AS DELIVERED
Fifty-seventh Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Opening Statement to the Third Committee
by
Mr. Antonio Maria Costa
Executive Director
United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention
30 September 2002
Your Excellencies, distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the pleasure to address the Third Committee for the first time since I assumed my functions as Executive Director last May. From day one, I made it clear to all staff and in my consultations with Member States that we need to reposition the Office. - Why?
First - The issues of drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism require a more integrated approach, particularly after the tragic events of 11 September 2001 and following resolutions by the Security Council and the General Assembly. Drugs and crime, from both the prevention and law enforcement perspective, have a number of parallels in operational strategies for confronting them.
Second - Our operations must fit into the global agenda, starting with sustainable development, the Millennium Declaration and its Road Map for implementation. We believe that development cannot be sustainable, when/if society is torn apart by "uncivil society" behaviours.
Third -We have to move away from the past, at times opportunistic, approaches to programmes and projects, and move forward to well-defined institutional priorities. We want to assess together with Member States the nature and extent of drug and crime problems. We need to undertake this work with a clear understanding of the social and economic dynamics of these issues. This factual analysis must then lead to a strategic outlook for action based on our comparative edge and involving all partners. Ultimately, this process must result in the efficient delivery of operational activities. Following the ongoing process of consultations with Member States, key partner organizations, non-governmental and civil society organizations we will soon have a management framework to guide our operations for the next three to five years.
The repositioning of the Office falls within five priorities which I have shared with Member States and the staff of ODCCP at the very outset of my taking office:
In this presentation I shall focus on the first three issues. On the remaining two, I would just like to say the following: I would like to commend the staff of ODCCP in Vienna and in the 23 other locations around the world where our Field Offices operate. Staff commitment and dedication are of critical importance for programme delivery and improving the credibility of our Office.
Regarding communication, you will certainly agree that also of
importance is the need for a clear reach-out programme, to let the outside world know what we are achieving and the good use we are making of the resources entrusted to us.
Now I shall focus on the first three points of our work programme, starting with governance questions.
Under the heading of "good governance" lies the paramount value of our work, namely credibility with ourselves, with our colleagues elsewhere within the United Nations system and outside, and especially with you, our stakeholders. Let me illustrate briefly the major lines of action on which our credibility and accountability depend, as reflected in the two agenda items on crime and drugs:
CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE:
I shall begin with the:
United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime
While Member States already have an arsenal of instruments providing the framework for international drug control (1961, 1971 and 1988), it was only two years ago that we celebrated the adoption of the first ever United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.
My office is fully engaged in promoting the entry into force of this Convention and its three Protocols.
Twenty-four Governments have ratified the Convention so far, and the first two Protocols are not far behind. We are confident that this instrument will obtain the 40 ratifications required for its entry into force in the course of next year.
To achieve the goal of universal participation in multilateral treaties dealing with transnational organized crime, I propose that ODCCP should arrange a Treaty Event in 2003 in collaboration with the Office of Legal Affairs. I should be grateful if the Third Committee would indicate its views on this proposal.
Member States will soon need to start preliminary consultations on the preparatory work for the Conference of State Parties, which will oversee the implementation of the Convention. We look forward to working with Member States, under the guidance of the Conference.
The Crime Commission has chosen as the theme for its next session countering the traffic in human beings. I welcome this choice. It is estimated that up to 2 million people annually are victims of this modern form of slavery. The ensuing debate will be a valuable occasion for Member States to monitor the ratification process of the related Protocol and to define the steps needed for expediting its implementation.
Corruption
I will now turn to a major stumbling block to economic development and progress: Corruption, the control of which is a necessary condition for establishing good governance, the rule of law and sustainable development. We are all acutely aware of the devastating effect of high level corruption in impoverishing entire economies. Many countries, some endowed with rich natural resources and therefore potentially well-off, have been plundered by unscrupulous leaders.
We are making steady progress in the negotiation of a comprehensive United Nations Convention against Corruption.
The Convention represents a unique opportunity to take stock of what has proved to be workable and feasible in the fight against corruption. It will offer significant added value in this fight by addressing the question of the transfer of funds of illicit origin and their recovery. So far, this has not been addressed by any of the existing anti-corruption legal instruments, and national legislation in many parts of the world is inadequate.
The remarkable spirit prevailing in the negotiations gives us reasons to be optimistic. We expect the Ad Hoc Committee to complete its task within the deadline you have established for it (end of 2003), resulting in a high-quality and functional instrument.
Combating corruption is not only the responsibility of Governments, but also of the private sector. Corruption very often involves situations in which the public and the private sectors interact. In the case of corporate corruption, the benefits are often enjoyed by shareholders in developed countries, while the costs are suffered by ordinary people in the developing world. It is they who must live under the inadequate governance and corrupt bureaucracies that are nourished by such corruption. Cooperation with the private sector is therefore essential.
Technical assistance on crime issues:
Hand in hand with the negotiation process of the future convention on corruption and support for the ratification of the Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, the Office provides technical assistance in identifying best practices for tackling crime issues and strengthening the integrity of judicial systems.
Combating International Terrorism
As stated by the Secretary-General in his 9 September Report on the Strengthening of the United Nations: An Agenda for Further Change, the United Nations must strengthen its capacity to assist in the fight against terrorism and, in particular, be able to provide advice and assistance to its Member States in their efforts to reinforce their legislative and administrative frameworks. The Vienna Office, in close consultation with the Counter Terrorism Committee of the Security Council and the Office of Legal Affairs, can play an important role in this regard.
Last June, over 100 Member States, 10 intergovernmental organizations and several NGOs took part in a symposium on combating international terrorism hosted by the Austrian Government at the Vienna International Centre. This symposium underscored the crucial role of the United Nations.
The two reports dealing with terrorism issues that are before you provide a sound basis for this Committee's decisions on the work to be done by ODCCP. A reinforced programme of work is proposed. The focus is on the provision of assistance to Member States for ratifying and implementing the international legal instruments. I count on your support for the Secretary-General's proposals.
We have also prepared a draft Programme against Terrorism. Within that framework, we have already started providing technical assistance in the legal field, and a number of projects have already been launched.
Countering Money Laundering
At the centre of the crime-drugs-terrorism nexus are financial flows. ODCCP is helping States to strike back at drug traffickers, organized criminal groups and corrupt officials by targeting those illegally generated, illegally transported and illegally used resources.
Through its Programme against Money Laundering ODCCP advises States on setting up specialized institutions (such as financial intelligence units), drafting appropriate legislation, and training key senior officials in law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, banks and regulatory bodies.
INTERNATIONAL DRUG CONTROL
Let me turn to the issue of illicit drugs, the other major component of our struggle against "uncivil" society.
The Ministerial Segment of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
We are busy working with the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, under the chairmanship of Mexico, in preparing the first Ministerial Segment of the CND, to be held in Vienna in April 2003. Ministers will be assessing the progress achieved and the difficulties encountered by Governments in meeting the goals and targets for 2008, adopted five years ago by the General Assembly.
I see this high-level meeting as a landmark opportunity for stock- taking, refining existing strategies, and breaking new ground in our common search for pragmatic approaches to counter the drug problem.
What are the strategic priorities pursued by ODCCP in the context of the special session?
Eradication of illicit crop cultivation
Governments directly affected by illicit crop cultivation have invested scarce resources to reduce the cultivation of cannabis, coca and opium by 2008. ODCCP has been a partner in this global effort, launching several important alternative development projects.
For example, in Bolivia, together with FAO since 1997, we have introduced, , state-of-the-art sustainable rural development systems for thousands of families. As a result, during the past few years, Bolivia has managed to reduce coca cultivation by ninety percent, something few observers believed was possible in a country where barely ten years ago income from the drugs industry accounted for nearly ten percent of GDP.
Similar results have been achieved in other countries, particularly in Asia (and here I have in mind the undeniable successes in Pakistan and Thailand). Today, the bulk of opium and heroin production is mainly concentrated in two countries - Myanmar and Afghanistan. Let's look into these two very different and serious situations.
MYANMAR: drop in production
In August this year, we concluded our first comprehensive opium poppy survey for Myanmar. Production in 2002 was about 828 metric tons of opium, a significant drop from last year's estimated production of 1097 tons. We will continue to monitor illicit cultivation and work towards the further reduction of opium poppy cultivation.
AFGHANISTAN: Nexus of drugs, crime and terrorism
The power vacuum in Afghanistan in the aftermath of 11 September 2001 enabled farmers to replant opium poppy. By the time the Afghan Interim Administration was established and a new ban on illicit cultivation issued by President Karzai, most opium poppy fields had already begun to sprout. By the end of the 1990s, Afghanistan had become the source of about seventy percent of global illicit opium production. My Office conducted a very thorough survey throughout the spring of 2002, which confirms earlier indications that illicit cultivation in the country had resumed at relatively high levels.
We recently completed this survey and we will be releasing the results in the coming days. The survey indicates that heavy economic dependence on opium production is concentrated not in the whole of Afghanistan, but only in five of its thirty-four provinces.
In my opinion, Afghanistan can only address its drugs and crime problems in an environment which includes:
-First - a clear priority given by the international community to the elimination of illicit cultivation in support of the clear determination manifested by President Karzai, and as part of the reconstruction phase in the rural development sector;
-Second - the provision of licit means of livelihood to farmers must be accompanied by measures for effective law enforcement action directed at drug dealers and traffickers;
-Third - efficient drug and crime control institutions at the national and provincial levels to ensure the rule of law and security throughout the country;
- Fourth - cross-border and regional cooperation.
Over the past years, ODCCP has provided assistance to countries neighbouring Afghanistan: Iran, Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics, in areas such as policy development, institution building, strengthening border controls, and reducing the supply of and demand for drugs. Today, more cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours needs to be developed to counter narcotics trafficking and organized crime in the region.
In March 2002, ODCCP - in consultation with Member States and the Afghan authorities - developed a strategy on drugs and crime. Today, we have a very proactive office and an operational team of experts in Kabul managing our programmes. Our Field Representative also assists SRSG Lakhdar Brahimi by providing policy advice on drug matters.
As in other contexts, alternative development efforts can only be successful if sustained by major investments from local sources, by development agencies and international financial institutions.
Reducing Demand for Illicit Drugs
Drug abuse has blurred geographical boundaries, becoming a problem affecting all countries. One of the most discernible trends and positive developments since the Special Session has been the increased commitment of Governments to reduce demand for illicit drugs.
We are pursuing three main avenues in the area of demand reduction: first establishment of national information systems,
second information sharing on best practices in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, and
third the development and implementation of demand reduction strategies and programmes.
Our strategy to counter drug abuse takes into consideration key issues, particularly the spread of HIV/AIDS. Our activities in this field rely on an extensive community network to develop and implement measures for drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Control of precursor chemicals and amphetamine-type stimulants
To counter the production of illicit drugs, we must exercise better control over precursors and essential chemicals. Since 1998, some landmark progress has been made, under the guidance of the International Narcotics Control Board. Through Operation Topaz and Operation Purple, the availability of precursors essential for the illicit manufacture of cocaine and heroin has been curtailed.
Another new initiative - Project Prism - will monitor the precursors for amphetamine-type stimulants, such as ecstasy. Potentially, this is a far-reaching initiative to address a major, long-term problem.
Amphetamine-type stimulants are now a major concern in many Member States - both developed and developing. There is a need for a common platform to curb the abuse and trafficking of such synthetic drugs. New measures should be adopted, and I intend to place this matter among the most important agenda items of the forthcoming Ministerial Meeting.
Having made this "tour d'horizon" of our main programmatic and operational priorities, I seek your support to strengthen the capacity of this Office.
ODCCP's track record shows that much good work has been done over the years to launch a broad array of field programmes and projects. As I stated earlier, we are in the process of consulting Member States to frame these activities in a more coherent context. The outcome of these internal and external consultations, in the shape of the Office's medium-term operational priorities, will be discussed with Member States in the very near future.
Why is this Road Map essential? To clarify to ourselves and to stakeholders what we intend to do in the period ahead, particularly in the operations undertaken through our network of field offices.
Funding of the programmes under my direction is an issue which I am actively addressing. As you know, on the drug side, such funding depends heavily on voluntary contributions, which account for 90 per cent of our total resources amounting to about 90 million US$ per year. In the case of crime and terrorism, increased funding, both from the regular budget and voluntary contributions, is a matter of credibility for all of us. Today, only a small part of our Office's budget is devoted to crime and terrorism.
Credibility and funding are two sides of the same coin. We need to be careful and tough. Careful not to commit ourselves to more than we can deliver. Careful to treat the resources provided by Member States not as a licence to spend, but as a commitment to deliver. Careful and tough, in imposing upon ourselves the sort of efficient monitoring and evaluation of our work needed to enhance Member States' confidence.
I have no doubt that the Office is in a position to make a direct contribution to sustainable development, economic stability, peace, security and justice. We count on your collective support to provide us with what is needed - guidance, resources and advocacy - for the delivery of quality technical assistance.
Our mission will not be possible without the commitment, support, and involvement of civil society and the private sector as well. They are as concerned as we are about drug abuse, crime, corruption and the "uncivil" elements affecting our global community. Sustainability is our common responsibility.
Thank you.