As delivered
Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
Istanbul, 14 October 2002
Statement by
Mr. Antonio Maria Costa
Executive Director of the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime
(ODC)
Your Excellency, distinguished President Sezer,
Your Excellencies, distinguished Heads of States and
Governments,
Esteemed Participants,
I am privileged to address you today at the Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization. In particular I wish to thank the Turkish authorities for their wonderful hospitality.
Your Excellencies, your countries and the region of the Economic Cooperation Organization as a whole is endowed with an enormous land mass, rich in mineral and agricultural resources. It has a population with many educated and talented people. It has a history and many thousands of years of culture that have few parallels on earth. The world envies this wealth of yours, which could provide the ingredients for an immensely bright future.
What we cannot ignore, however, is the fact that the countries of the region still face a low per capita income. Investments in industry are inadequate, and agriculture is still affected by low productivity, without infrastructure and export markets. The Chairman himself this morning stressed that trade within the ECO region is not as vibrant as it could, or should be.
I will address today one particular aspect of development. I will not only insist on the importance of schools, hospitals and jobs. I wish to put emphasis on the importance of strengthening administrative structures, and especially those needed for good governance.
My emphasis on the so called "soft aspects" of development (as against the hardware represented by roads and irrigation channels) is related to the world-wide recognition that good governance positively influences economic and political life, restrains corruption and improves the delivery from development activities. These aspects are crucial. They render development sustainable. Social stability and foreign investors' attitudes depend greatly on them as well.
The spreading of uncivil behaviours is a world-wide phenomenon. Its growth is what the United Nations Secretary General has recently called "the dark sides of modern civilisation, and the unhappy consequence of globalization". Uncivil behaviours are a threat to the peace and stability of all countries, within the region and outside. They undermine economic and social stability.
The Heads of the ECO member states have already demonstrated their strong commitment to foster better governance. Many among you are actively combating narcotics trafficking, organized crime and terrorism. I wish to express my sincere appreciation for your efforts, as they are not always easy.
Most ECO member states have ratified the three UN Conventions on narcotics. Most of them have already signed the 2000 Palermo Convention against transnational organized crime. All your governments have enacted, or are in the process of enacting legislation to combat money laundering. All ECO members have strengthened their narcotics control mechanisms and laws. These are all very positive steps.
To tackle effectively the problems related to drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism in the ECO region requires close cooperation among all member states. It also calls for a more integrated approach, particularly after the tragic events of 11 September 2001.
At the United Nations we believe that ECO provides mechanisms for such integrated action, as well as opportunities for a common response to common problems. I wish to assure you that your region is among the top target areas for the activities of the United Nations in general, and of the Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna. Over the past 5 years my Office has invested over $50 million in your countries. The pipeline of projects under development in the period ahead is promising: resources for about another $50 million are being considered, with donor support, for the people of the region.
In concrete terms, we are contributing to strengthening drug and crime control measures in your countries through support to your policy, the building of the institutions you deem appropriate, the strengthening of border controls, and the reduction of domestic drug abuse and the spread of HIV/AIDS. We are promoting regional cooperation among the relevant enforcement agencies of the region.
A number of participants today made reference to the situation in Afghanistan and the need to increase assistance to that country. We strongly support these calls for help. The rule of law and democracy are spreading in Afghanistan, building on the historical meeting of the loya jirga.
There is new evidence that Afghanistan, unfortunately, still remains, in 2002, a source of illicit opiates. We know the country's recent history and the fact that by the time President Karzai's Interim Administration was established, opium poppy fields had already been planted in the autumn of 2001. A detailed opium poppy survey, just completed by my Office, has confirmed that there was a considerable amount of illicit cultivation concentrated in 5 provinces of the country. The eradication campaign conducted in the spring by the Administration with the support from the United Kingdom subtracted billions of dollars-worth of heroin from the streets of Western European, Asian and Russian cities.
My invitation to the international community is to support the Afghanistan government's efforts to enforce the ban on opium cultivation, trade and abuse. Most of the Afghan opium, heroin and morphine-base continues to be smuggled through Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Pakistan, both for local illicit consumption and also for transit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Eastern and Western Europe and North America.
There have been important encouraging and positive developments in Afghanistan over recent months. The Government of President Karzai is strongly committed to eliminating the drug economy. One of the first steps taken by the Administration, in January 2002, was to announce a ban on illicit opium poppy cultivation and trafficking. The United Nations, and I personally, salute President Karzai's unmitigated efforts, which deserve full international support.
The Office on Drugs and Crime has accumulated considerable knowledge of the "drug economy". In many cases, farmers' engagement in illicit activities is for the simple purpose of providing a living for their family. Their miserable incomes are not comparable with the huge financial gains made by the organized drug trafficking groups.
The Office on Drugs and Crime has set up a good team in Kabul, with technical experts managing a range of programmes. We also have Field Offices in Central Asia, Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Effective law enforcement is a necessary component of the strategy, but this must be accompanied by the provision of licit means of livelihood to farmers.
Regional cooperation is a key to success. Therefore, ECO has an important role. I am pleased that the Drug Control Coordination Unit (DCCU), created at the ECO Secretariat with the Office on Drugs and Crime's assistance, is providing a practical mechanism for strengthening regional counter-narcotics cooperation under the ECO Plan of Action on Drug Control.
The Next high-level meeting under the Memorandum of Understanding for Strengthening Drug Control in Central Asia will soon take place in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan. It will provide an excellent opportunity for jointly reviewing progress and determining future action in this region.
We should be under no illusions about the magnitude of the drug problem, its damaging effects and the difficulties we face in combating it. A positive step forward is the establishment of strong and effective alliances. By further strengthening out counter-narcotics cooperation all countries of the region will benefit.
I thank you for your strong commitment to drugs and crime control. May I conclude by giving you an assurance of my personal commitment and that of the Office on Drugs and Crime in support of your efforts.
Thank you for your kind attention.
