Director General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure that I open the Plenary Meeting of the Third Ministerial Paris Pact Conference in this historical hall of the Hofburg palace.
Let me add my own words of thanks to those of the Secretary-General's for our kind hosts the government of Austria.
I also thank the governments of France and the Russian Federation and Foreign Ministers Juppe and Lavrov for their support for this meeting, as well as the Paris Pact process itself.
I also welcome the many delegations from countries all over the world, including Afghanistan, who support the Paris Pact process.
The partnership and collaboration of other UN agencies is important and in this spirit, I welcome the presence of Jan Kubis, the SRSG for Afghanistan, as well as the former SRSG for Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, who is here today as the head of the Italian delegation.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Despite the continued efforts of the international community, the problem of illicit trafficking in opium and heroin remain a serious concern. Narcotics originating in Afghanistan continues to kill up to one hundred thousand people every year across the world.
In Afghanistan itself, 2.65 per cent of the population use opiates. That is the highest rate of opiate consumption in the world.
Afghanistan's immediate neighbours and countries in the wider region confront high addiction rates too, as well as cross-border criminality, corruption, the funding of insurgent groups, and instability.
Therefore, in Afghanistan, in the wider region and throughout the rest of the world, there is a shared interest in halting this devastating trafficking in opiates.
My statement today is, therefore, a welcome opportunity to report to you how UNODC is confronting these challenges.
In particular, allow me to present to you some of the practical activities we have undertaken since the launch of the Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries last year.
The Regional Programme is based firmly on Paris Pact assessments and focuses on building capacities, exchanging intelligence, promoting alternative livelihoods and offering a health-based approach to drug abuse.
Given the scale and size of the problem, it could be claimed by some that this plan of action cannot be implemented.
My answer to the critics is that the programme can be successfully fulfilled, if it is firmly supported by the collective will and efforts of all partners.
To those who say this is optimism, I say it is realism grounded in the programme's practical achievements.
In October 2011, a CARICC facilitated operation led to the seizure of 5.7 tons of Afghan drugs with an estimated value of USD 130 million .
We are currently building on this impressive seizure and others. In January of this year, a CARICC assisted operation, coordinated by Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan and China, led to the seizure of 5.8 kg of Afghan heroin.
I am also pleased to inform you that a number of other simultaneous operations have been conducted by the countries of the Triangular Initiative in this period.
Before 2012, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan undertook more than 14 operations netting nearly 8 tons of illegal drugs.
A series of joint operations coordinated by the Joint Planning Cell and carried out by Iranian and Afghan forces were undertaken in early 2012. These operations seized 274 kg of opium and 7 kg of high quality heroin.
Since its launch in 2008, Operation TARCET, in all its 3 phases, has resulted in seizures of the following precursor chemicals: 51 tons of Acetic Anhydride, 21 tons of Acetyl Chloride and 481 tons of other chemicals.
It means that, as a result, many tons of heroin have not been produced.
A new plan for TARCET is now being created under the Regional Programme to better focus efforts against the trafficking of chemicals into the region and Afghanistan.
Effective counternarcotics efforts also require maritime cooperation. Under the Container Control Programme and the recently launched MaReS initiative, we are supporting the countries in the region to strengthen their port and coastal control capacities.
Once again, the Container Control Programme is extremely successful and has resulted in two of the largest seizures of Acetic Anhydride: 14 tons at Karachi seaport in 2010 and 16 Tons at Port Qasim in 2011.
In January this year, the container profiling unit in the Karachi seaport under the Container Control Programme confiscated 10 metric tons of cannabis.
We are also hitting criminal organizations where it hurts the most: in their pockets. Under the Regional Programme, UNODC has launched with its partners the CASH initiative and the Programme is helping to establish close coordination among the Financial Intelligence Units of the region.
Regarding drug demand reduction, we have created a regional network of centres of excellence and specialized NGOs capable of assisting with the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of drug abuse. This network is also an excellent platform for South-South cooperation.
In all our activities, we are working closely with the Afghan government to ensure that we reverse the worrying trends in the production and cultivation of opiates.
I encourage the Afghan leadership to make this a national priority and to develop shared responsibility across all branches of government.
UNODC has prepared a progress report on the activities of the Regional Programme and it is available to you. I encourage you to read it and to assess the effectiveness of your investments. I believe it is "value for money".
With a relatively limited budget, the programme has produced results. But the Regional Programme is much more than this. It is a platform for the activities of other UN Agencies and Member States.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With the withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force in 2014, the international community will look to the United Nations and its partners to support Afghanistan.
In this, UNODC's role is clear, the Regional Programme, which operates initially until 2014, must become a bridge to this future event.
With this in mind, I call for your continued support and assistance in developing the Regional Programme.
As a further return on your investment, I promise to continue to come back to the Paris Pact forum to give you further updates on how your support translates into solid, practical assistance on the ground.
Thank you.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure that I open the Plenary Meeting of the Third Ministerial Paris Pact Conference in this historical hall of the Hofburg palace.
Let me add my own words of thanks to those of the Secretary-General's for our kind hosts the government of Austria.
I also thank the governments of France and the Russian Federation and Foreign Ministers Juppe and Lavrov for their support for this meeting, as well as the Paris Pact process itself.
I also welcome the many delegations from countries all over the world, including Afghanistan, who support the Paris Pact process.
The partnership and collaboration of other UN agencies is important and in this spirit, I welcome the presence of Jan Kubis, the SRSG for Afghanistan, as well as the former SRSG for Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, who is here today as the head of the Italian delegation.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Despite the continued efforts of the international community, the problem of illicit trafficking in opium and heroin remain a serious concern. Narcotics originating in Afghanistan continues to kill up to one hundred thousand people every year across the world.
In Afghanistan itself, 2.65 per cent of the population use opiates. That is the highest rate of opiate consumption in the world.
Afghanistan's immediate neighbours and countries in the wider region confront high addiction rates too, as well as cross-border criminality, corruption, the funding of insurgent groups, and instability.
Therefore, in Afghanistan, in the wider region and throughout the rest of the world, there is a shared interest in halting this devastating trafficking in opiates.
My statement today is, therefore, a welcome opportunity to report to you how UNODC is confronting these challenges.
In particular, allow me to present to you some of the practical activities we have undertaken since the launch of the Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries last year.
The Regional Programme is based firmly on Paris Pact assessments and focuses on building capacities, exchanging intelligence, promoting alternative livelihoods and offering a health-based approach to drug abuse.
Given the scale and size of the problem, it could be claimed by some that this plan of action cannot be implemented.
My answer to the critics is that the programme can be successfully fulfilled, if it is firmly supported by the collective will and efforts of all partners.
To those who say this is optimism, I say it is realism grounded in the programme's practical achievements.
In October 2011, a CARICC facilitated operation led to the seizure of 5.7 tons of Afghan drugs with an estimated value of USD 130 million .
We are currently building on this impressive seizure and others. In January of this year, a CARICC assisted operation, coordinated by Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan and China, led to the seizure of 5.8 kg of Afghan heroin.
I am also pleased to inform you that a number of other simultaneous operations have been conducted by the countries of the Triangular Initiative in this period.
Before 2012, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan undertook more than 14 operations netting nearly 8 tons of illegal drugs.
A series of joint operations coordinated by the Joint Planning Cell and carried out by Iranian and Afghan forces were undertaken in early 2012. These operations seized 274 kg of opium and 7 kg of high quality heroin.
Since its launch in 2008, Operation TARCET, in all its 3 phases, has resulted in seizures of the following precursor chemicals: 51 tons of Acetic Anhydride, 21 tons of Acetyl Chloride and 481 tons of other chemicals.
It means that, as a result, many tons of heroin have not been produced.
A new plan for TARCET is now being created under the Regional Programme to better focus efforts against the trafficking of chemicals into the region and Afghanistan.
Effective counternarcotics efforts also require maritime cooperation. Under the Container Control Programme and the recently launched MaReS initiative, we are supporting the countries in the region to strengthen their port and coastal control capacities.
Once again, the Container Control Programme is extremely successful and has resulted in two of the largest seizures of Acetic Anhydride: 14 tons at Karachi seaport in 2010 and 16 Tons at Port Qasim in 2011.
In January this year, the container profiling unit in the Karachi seaport under the Container Control Programme confiscated 10 metric tons of cannabis.
We are also hitting criminal organizations where it hurts the most: in their pockets. Under the Regional Programme, UNODC has launched with its partners the CASH initiative and the Programme is helping to establish close coordination among the Financial Intelligence Units of the region.
Regarding drug demand reduction, we have created a regional network of centres of excellence and specialized NGOs capable of assisting with the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of drug abuse. This network is also an excellent platform for South-South cooperation.
In all our activities, we are working closely with the Afghan government to ensure that we reverse the worrying trends in the production and cultivation of opiates.
I encourage the Afghan leadership to make this a national priority and to develop shared responsibility across all branches of government.
UNODC has prepared a progress report on the activities of the Regional Programme and it is available to you. I encourage you to read it and to assess the effectiveness of your investments. I believe it is "value for money".
With a relatively limited budget, the programme has produced results. But the Regional Programme is much more than this. It is a platform for the activities of other UN Agencies and Member States.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With the withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force in 2014, the international community will look to the United Nations and its partners to support Afghanistan.
In this, UNODC's role is clear, the Regional Programme, which operates initially until 2014, must become a bridge to this future event.
With this in mind, I call for your continued support and assistance in developing the Regional Programme.
As a further return on your investment, I promise to continue to come back to the Paris Pact forum to give you further updates on how your support translates into solid, practical assistance on the ground.
Thank you.