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� � � | At the conclusion of the UN General Assembly's Special Session on the world drug problem, the international community approved a Political Declaration and action plans to reduce substantially the production and consumption of illicit drugs in 10 years-by 2008. After three days of marathon-like deliberations in the United Nations forum, representatives from 150 countries, among them heads of state, chancellors, ambassadors, and other governmental officials agreed in defining drug trafficking as humanity's major problem. In addition to being a threat to human health and a waster of the future of youth, they agreed that drug trafficking severely imperils the institutional stability of nations. Anti-drugs Agenda for the Twenty-first Century The Political Declaration and the action plans concerned with precursor and amphetamine control, judicial cooperation, money laundering, demand reduction, alternative development, and illicit-crop eradication constitute the broadest and most ambitious international initiative yet in the struggle against illicit drugs. By adopting the Declaration, the governments of UN Member States agree to meet the concrete goals of demand and supply reduction until the year 2008. International Consensus The Executive Director of UNDCP, Pino Arlacchi, argued that "the international community has reached to an agreement" and added that "the strategy is based on two pillars: more resources for farmers who must change away from drug crops and greater solidarity with the drug addicts of the world." Evident during the event was the international consensus to strengthen the means of drug control worldwide and the commitment of countries to assume shared responsibility in the task. The political leaders attending the Special Session admitted that all countries are, without exception, affected by the production, consumption, and traffic of illicit drugs and that the neat distinction between producers and consumers has disappeared. With this recognition, and on the basis of mutual confidence, international cooperation will be more effective. Multilateral Cooperation The decision of Member States to approve the Political Declaration and the action plans confirms the leadership role of the United Nations in international drug control, and emphasizes the willingness of nations to grant it an even greater role at the multilateral level. "The United Nations International Drug Control Programme should continue in its leading role, thus precluding unilateral actions," said Jos� Mar�a Aznar, President of Spain. Action Plans After several days of cooperation, the United Nations requested its Member States to put into practice as soon as possible the action plans prepared by a preparatory commission made up of 70 countries in March of 1998. The plans, whose goals are summed up in a single plan of 31 pages, are to combat drugs, including the significant reduction of their supply and demand over the next 10 years. Facing the Challenge It's time for the Member States that have supported our initiative and expressed their willingness to enter a new stage to meet and discuss the form in which we're going to implement this very ambitious program," said Sandro Tucci, spokesman for UNDCP. Encouraged by the hope of achieving a drug-free world, those attending committed themselves to carry forward the agenda of the new anti-drugs strategy into the next century. Precursor Control It has been shown that with the application of control measures, the diversion of 250 tons of efedrine and pseudoefedrine was stopped in North America. With this amount, traffickers would have been able to produce illegally more than 160 tons of metamfetamine, or 15 thousand million dosages of the drug. Many governments still lack the resources or the capacity to control the marketing of chemical substances. But much can be done to prevent the illegal diversion of precursors if there is coordinated action worldwide between countries and international organizations. Member States thus committed themselves to achieve, by the year 2008, a significant reduction in the diversion of precursors and chemical substances essential to the illegal manufacture of drugs. This is to be achieved through a series of actions to strengthen the control over these substances. Amphetamine-type Stimulants Some 30 million people consume amphetamine-type stimulants, such as ecstasy and metamfetamine. These are synthetic drugs, made clandestinely, are in great demand. The attraction of these amphetamine-type stimulants lies in their stimulation of the central nervous system, where they increase mental activity, excitation, euphoria, and a general sensation of well-being and of higher energy levels. Almost 90 percent of illegal opium and heroin come from Afghanistan and Myanmar, in Asia. Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru provide nearly 98 percent of world coca. In rural areas of Asia and Latin America, some 700,000 families - about four million people - depend on the income from cultivation of coca and opium poppy. Amphetamine-type stimulants rank between first and third place among the drugs most consumed in many countries. Although the phenomenon is recent, and what is known about it is limited, the consumption of these drugs would appear to be increasing rapidly. Therefore, countries have agreed to give maximum priority to the problem of consumption of these drugs, and to that end approved an action plan in five basic areas: consciousness raising, demand reduction, restrictions on supply, dissemination of exact information, and increased control. Countries committed themselves to apply the plan by the year 2003 in order to achieve a substantial reduction in the manufacture, traffic, and abuse of these drugs by 2008. Judicial Cooperation Criminals and traffickers take advantage of the processes of globalization and opening in many countries of the world in order to perpetrate their crimes. The application of international treaties is virtually impossible without judicial cooperation between countries. In recognition of this, Member States approved the strengthening of judicial cooperation. This commitment means that by 2003 countries will adopt extradition measures, mutual legal assistance, transference of procedures, controlled deliveries, the control of illegal maritime traffic, and other forms of cooperation. Money Laundering It is estimated that no more than 30 percent of countries have legislation that penalizes the laundering of money or other assets from drug trafficking. To control and remedy this situation, Member States reaffirmed their commitment to comply with the dispositions of the 1988 Narcotics Convention and agreed to establish national legislation by 2003 that would penalize money laundering. Demand Reduction According to UNDCP estimates, it is probable that between 3.3 and 4.1 percent of the world's population consumes illegal drugs. Some eight million people consume heroin and about 13 million take cocaine. However, the drug most widely used is marijuana: an estimated 2.5 percent of the world's population - about 140 million people - consume it. It is estimated that the age at which drug abuse begins is lower each year. The number of persons 15 to 19 years old who sought treatment for consumption of opiates in 1995 was greater than the number for the entire period 1992-1994. There is a need for concerted action worldwide in order to make drug-abuse prevention efficient. The participation of nations, communities, and families is indispensable to success. According to UNDCP estimates, it is probable that between 3.3 and 4.1 percent of the world's population consumes illicit drugs. The drug most widely used is marijuana, with 2.5 percent of the world's population - about 140 million people - using it. It is further estimated that the age at which drug abuse begins is lower each year. For the first time, countries agreed in a declaration of guiding principles to attack drug worldwide abuse, knowing that success will depend on the simultaneous and complementary realization of actions to reduce both supply and demand. In this context, countries agreed to reduce significantly drug abuse by the year 2008. Alternative Development and Eradication Drugs derived from natural plants, such as marijuana (from the cannabis plant) and heroin, continue to be the substances most abused in the world. Whereas the illicit cultivation of marijuana is widespread throughout the world and its volume has remained relatively constant, the cultivation of opium poppy and coca are concentrated in certain regions and has increased considerably during the 1980s and 1990s. Over the past 25 years, governments and organizations have acquired experience and enjoyed success in the battle against these illicit crops. As a consequence, countries have committed themselves to work with UNDCP to develop a strategy to reduce gradually and eventually eliminate coca, opium poppy, and cannabis by 2008. Alternative development and interdiction also are key parts of the strategy. | |
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