Central Asia Drug Control Cooperation
(Memorandum of Understanding)
Fourth Review Meeting
13 14 December 2002,
Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan
Statement by Antonio Maria Costa
Executive Director
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Ashgkhabad
13 December 2002
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
I am happy to address this high-level Meeting convened to review joint activities under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on regional Drug Control Cooperation in Central Asia. Before getting down to business, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the Government of Turkmenistan for the wonderful hospitality. In particular, I wish to thank President Niyazov for kindly hosting this event. At this point let me pause and share with our sense of relief that President Niyazov escaped unharmed from the recent attempt on his life.
Drugs, crime and terrorism are at the heart of the mandate of my Office. They are a manifestation of a growing, worldwide phenomenon, which we term "uncivil behavior". The United Nations Secretary General recently referred to this as "the dark side of modern civilization", also commonly mentioned to as the unnecessary and unhappy consequence of globalization. I am sure you agree with the Secretary General that such manifestations of uncivil behavior are a threat to peace and stability, within and outside the region. They undermine economic and social progress. Recent events throughout Central Asia and in Turkmenistan itself bear witness of this.
The world knows that many governments represented around this table have taken active steps to combat uncivil behaviors. But, the world is also aware that these behaviors tend to grow beyond any single countrys ability to master them. The war against drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism requires more than any single country efforts: it requires close cooperation among all member states. The MOU is significant in this regard as it promotes joint initiatives, especially for narcotic control. It was launched under your impulse and I would like to congratulate you all for the positive consequences it is having.
Todays meeting presents us with a double opportunity:
to review the progress achieved in drug control cooperation,
to consider further measures, so as to extend and reinforce the good work already achieved.
Indeed, despite the efforts, the results we have reached are not enough. We are at a time when drugs, crime and terrorism have become more aggressive and more pervasive. Your people, the governments representing them, international institutions, we all need to build a more integrated and effective approach based on (i) the interdiction of uncivil behaviors and (ii) the promotion of good government.
I do not need to spend too much time on the importance of point (i), namely on the key role of law enforcement as an instrument of combating narco-trafficking, crime and terrorism. This is self evident and recent seizures and arrests, especially in Tajikistan, show that it works quite effectively.
More important for me is to stress point (ii), namely the worldwide recognition that good government has a positive influence on economic and political life. It makes societies more stable, more resilient and more able to advance. Good government means accountability and integrity, so as to enhance the civil, social and economic returns from development activities. Everywhere in the world, these are crucial factors in rendering development sustainable. Economic performance and foreign investors' attitudes also depend upon them, reinforcing the virtuous circle of growth, peace and stability.
Central Asia has moved ahead, and continues to progress in these areas. However, like anywhere else, in Central Asia more work is needed. We have gathered here to think collectively how best this could be accomplished. I wish to assure you that the region is one of the priority areas for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
What do we do to help?
The Office contributes to strengthening drug, crime and terrorism control measures in your countries, through technical cooperation programs and projects. We do not specialize in empty declarations or bureaucratic sessions. We mean business and our business is to deliver concrete initiatives to help the people in your countries. For example, our activities help you all to develop suitable drug legislation or measures against corruption and money laundering. The Office also helps authorities to establish domestic institutions, such as Drug Control Agencies, or provide equipment and training for border controls. We provide law enforcement assistance. We promote prevention measures, as those needed to reduce domestic drug abuse and the related spread of HIV/AIDS. We can assist in the development of suitable treatment facilities.
When all is taken into account, my Office has realized in this region over 30 projects. Many more are under development. In money terms, this represents a considerable effort: over $35 million were already disbursed, while the future portfolio may amount to another $40 million. We are known to "do things", but being a small office we are especially known to "make things happen", leveraging our resources so as to encourage others to complement our work with their own means and mandates. This advocacy is not a minor virtue, if you allow me to be self-indulgent. Indeed I have detected considerable donors interest, growing interest I must say, as well as a strong wish on the part of international development agencies and multilateral development banks to be your partners in the region. You will hear more about the detail of our work from our Representative in Central Asia later in the meeting.
We are all deeply aware that the drug situation in the region is strongly influenced by developments in Afghanistan, which continues to be the primary source of opium.
Most of the Afghan narcotics are smuggled through its neighbors, namely your countries, both for local illicit consumption and also for transit to more distant regions: Russia, Europe and North America.
There are new factors, though, in Afghanistan. Firstly, opium poppy fields were planted before President Karzais administration took office in December 2001: the fact is that this years harvest is the result of last years sowing. Secondly, the 2002 production is limited to essentially 5 out of Afghanistans 32 provinces. We all should do our best to advise local governors to comply with the governments ban. Third, and this is most worrisome, the income generated by illicit drugs production in Afghanistan in 2002 could exceed $1 billion -- fueling revenue for weapons, cross border crime and terrorism. Some of your countries may be importing, undetected, something much more pernicious than just narcotics.
There is also plenty of good news, as there have been important and encouraging developments in Afghanistan over recent months. The Government is strongly committed to eradicate opium poppy cultivation and trafficking. The campaign conducted in the Spring 2002 with the support from the United Kingdom removed millions of dollars-worth of heroin from the streets of European and Russian cities.
Therefore, I salute President Karzai's unmitigated efforts. My invitation to the international community is to strongly support the Afghanistan government's efforts to enforce the ban on opium cultivation, trade and abuse.
Your countries partnership with Afghanistan can foster substantial improvements in Central Asia, both in drug control and in the overall efforts towards stability and security. My Office will strongly support the further integration of Afghanistan, as an equal and committed partner, into regional frameworks such as the MoU.
Two years ago the International Conference on Enhancing Security and Stability in Central Asia, held in Tashkent, identified the key aspects of drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism. In response to the concerns identified, the Office on Drugs and Crime made major efforts to consolidate the deliberations of regional fora into a concrete Program for Central Asia. This strategy was endorsed at our Dushanbe session in September 2001.
Future ODC activities are in the making, thanks to your will and your support. These activities will take into account the lessons learned from our earlier projects in the region. What are the accomplishments, then?
Law enforcement success depends on effective use of intelligence. A significant way to strengthen law enforcement in the region -- to combat drugs trafficking, and also organized crime and terrorism -- would be to establish a Regional Intelligence and Coordinating Center.
Such a Center could act as a focal point in facilitating operational cooperation between law enforcement agencies of Member States, both internally and with the wider international community. The emphasis would be on intelligence gathering and development to support actions against organized crime. It would serve to coordinate major law enforcement operations and investigations. The intelligence gathered could also contribute to strategic assessments for policy makers and operational partners. This proposal will be discussed later in the meeting. If there is support for it then I will be pleased to offer the assistance of ODC in making it a reality.
Law enforcement is necessary, but not sufficient. Let me therefore turn now to the need to curtail demand for narcotics. I will start from the negative consequences of drug abuse. Central Asia and neighboring countries, such as Iran or Pakistan, have been seriously affected by alarming drug abuse: there has been a six-fold increase in opiates consumption during the last 10 years, the highest rate of growth worldwide. In Central Asia, around 1% of the population aged 15 and above consume opiates: this is three times the corresponding demographic share in Europe.
In response to this alarming trend, a demand reduction component was reflected in the Regional Strategy. I welcome this as it facilitates a more balanced approach to drug control.
My Office has designed several projects to support prevention, treatment and rehabilitation in the region. Of particular importance is the partnership with civil society and the mass media in strengthening prevention measures at the grass-root level.
Injecting drug use is the primary cause of the rapidly escalating problem of HIV/AIDS infection. In this part of the world, between 60 and 90% of new HIV cases are caused by injecting illicit drugs. The threat is real. Alarming is especially the fact that there is very limited awareness among the general population about these risks. If and when the HIV/AIDS infection in Central Asia breaks out of the limited community of drugs users, it will become practically impossible and much more costly, in any event -- to control it. We have a window of opportunity (a few years, perhaps) to act. I strongly recommend that you, and your colleagues in capitals, take this threat seriously and act accordingly.
My Office has launched a regional project aimed at the diversification of HIV prevention and drug treatment services for drug users in Central Asia. I strongly urge all countries represented here to join the project.
Excellencies, we should be under no illusions about the magnitude of the drug, crime and terrorism problems, their damaging effects and the difficulties we face in combating them. The establishment of strong domestic structures, and of effective alliances will allow us to face these challenges with far greater confidence. I hope this meeting will lead to a further strengthening of our existing counter-narcotics cooperation to the benefit of the region and of the wider international community.
Before concluding may I thank you all once again for your strong commitment to drugs and crime control. You can be assured of my personal commitment, and that of the Office on Drugs and Crime. We will continue tostand by you and the people of your region in the support of our common goals.
Thanks for your attention.