Algeria) saluted the work of UNODC, which had spared no effort in helping States to implement various international instruments.  It also applauded the work of the Commission on the Prevention of Crime, which had identified terrorism as one of humanity’s gravest concerns.  Algeria had never stopped alerting the international community to terrorism, which was a devastating form of transnational crime.  Only an integrated and collective approach could put an end to terrorists who made use of corruption, intimidation and violence, and who recycled the fruits of their crimes in States other than those where the crimes were committed.

Conscious of the danger represented by transnational criminality, particularly terrorism, Algeria had ratified the United Nations Convention on Transnational Crime, its three Protocols and the Convention against Corruption, and had speedily adopted their provisions at the national level, she said.  Having been classified as a transit country, Algeria was concerned by the growing consumption of drugs within its borders.  To reverse that trend, the Government had put into place legislative, treatment and preventive measures.  However, given the fact that drugs in transit had originated in neighbouring States, and given the relationship between drug trafficking and illegal immigration, it was critical to have regional and international cooperation in order to coordinate appropriate action.

ILYA I. ROGACHEV ( Russian Federation), aligning himself with statements made by other CIS members on the current issue, said transnational crime tied to terrorism had emerged as the greatest threat of the new century.  An important step needed to meet the challenge was the development of a global anti-terrorism strategy with targeted assistance to meet the particular needs of each State.

A full dialogue with States was particularly important in that regard, he said.  He hoped the upcoming conferences on transboundary crime and corruption would help further such dialogue.

The resolutions being considered by the Committee must reflect the new realities in the areas under consideration, he said.  The Russian Federation had emphasized its continuing support for international and regional efforts to fight transnational crime.  He expressed particular concern over the situation in Afghanistan, which he said was on the verge of becoming a narco-State.  He called on all States to support the outcome of the Moscow conference on the issue.

MEIRAV EILON SHAHAR ( Israel) said the staggering reach of organized crime and illicit drug trafficking cut across national boundaries; encompassed financial crime, terrorism and human trafficking; and threatened the stability of economies, Governments and even families.  Dealing effectively with globalized criminal activity and the transnational nature of crime required international cooperation, as well as the recognition that “threats that take root in one part of the world threaten us all”. Fortunately, globalization and other phenomena that allowed crime to flourish also gave the international community new tools to fight the scourge.  Instantaneous access to data and information concerning people, goods and financial activity and communication permitted law enforcement bodies at local, national and international levels to work together.

After briefing the Committee on Israel’s anti-drug and crime control strategies, she acknowledged that, although much had been done on the legislative side, enforcement activities must be strengthened.  “Traffickers at all levels will be deterred only if they face considerable risk for their activities,” she said, adding that Israel also believed that, on the demand side, the best practices in treatment and rehabilitation of drug users must be continually shared and explored.  Israel continued to struggle with demand for ecstasy, LSD and heroin, drugs that could quickly devastate young lives.  Even as those threats were being closely monitored by Israel’s Anti-Drug Authority, new challenges were emerging, such as increased use of substances not specifically prohibited by law, including inhalants.

That development had led Israel to step up its ongoing campaign to change attitudes about drug use, she said.  The Anti-Drug Authority had addressed that issue in its education programme, which now targeted even kindergarten-age children.  Israel also realized that no one nation could tackle drugs and crime problems alone and, with that in mind, continued to work with its neighbours, last year signing a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening regional coordination in the fight against transnational movement of drugs, and promoting information sharing about drug use, prevention and treatment.

KHANTHALASY SOUTHICHACK (Lao People’s Democratic Republic) said her Government had been working with local administrations at all levels to educate opium growers and non-growers about the law and to address the problems of illicit drugs.  By the middle of 2005, ten northern provinces and the Xaysomboun Former Special Zone had declared themselves opium-free.  Early in 2006, the country had declared its success in eliminating opium, and the result was obvious.  Many had a higher quality of life with clean water available, schools for children, health clinics and markets for products.

However, she continued, while eliminating the opium crop had been successful, the alternative development assistance had only reached 50 per cent of the opium growers.  About half the villages that had grown opium in 1998 still required the assistance urgently, and some 12,000 addicts remained to be treated.  Many communities had not had the means or time to develop new cash crops or staple food crops, or to replace the income lost by not producing opium.  That had brought the sustainability of the programme into question.  The Government had therefore adopted a national strategy for 2006-2009, which would require some $8.3 million to implement.  States were urged to lend their support through technical assistance, as well as through the funding of alternative development interventions.

PAIMANEH HASTEH ( Iran) said her country, where illicit drugs had been banned and their use was punishable, had greatly suffered from that menace for more than three decades.  Widespread cultivation of opium poppies and the production of opiates and heroin in neighbouring Afghanistan had caused a great deal of social and economic problems for Iran, and it had become a matter of grave concern for the international community as well.  Despite a ban on opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and the presence of coalition forces in that country, there was no sign that production of opiates would diminish in the near future.  Trafficking through Iran had, meanwhile, increased, despite severe enforcement measures and fortifications along the borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Iran remained the shortest mainland route from Afghanistan to Europe, despite the opening of new routes, and more than 80 per cent of all opiate seizures in the world took place in Iran.

Iran had lost more than 3,500 anti-drug personnel in the fight against armed drug convoys from Afghanistan and Pakistan during the last two decades, she said.  Most human and equipment losses had been the result of border skirmishes with smugglers.  In the first six months of this year, nearly 180 tons of various types of drugs had been seized.  Increased drug cultivation and production in Afghanistan had brought a heavier responsibility on the international community, and Iran had been extending its cooperation both within and outside its region.  International cooperation should be strengthened to tackle the problems faced by transit countries, and more attention paid to reducing demand for drugs.  Iran called on international organizations and developed countries to provide financial resources and technical assistance to both producing and transit States.

U KYAW TINT SWE ( Myanmar) said that, despite a reduction in the cultivation of illicit opium in Afghanistan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar, which had led to a 22 per cent reduction in global opium cultivation, illicit narcotics continued to pose a real threat to humankind.  The illicit drug trade was closely linked to other transnational crimes, including terrorism and money-laundering, which meant that the menace had to be dealt with through international cooperation and shared responsibility.  Effective measures in supply reduction and prohibition must be complemented by equally effective measures aimed at reducing demand, he added.

He went on to detail some of his Government’s tireless efforts to eradicate narcotic drugs, noting that, with political will and the end of insurgencies in remote border areas, opium production in Myanmar had dropped from 2,560 tons to only 292 tons, an 80 per cent decrease between 1996 and 2004.  It was regrettable, however, that, despite all the effective measures taken by Myanmar, a certain powerful Government had not only failed to provide material assistance to combat illicit drugs, but had also tried to tarnish Myanmar’s image with “groundless accusations”. He noted that the Secretary-General’s report had highlighted the need to address the problem of poverty among farmers before the gains made in reducing illicit crops over the past decade were reversed.  Myanmar thanked the countries in the region, which had opened their markets to alternative cash crops produced by former poppy farmers.

MABEL REBELLO ( India) expressed satisfaction that UNODC had devoted considerable attention to assistance in training and capacity-building.  She also supported UNODC’s integrated approach to drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism, expressing the hope that it would enhance effectiveness.  She welcomed the initiative to recast drug and crime policies into a broader developmental mould, based on the promotion of justice and good governance.

Narcotics had been one of the main sources of funding for transnational criminals and terrorists, she continued.  The close nexus between international terrorism and transnational organized crime, illicit drugs, money laundering, illegal arms transactions and illegal movement of nuclear, chemical and biological materials posed a serious threat to international security, and must be monitored carefully and addressed forcefully.  The UNODC Executive Director had recently highlighted three key weaknesses in the global drug control situation; heroin supply in Afghanistan, cocaine demand in Europe and cannabis supply and demand everywhere.  India was also concerned about the emerging problem of trafficking through online pharmacies.  This new challenge would have to be tackled by way of strengthened cooperation between countries and by harmonizing national laws governing online pharmacies.

FRANCISCO ARIAS CÁRDENAS ( Venezuela) said his country had been putting mechanisms into place to strengthen its immediate action regarding the global cancer of illicit drugs, a menace that affected all.  Confronting drug trafficking was a joint responsibility for producer and consumer countries.  Venezuela believed that prevention, rather than punishment, was key, so as to keep society from falling into the clutches of criminal networks.  Wider access had to be given to education, health care, sports and leisure, hence the importance that the Government had assigned to social policy.  At the same time, Venezuela had been working on reforms that would produce a new model for law enforcement.

Regarding the trafficking of persons, he said that to address the problem was the shared responsibility of countries of origin, transit and destination.  Poverty and social exclusions had been factors that enhanced the vulnerability of people, especially women and children, to such crimes.  Returning to the drugs issue, he said illicit crops had become almost non-existent in Venezuela, which had adopted an organic law against organized crime and had also partially reformed its drug law.  The country had also increased the efficiency of its drug seizure mechanism, resulting in increased drug seizures.  In 2005, 77 tons of drugs had been seized, an increase of 79.27 per cent from a year earlier.  Venezuela had assigned importance to international cooperation and rejected measures of a unilateral and exterritorial character that pointed a finger at other States for political purposes.

WANJUKI MUCHEMI ( Kenya) said that, as a transit route for many international drug dealers, his country was committed to international mechanisms to combat transnational organized crime.  Despite Kenya’s limited capacity, it had strengthened national efforts and had cooperated with regional and international efforts to combat the related crimes of money-laundering and terrorist financing.

Combating corruption also presented a formidable challenge to Kenya, he said, and, as it had been the first signatory of the Convention against Corruption, he expressed hope that developed countries would increase their support to that mechanism, since their support for it was crucial.

The recovery of assets derived from corrupt practices had proved to be a particularly difficult issue, he said, considering the diversity of legal systems involved and other obstacles.  His country was working to seal the existing loopholes.  He commended the UNODC for its continued support to regional initiatives to combat organized crime and urged international support for the regional Programme of Action on the issue adopted recently in Abuja, Nigeria.

WARIF HALABI ( Syria) said it was crucial to reduce the scourge of transnational organized crime, urging that assistance be provided to developing countries to reinforce their efforts.  Her country was contributing in many ways to fighting such crimes, having established a national commission to combat trafficking in persons and having undertaken a variety of measures to fight corruption and terrorism, which it condemned in all its forms. 

She said that Syria had contributed much to the fight against terrorism, but there was no point in resorting to force when the root causes of terrorism had not been dealt with; resistance against occupation must also be differentiated from terrorism.  She described, in particular, Syria’s national efforts to stop the financing of terrorism.

She also described her country’s cooperation with international and regional efforts to counter illicit drug trafficking, emphasizing that the problem required a common global approach.  She was confident that the efforts of the United Nations in this area would be productive, as long as it dealt with the problem in all its dimensions.

KHUNYING LAXANACHANTORN LAOHAPHAN ( Thailand) noted that drugs were a global problem that demanded a concerted global response.  Strong national actions complemented by strong international cooperation had already yielded positive results in many areas.  While she was encouraged by the Secretary-General’s finding that there had been a steady decline in drug production and a substantial increase in seizures worldwide, she took no comfort that some 25 million people worldwide abused amphetamine, methamphetamine or related substances.  A holistic approach was needed to tackle multifaceted drug problems; one that simultaneously tackled both the demand and the supply sides and that took development seriously.  Thailand’s successful alternative development project had been based on that approach.

The key to Thailand’s success, she said, was that it looked at the drug problem through the lens of sustainable people-centred development.  The Doi Tung Development Project had been recognized for its integrated approach, which combined crop substitution with such development objectives as reforestation and environmental protection.  Former poppy farmers in Thailand, who now grew substitute cash crops such as coffee and macadamia nuts, had seen their average income rise almost tenfold in just more than a decade.  That model could be applied elsewhere.  In that regard, the Thai Government had been working with Myanmar’s Government to extend the success story to that country.  To sustain the programme’s success, however, increased private sector cooperation was needed in developing and marketing products from alternative development projects.

Trafficking in human beings was a fast-rising threat to all nations, she said.  A balanced but firm approach was needed on three core areas, namely prevention, protection and prosecution.  Experience had shown that a human rights approach to victim protection and assistance was essential to successful prosecution.  Transnational organized crime and terrorist organizations often fed on each other, and she called for the full implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy recently adopted by the General Assembly.

MOHAMMAD YUNUS BAZEL (Afghanistan) recalled President Hamid Karzai’s statement to the Sixty First General Assembly, in which he said Afghanistan was committed to fighting narcotics alongside terrorism, and that Afghanistan expected international help in that regard.  That strong commitment emanated from the Constitution, which obliged the Government to prevent the production and trafficking of narcotic drugs.  There was a strong link between terrorists and subversive attacks on the one hand and drug trafficking on the other, which undermined peace, security and development.  At the London Conference on Afghanistan on 31 January 2006, the fight against narcotics had been considered a cross-cutting priority.

He explained that farmers were the weakest links in the drug chain, reaping only 3 to 4 per cent of illicit drug income.  Poverty was still overwhelming in Afghanistan, which was emerging from more than 24 years of conflict.  In the villages, income earned from opium had to be replaced by income from legitimate sources.  Creating an alternative livelihood would strengthen the credibility of the Government and reduce the risk of humanitarian crisis.  The Government could not tackle that huge problem alone; development assistance from the international community would be vital.  The drug problem was a world problem; under the principle of shared responsibility, counter-narcotic efforts would more likely succeed if there were less demand in drug-consuming countries and if there was a long-term commitment to building an economy that was legal.  Given that Afghanistan was landlocked, strong border controls and mutual cooperation with judicial and law enforcement authorities in neighbouring countries would contribute highly to the fight against narcotic drugs.

ABDELFATAH KADIRI ( Morocco), emphasizing the threat of transnational organized crime, expressed satisfaction over the legal instruments that had recently been developed by the international community.  He said that the success of such instruments depended on the resources and political will that were now devoted to their implementation, as well as the support given to the UNODC.

His country, he said, was now in the process of harmonizing its own legal instruments with the provisions of the Convention against Organized Crime.  Because of its location, the country put particular importance on the Protocol related to illicit migration, which must be dealt with through a global solution developed through a sincere dialogue between countries of origin, transit and destination.

He said that Morocco had also initiated an ambitious national strategy to fight trafficking of illegal drugs, which was tied to the international fight against terrorism, regarding which the country had ratified most Conventions.  He stressed that terrorism, corruption and all transnational criminal activity must be fought by the international community in an integrated manner.

DATUK HAJI IDRIS BIN HAJI HARON ( Malaysia) said that the serious and growing problem of transnational organized crime could only be countered through reinforcing international and regional cooperation for effective national crime prevention.  Such cooperation should include exchange of information, capacity-building measures, mutual legal assistance and joint investigations.

A global approach was also needed to combat terrorism, he said, with the United Nations taking the leading role.  Malaysia was already a State party to five international mechanisms on fighting terrorism and planned to accede to the remaining seven.  His country worked actively at the regional level with ASEAN.

In addition, a better harmonization of international efforts was needed to combat money-laundering and corruption, he said.  In the area of drug trafficking, a concerted international effort must include technical assistance and the provision of alternative sources of income in drug-producing countries.  Malaysia had consistently called for stringent measures to curb such trafficking and supported the important work of UNODC.

BHAGIRATH BASNET, Acting Foreign Secretary of Nepal, commended the technical cooperation programme of UNODC, which aimed to enhance the capacity of developing countries, and in particular the least developed States, in combating transnational crime, curbing corruption, countering terrorism and strengthening criminal justice.  With globalization, criminals had expanded and deepened their reach and networks worldwide.  Nepal was committed to working with other States to defeat transnational organized criminal groups.

Corruption ate up the resources of nations and undermined their stability, he said.  Nepal was fully committed to fighting corruption, with the Government launching a highly visible anti-corruption drive and good governance being made one of the four pillars of the current five-year development plan.  Nepal was also concerned with the serious threat posed by narcotic drugs, particularly to children and youth.  His country welcomed an integrated, comprehensive and broad-based approach to contain threats emerging from the horizontal, multifarious and dispersed characteristics of transnational organized crime. He said there was a need to provide financial and technical assistance to the least developed countries to complement national endeavours in that regard.

SIMEON ADEKANYE ( Nigeria) said that an integrated, comprehensive and broad-based approach was necessary to counter the multifarious threats posed by drugs, transnational crime and terrorism.  He was particularly concerned by the increasing use of African countries, such as Nigeria, for the trans-shipment of drugs to Europe and the United States.

To respond to that challenge, Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies had redoubled their interdiction efforts, as a consequence straining their human and technical capabilities.  International and regional cooperation was essential for further progress in stopping such transnational crime, and Nigeria had helped develop the West African Joint Operations, which had improved the exchange of intelligence and cross-border operations mechanisms, resulting in the seizure of huge quantities of drugs.

He called on the international community to assist developing countries in capacity-building and manpower development to meet such growing challenges, including the future possibility of synthetic drug trafficking through Africa.  He stressed the importance of reducing the demand for drugs, describing his country’s efforts in that regard, and pledged his country’s commitment to the related fights against terrorism, trafficking in persons and money-laundering, all of which threatened his country’s security and development.

LOREN XHAFERRAJ (Albania), aligning his statement with that of Finland on behalf of the European Union, said his country was working with its partners to make sure that its policies were integrated with the parameters for European Union accession, with good governance a centrepiece of that effort.  Priorities in that context included dismantling the system of corruption and fighting organized crime and illicit trafficking.

He said that efforts to eliminate the dangers of organized crime and to improve the rule of law would not succeed without the close cooperation of law enforcement agencies of the countries in the region.  Furthermore, transnational crime was a global phenomenon that required a collective response on the part of the entire international community.

He hailed the efforts made so far by UNODC and the cooperation given it by member States.  Albania was strongly committed not only to implementing the international, legally-binding instruments related to transnational crime, but also to participating in regional and international initiatives on the matter.

ARA MARGARIAN (Armenia) said that, after his country’s independence in 1991, difficulties in many former Soviet Union republics had destroyed the existing repressive system against drugs, thus facilitating more drug addiction and illegal drug trafficking.  Armenia had, therefore, taken measures, joining all United Nations conventions on drug trafficking, psychotropic substances and precursors.  It firmly believed that an effective policy against that evil required comprehensive and coherent measures aimed at reducing both supply and demand, with special importance being given to raising awareness among children and youth.

Armenia was not a drug-producing country, and local consumption was very low, he said.  Geographically, however, it bordered on Iran and Turkey, two of the three Golden Crescent countries, and that fact meant Armenia might be attractive as a point of transit.  Substantial changes had been made to the Law on Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, with a shift away from the strictly punitive approach of the Soviet era to a more international approach recognizing “softer” principles.  Structural changes had meanwhile been carried out in the police service, with the drug squad being incorporated into the section that dealt with organized crime.  Armenia agreed with the United States representative when she said that everyone had the tools and political will to counter international drug and criminal threats.  No country or Government could counter those problems alone.

LUCIA BORJAS CHAVEZ ( El Salvador) said that the illicit traffic in drugs was a serious threat to law, development and international security, and it must be countered in a comprehensive way.  Her country’s strategy focused on education, health care and public safety.  In addition, EL Salvador had been updating its national law to accommodate the provisions of relevant international conventions.  Enhanced international, regional and bilateral cooperation was needed for further progress.

Many other forms of crime, she said, were connected to drug trafficking.  For that reason, it was indispensable to protect the independence of the judiciary and to pursue the fight against corruption.  She supported upcoming efforts to enhance the international legal framework in that regard.

El Salvador had made great efforts to undertake its responsibilities regarding international instruments to fight drug trafficking, terrorism and all other forms of transnational crime, she said.  Her country intended to continue its commitment to that fight in the future.

MARTIN BELINGA EBOUTOU ( Cameroon) said corruption was particularly serious among crimes that plagued society and threatened peace and security.  It represented a deformation of the political system, and could be the source of underdevelopment, poverty and a culture of lawlessness.  Corruption was gangrenous because it attacked the social fabric; moreover, its tentacles could reach beyond borders.  The United Nations Convention against Corruption represented a global approach that favoured collaboration and synergy on the international level.

Within Cameroon, the plan of action against corruption had been set out by President Paul Biya, who had said that the diversion of public funds undermined the national community, and that such practices had to stop, he said.  Cameroon had ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption and put into place structures and organs to prevent and fight corruption.  Those included an executive committee for the national governance programme, a national financial investigation agency and a national anti-corruption commission created in March 2006 as an independent body under the direct authority of the President.  Trials had, meanwhile, taken place, implicating both civil servants and high-ranking personalities in Cameroon.

MAJDI RAMADAN ( Lebanon) said that his country had a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, with a national plan to fight the scourge based on reducing supply and demand and providing treatment.  Resulting successes included wide-scale destruction of crops and reduction of trafficking.

He said that laws had also been passed to reduce money-laundering and other related crimes, though the country had not benefited from international assistance to implement many of its strategies in that regard.

Regarding terrorism, Lebanon had been the victim of State terrorism through the occupation of its lands over many years, and the country was cooperating with international efforts to stop terrorism in all its forms.

LUCA DALL’OGLIO, of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said keeping the crucial balance between human rights and crime prevention was a delicate task.  In the case of migration, trafficking and smuggling had been the most widespread of malicious activities of criminal networks.  IOM had been encouraged by the increase of ratifications of the two Protocols to the Convention on Transnational Organized Crime on smuggling and trafficking.  However, the implementation gap remained wide, and every day brought reminders that trafficking and smuggling continued to produce humanitarian crises in many parts of the world, such as the Mediterranean and North Africa.  IOM had stepped up its technical cooperation to support national authorities in managing substantial Europe-bound migration flows through Maghreb countries.

Advances in migrant management technology, including biometrics for travel documents, had been moving forward in most developed countries, he said.  They had the potential for serving a useful role in combating abuses.  However, IOM was concerned that access to such technology had been uneven, due to costs and the sophistication required to support it.  That had created a potential gap in cooperation between States to combat transnational organized crime, and it should be seriously addressed.  Trafficking in persons should be tackled, first and foremost, from a human rights perspective rather than a law enforcement one.  Its root causes, such as poverty and gender inequality, had to be addressed.  That would be a long-term effort, however, and in the meantime the best way forward would be an effective criminal justice system that would deter traffickers.

FLORENCE CHENOWETH, Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office to the United Nations, discussed FAO’s work in alternative development, a fundamental part of the counter-narcotics strategy to combat the world drug problem.  FAO was working closely with UNODC, the European Union, the German Technical Cooperation Agency, the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development and other international and national agencies.  Such projects, which pooled partners’ resources, were more cost-effective than specific national, community and industry efforts.  For example, FAO and the German Technical Cooperation Agency were partnering with the European Community to improve and update the concept of “alternative development” for rural communities locked into the illicit narcotic drug trade.  The project, she said, would help nations achieve the millennium targets.

She went on to discuss other FAO projects.  For example, an agro-forestry project in Bolivia had destroyed 14,000 hectares of coca over a 6-year period, and an agro-livelihood project in Afghanistan, launched last year, aimed to reduce areas sown to opium poppy in four regions over the next three years.  FAO had sponsored other successful joint ventures with the Governments of Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Lebanon and Colombia.

Mr. KERSTEN, of the Office of the Special Representative of Interpol to the United Nations, said that, in the fight against transnational crime, his organization was concentrating its efforts and resources on the provision of secure global police communication services, operational data services and databases for police.

In addition, he said Interpol’s operational police support services were directed towards five priority areas, including drugs and organized crime; financial and high-tech crime; fugitives; public safety and terrorism; and trafficking in human beings.  Other areas of concern included corruption and environmental crime.  In all those areas, specialized working groups brought together experts from around the world to develop and promote the best practices and training in investigation techniques and analysis.

As a result of Member States’ use of Interpol channels, he said that hundreds of arrests and extraditions were achieved each year, along with drug seizures, the recovery of stolen goods and the rescue of victims of child abuse.  In addition, the organization was currently seeking resources for the establishment of an anti-corruption academy.  He stressed Interpol’s growing cooperation with the United Nations and other regional and international organizations.

Statement in Right of Reply

Mr. RAMADAN (Lebanon), exercising the right of reply, said that Israel had attempted to politicize the problem of drugs, and he felt compelled to note that Hizbollah had been created as a result of that country’s repeated attacks against Lebanon.  In addition, he cited reports that Israel was at the centre of international trafficking in the drug Ecstasy, the country itself had hundreds of thousands of drug users, and that heroin, hashish and other drugs were also endemic there.

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For information media • not an official record