Coordination Conference on Drugs
Statement by
Antonio Maria Costa
Director-General
United Nations Office at Vienna
And
Executive Director
United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention
Kabul
23 July 2002
I would like to welcome President Karzai, whose presence at this meeting is a tangible manifestation of his own personal, and his Governments commitment to address forcefully the drugs problem in Afghanistan.
I would like to thank him for the cooperation he extended to ODCCP. During a private meeting yesterday I had the opportunity to present to him the work we have undertaken so far, even more importantly the one in the pipeline.
I would also like to thank the UK authorities and especially the Special Representative on Narcotics, Mr. Michael Ryder, for co-sponsoring this meeting. Mikes own personal commitment to the fight against narcotics in Afghanistan is an example to be followed.
- Afghanistan is at a crossroad. After decades of civil strife and humanitarian crises the country needs major international support to embark upon sustainable development and join the community of nations. The rehabilitation of the country, has now entered in a new phase.
- Phase 1 was centered on the military operations and the dislodging of the totalitarian regime. Now phase 2 has now started. Following the Loya Jirga, the country is establishing the administrative, legal and governance structure the government needs to pursue its development goals. This gathering I believe is meant to contribute to this phase of the process. Phase 3 will consists of the successful lunching of the development an growth processes.
- There is a general recognition among the donor community and the Afghan Administration that counter narcotics is among the priority issues for Afghanistan: There can be no viable Government where there is an illicit drugs economy and, vice versa, drugs can not be fought effectively without good governance. Afghanistan cannot solve this enormous problem alone, therefore donors are urged to contribute to the historical goal of eliminating opium poppy cultivation in the country.
- Afghanistan has already demonstrated its commitment to tackling the drugs problem: on 17 January 2002, a very comprehensive decree was issued 16 January 2002, Hamid Karzai, then Chairman of the Afghanistan Interim Adminstration, issued a ban on the production, processing and illicit use, smuggling and trafficking of illicit drugs. On 3 April 2002, a decree was issued announcing the launching of an eradication campaign. The decree also stated that land will be confiscated in case of non-compliance with the cultivation ban in the next season and declared usury a crime. The efforts that have been made so far are highly appreciated. The new planting season will start in October. The decree that was issued in April should be reiterated.
- We are now at the beginning of a longer-term process. The challenge ahead is to turn the negative perception of law enforcement prevailing now in the opium poppy growing areas into a positive attitude to long-term sustainable development. For now we are buying time as an interim solution. ODCCPs contribution is to continue the process started by the Afghan Administration, Germany (building up of the police), Italy (the reconstruction of the judicial system), and the UK (eradication and lead nation in coordinating international drug control assistance), and to lead it into a more systematic second stage development of licit agriculture and sustainable rural development, and setting up a strong financial system etc. At the same time, a strong national agency dealing with all aspects of drug control needs to be set up.
- In addition to activities in the various areas, ODCCP is ready and willing to assist the Afghan Administration and the UK in coordinating drug control in Afghanistan. Effective coordination is essential in order to avoid duplication and to achieve a meaningful division of labour.
- ODCCP is taking a two-pronged approach to tackling the drugs problem, including law enforcement and drug demand reduction. However, a greater balance between supply and demand reduction measures needs to be achieved. Drug abuse is a rising problem in Afghanistan and warrants urgent attention. ODCCP endeavors to increasingly tackle the drug abuse problem through appropriate prevention and treatment activities.
- At this interim stage, ODCCP proposes to launch a pilot project in three districts of Qandahar province which are heavily dependent on opium poppy cultivation. The project a social compact with opium poppy growing farmers will consist of establishing a social compact with farmers in opium poppies areas. It is micro-credit scheme, supplemented with appropriate technical assistance. Loans will be given based on the understanding that no opium poppy will be cultivated. We realize that time is pressing before the next planting season, which is due to start in October. However, we have started the process and have had talks with agencies with experience in micro-finance such as IPC and CGAP.
- Any activities aiming at preventing opium poppy cultivation in the coming season need to be complemented by a strong communication strategy.
- Afghanistan combines problems of crime, drugs and terrorism, probably more than any other country. The narcotics problem has to be put in context with other kinds of asocial behavior. ODCCP takes a comprehensive approach including support to the development of a criminal justice system and strengthening law enforcement capacities.
- In March 2002, ODCCP has developed a strategy on drugs and crime in Afghanistan. We have now prepared an update on the implementation of this strategy, which outlines a wide range of projects that have been launched or will be launched shortly in all of ODCCPs main areas of work, i.e. building a legal and judicial framework, law enforcement, mainstreaming, drug demand reduction and monitoring of opium poppy cultivation.
- As regards the monitoring of opium poppy cultivation, ODCCP undertook a pre-assessment survey of the illicit opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in February 2002. It showed that opium poppy cultivation has resumed, and could cover 45,000ha to 65,000ha, producing between 1,900mt to 2500mt in 2002, which is comparable to mid-1990s levels. The full survey of cultivation has now been completed; the data are being analyzed; and it will be published in September. The survey will present cultivation estimates prior to eradication. It will not estimate the extent of eradication. Information in the press has been indicating that 15%-20% of the crop was eradicated, but, thus far, there is no official report, either from the Afghan authorities, or from the U.K., which apparently assisted in the eradication process. Next year, we plan to conduct the survey in the same way, with the same time-lines: the pre-assessment in February; the full survey subsequently, with the findings to be published in September 2003. The method used for conducting the full survey (combining ground survey with satellite images) will be adjusted according to the findings of the pre-assessment survey and the security situation. For the coming planting season, security needs to be ensured in order to be able to continue monitoring in a reliable manner.
- In order to develop appropriate interventions, ODCCP is undertaking a study on "The economics of opium dependency in Afghanistan and its impact on surrounding countries". Its central purpose is to understand why an opium economy developed in Afghanistan. The study will be released in September. Along with the annual Opium Poppy Cultivation survey, also to be released in September, the international community should have some of the instruments needed to help Afghanistan break the vicious circle of its economic dependence on opium.
- Afghanistan can only solve its problems if problems at the regional level are tackled at the same time. Over the past years, ODCCP has been providing capacity-building assistance to Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in areas such as policy and strategy development, institution-building, strengthening of control measures, reduction of illicit supply and demand for drugs. As the capabilities of Afghanistan and its neighboring countries to counter illicit drugs and organized crime increases, more regional cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbors would need to be developed to further facilitate fulfillment of the Security Belt objectives. In the past, ODCCP elaborated the concept of a Security Belt around Afghanistan to help Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan prevent drugs trafficking from Afghanistan over their borders. At the time Afghanistan was not included in this scheme. Now, Afghanistan has become a partner for the neighboring countries. All regional countries realize the grave dangers of illicit drugs to their societies and the security of the region as a whole. In this vein, ODCCP is looking into the possibility of developing projects to strengthen the borders particularly between Afghanistan and Pakistan and between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
- In order to function properly, ODCCP is establishing an expanded Office in Kabul. The team, consisting, for the time being, of an ODCCP Representative, a program management officer and a drug demand reduction specialist will be in place by the end of August. All staff will be professionals with considerable experience in Afghanistan. If we put together the staff of the Office (about 10 people), the staff running the projects (about 20 people), and the staff running the poppies cultivation surveys (about 70 people), the total human resources employed by ODCCP at present run at about 100 people.