The Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
Recognizing that the world drug problem continues to present challenges to the health, safety and well-being of all humanity, and resolving to tackle such challenges in order to help ensure that all people can live in health, dignity and peace, with security and prosperity,
Underscoring that the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol,
[1] the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971
[2] and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988,
[3] together with other relevant international instruments, constitute the cornerstone of the international drug control system,
Underscoring also that in accordance with the 1988 Convention, each party shall take appropriate measures to prevent illicit cultivation of and to eradicate plants containing narcotic or psychotropic substances, such as opium poppy, coca bush and cannabis plants, cultivated illicitly in its territory, and that the measures adopted shall respect fundamental human rights and shall take due account of traditional licit uses, where there is historic evidence of such use, as well as the protection of the environment,
Reaffirming that drug policies and programmes, including in the field of development, should be undertaken in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
[4] and, in particular, with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States, all human rights, fundamental freedoms, the inherent dignity of all individuals and the principles of equal rights and mutual respect among States, as well as the principle of common and shared responsibility, recalling the Sustainable Development Goals, and taking into account the specific situations of countries and regions,
Recalling the commitments related to alternative development contained in the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem
[5] of 2009 and the Joint Ministerial Statement of the 2014 high-level review by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the implementation by Member States of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action,
[6] as well as the outcome document of the thirtieth special session of the General Assembly, held in 2016, entitled “Our joint commitment to effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem”,
[7] in which Member States reiterated their commitment to addressing drug-related socioeconomic issues related to the illicit cultivation of narcotic plants and the illicit manufacture and production of and trafficking in drugs through the implementation of long-term, comprehensive and sustainable development-oriented and balanced drug control policies and programmes, including alternative development and, as appropriate, preventive alternative development programmes, which are part of sustainable crop control strategies,
Recalling also the Ministerial Declaration on Strengthening Our Actions at the National, Regional and International Levels to Accelerate the Implementation of Our Joint Commitments to Address and Counter the World Drug Problem,
[8] adopted at the ministerial segment of the sixty-second session of the Commission, in 2019, in which Member States reiterated their resolve, in the framework of existing policy documents, inter alia, to address drug-related socioeconomic issues related to illicit crop cultivation and the production and manufacture of and trafficking in drugs, including through the implementation of long-term comprehensive and sustainable development-oriented and balanced drug control policies and programmes,
Emphasizing that the implementation of alternative development programmes should also be considered in the framework of sustainable crop control strategies, which may include, inter alia, eradication and law enforcement, in accordance with the national context, in the light of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem and the outcome document of the thirtieth special session of the General Assembly, and taking into consideration the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development,
[9]
Recalling the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution
68/196 of 18 December 2013,
Reaffirming that alternative development is an important, lawful, viable and sustainable alternative to the illicit cultivation of drug crops and an effective measure to counter the world drug problem and other drug-related crime challenges, as well as a choice in favour of promoting a society free of drug abuse, that it is one of the key components of policies and programmes for reducing illicit drug production and that it is an integral part of efforts made by Governments to achieve sustainable development within their societies,
Recalling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
[10] and stressing that the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development should be aligned with the efforts to achieve those relevant objectives within the Sustainable Development Goals that are related to the issue of alternative development, which falls within the mandate of the Commission, and that the efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to effectively address the world drug problem are complementary and mutually reinforcing,
Recalling also that alternative development programmes should include measures to protect the environment at the local level, according to national and international law and policies, through the provision of incentives for conservation, proper education and awareness programmes, so that the local communities can improve and preserve their livelihoods and mitigate negative environmental impacts,
Recalling further that the impact of alternative development programmes should be assessed by taking into account their contribution to the control of illicit crop cultivation, including the eradication of such crops, and through estimates based on human development indices, socioeconomic and environmental indicators and impartial and accurate evaluations,
Recalling the work of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the work conducted under the Convention on Biological Diversity,
[11] and the work conducted under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa,
Noting that the forthcoming edition of the World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime will contain a special booklet on drugs and the environment,
Recalling its resolution 63/4, on promoting the involvement of youth in drug prevention efforts, in which the Commission reaffirmed its determination to give priority attention to the promotion of youth and their interests, and calling for increased participation of youth and youth-based organizations in the formulation of, as appropriate, local, national, regional and international development strategies and policies, which is particularly relevant to youth engagement in the prevention of non-medical use of drugs,
Reiterating its commitment to respecting, protecting and promoting all human rights, fundamental freedoms and the inherent dignity of all individuals and the rule of law in the development and implementation of drug policies,
Recognizing the ongoing challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic at the international, regional and national levels, which may have increased unemployment, weakened social support systems, deepened inequality and affected the livelihoods of people vulnerable to the illicit cultivation of drug crops, as well as other illicit drug-related activities that may lead to increases in such illicit cultivation and in drug-related crimes, and may have impeded the progress of alternative development efforts, and stressing the importance of international cooperation to continue to comprehensively address and counter these challenges on the basis of common and shared responsibility,
Welcoming the holding of the virtual expert group meeting on alternative development, on the theme “Promoting sustainability in alternative development”, hosted by Germany, Peru, Thailand and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on 26 and 27 January 2022, involving the participation of Member States, international organizations, representatives of civil society and academia,
Recognizing that alternative development programmes can contribute to the efforts of Member States to address human vulnerabilities, including poverty, unemployment, a lack of opportunities, discrimination and social marginalization, as well as mutually reinforce endeavours to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in accordance with the 2030 Agenda,