Demand reduction is the primary new element in the proposed global strategy to control illicit drugs, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention, Pino Arlacchi, told correspondents at a press conference this morning. Speaking on the eve of the special session of the General Assembly on drugs, to be held at Headquarters from 8 to 10 June, he said the special session had been preceded by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, in Vienna, during which the most important elements of the new strategy had been discussed and agreed to by Member States, Mr. Arlacchi said. A political declaration addressing the major elements of the session's six-point agenda had also been agreed on then; he expected it to be endorsed next week.
For the first time, the issue of demand reduction was being included at the same level as other components of narcotic control, he said. Demand reduction might seem an obvious priority, but in the international community's laws and treaties, almost no mention was made of it. The fact that there was now universal agreement on the issue was probably the major new element of the special session.
The Drug Summit's six-point agenda also addressed strategies for eliminating or substantially reducing narcotic crops -- cannabis, opium and coca -- in 10 years time, he said. Such a focus was not entirely new; the international community had about 30 years of experience in the area of eliminating narcotic crops through alternative development. But this was the first time that the experience and the lessons learned were to be put into a general framework that would be followed by concrete discussions and plans at the national, regional and subregional levels.
It was important to stress the fact that all Member States endorsed the idea of eliminating or substantially reducing narcotic crops within a decade, he said. The work of translating the strategy into action would be done by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) in conjunction with Member States. The complexities of the strategies would be discussed in a series of meetings that would begin immediately after the special session. [The UNDCP was established in 1990 to enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations structure for drug control.]
Money-laundering was another issue on the session's agenda, he said. The UNDCP felt that issues such as bank secrecy and tax havens should be included in the world agenda, and at the recent summit of the Group of Eight industrialized countries, in Birmingham, United Kingdom, similar views had been expressed. The UNDCP was concerned that bank secrecy often impeded
criminal investigations. Further, it was concerned about the proliferation of tax havens which provided protection to criminal money.
Other important points of the agenda included the issue of precursor chemicals and worldwide judicial cooperation, which meant facilitating and strengthening the exchange of information between investigative agencies on trafficking and criminal groups.
A correspondent referred to a press conference held at the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) Club yesterday by representatives of organizations involved in various aspects of the drug problem. Information had been conveyed on the alarming effects of eradicating crops by spraying, he said, and asked whether that strategy was being reconsidered. Mr. Arlacchi said UNDCP never supported spraying crops as a primary intervention in producing countries. It should be considered in some contexts, but there were clear limitations on its use. Crop spraying was not a central element in the UNDCP's strategy, which focused instead on alternative development in producing countries.
Alternative development meant that farmers that cultivated illegal crops would be provided with viable alternatives in terms of income and a better quality of life, he explained. Over the decades, the concept had been improved so that it no longer focused solely on crop eradication or substitution. Every farmer involved in cultivating illicit crops should be given the chance to counterbalance the potential income from illegal crops with the improved quality of life that was possible through participation in alternative development programmes. While farmers might earn lower income -- it was very difficult to compete with prices for illegal crops -- they could enjoy improved quality of life, with hospitals, roads and the basic infrastructures required for a decent life. Farmers in producing areas had responded well to this message.
Another correspondent said some groups felt the special session was an attempt to spread the war on drugs to the rest of the world and that the UNDCP had been unwilling to speak to non-State groups. To this, Mr. Arlacchi said the metaphor of a drug war did not seem appropriate. The United States- centric vision of world events should be overcome. The resources that the international community put into the so-called drug war came to $65 million, the UNDCP budget. He doubted that a global war on drugs was being fought with that amount.
He was involved in dialogue daily, through statements, answering questions, and participating in discussions, he said. Some believed that every effort to date in drug control had been a failure, and that other, completely alternative solutions should be explored. That would mean dismantling the narcotics control system through decriminalizing or legalizing drugs. While such opinions were legitimate, he did not agree with them and neither did the international community. No State was proposing the
UNDCP Briefing - 3 - 4 June 1998
legalization of drugs as their main strategy. During the special session, NGOs were being provided space and opportunity to air their views.
A correspondent asked how the poor were to be helped through alternative development. Mr. Arlacchi said that alternative development, the UNDCP's main tool to eliminate narcotic crops in producing countries, meant providing alternatives to poverty, misery, crime and drugs. There was enough experience worldwide to transform the idea into real strategies. He wanted other United Nations agencies that focused on development to get involved in the effort as well.
While various issue-based conferences and special sessions stressed the need for funds, wealthy countries inevitably did not want to commit themselves, a correspondent said. How much was needed and why should UNDCP expect to receive funds? he asked.
The major obstacle to drug control was not financial, it was the pessimism and skepticism that surrounded the issue, Mr. Arlacchi said. The international community must become more confident about the possibilities. The UNDCP was not asking for money. It had designed a strategy, to which Member States had agreed through the political declaration discussed in Vienna. Financing and implementing the plan was to be pursued with Member States. In translating the strategy, there was need for shared responsibility and cooperation.
For demand reduction, European countries should increase resources for rehabilitation, treatment, prevention and education. In developing countries, the basic problem was to create an efficient and effective system of treatment and rehabilitation.
Eliminating or reducing illicit crops was expected to cost about half a billion a year for 10 years, he said. However, a lower amount was actually needed, since some countries in Latin America had committed themselves to financing substantial parts of their own alternative development plans. Colombia and Peru already had allocated large portions of their national budgets for alternative development. The amount needed would also be offset by funds already flowing to countries from the international community, as well as money loaned from multilateral financial organizations. Therefore, the actual additional amounts required came to less than half the figure he had quoted. Considering the size of the goal, it was not a disproportionate amount.
A correspondent asked what were the new initiatives on precursor chemicals. Mr. Arlacchi said there was not just one measure. A policy of "know your customer" for companies that produced precursor chemicals could be useful. Tracking precursors was also useful and was being pursued through the work of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the United Nations entity to monitor compliance with international narcotics treaties. The aim
UNDCP Briefing - 4 - 4 June 1998
was for better coordination to disseminate knowledge and best practices, and to respond to negative developments.
Another correspondent said that some felt the space given to NGOs was inadequate and far from the press, while space at Headquarters was available. Mr. Arlacchi said that even UNDCP had severe space constraints during the session. The involvement of NGOs seemed very rich. The UNDCP actively supported their participation. An NGO committee in Vienna was working to ensure broad participation from groups from all over the world. At the same time, there was room for improvement, he noted.
When the same correspondent noted that NGOs were only given a total of three hours to present their views, Mr. Arlacchi said that heads of State had only seven minutes to make their statements. It was a three-day event and different needs had to be considered. Given the size of the event, three hours was quite a lot of time.
Asked for details on methods proposed to prevent money laundering, Mr. Arlacchi said the issue of bank secrecy was being raised in relation to criminal investigations. In his opinion, criminal investigations should not be impeded by bank secrecy. On the complex issue of tax havens, he invited Member Sates to open discussion on the issue, in light of concerns about the proliferation and the role of tax havens.
A correspondent asked whether anything was being done to address the links between drug trafficking, money laundering and arms smuggling. Mr. Arlacchi said the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention in Vienna was addressing the issue. The Commission on Crime Control and Criminal Justice had recently concluded its seventh session, in which control over arms trafficking had been a major issue. Member States had engaged in productive discussion and had, for the first time, agreed on the need to use international instruments to curb arms trafficking, particularly firearms and small arms trafficking.
Why would the plan emerging from the special session be better than others? a correspondent asked. Mr. Arlacchi explained that the session would result in a comprehensive strategy, with demand reduction as a major component. Also, for the first time, there was universal agreement on the strategy. In the past, it had been extremely difficult to obtain agreement because of geo-political divisions. In the past, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs had resembled a battlefield and accusations of responsibility had been directed from the developed to the developing world, and vice versa. In addition to the change in international politics, addiction had spread worldwide, so that now no country could consider itself immune.
UNDCP Briefing - 5 - 4 June 1998
What was being proposed was not intended as an eternal and definitive strategy, he said. The global drug issue was a recent phenomenon, of the past 25 years. Strategies were just beginning to be tested. Compared to other world issues, such as racism, poverty and the environment, drug control was limited in terms of size and time. The issue of poverty was exponentially older and larger than narcotics control.
Whose idea was the Drug Summit? a correspondent asked. The Government of Mexico had made the proposal, to which Member States had agreed, Mr. Arlacchi said.
A correspondent asked what could be expected from the session regarding extradition and the multilateral mechanism of certification. Mr. Arlacchi said that the discussion on extradition was moving towards a system of judicial agreements between countries. Those agreements would focus on increasing information flow. Enormous amounts of criminal money could be transferred between States in a fraction of a second yet gathering judicial evidence on that transfer could take a whole year.
A correspondent asked whether UNDCP had a special programme for Colombia. The situation in that country was reaching a critical phase, Mr. Arlacchi said. Most political parties and presidential candidates in Colombia believed the peace process should proceed. The long-term resolution of the Colombian narcotics problem was closely linked to the success of that process. He asked all parties involved in Colombia's peace process to continue their efforts, and said that the United Nations would strive to improve the situation and play a role in the process. The peace process could break the links between insurgent groups and narco-traffickers. If that was achieved, UNDCP's programme of alternative development in Colombia could be successful.
* *** *