Commission sets priorities: prevention, treatment and social integration.

Governments have been urged to give priority to preventing drug abuse and to the treatment and social reintegration of drug abusers. in one of 22 resolutions approved by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its thirty-sixth session (Vienna, 29 March-7 April), demand reduction was cited as an important element of balanced national strategic plans to combat drug abuse.

That sentiment was emphasized by many speakers during the Commission debate. Turkey said that traditionally, attention had been focused more on reducing supply rather than demand, as shown by the international drug.control conventions, and his country welcomed the stress on a more balanced approach.

Shaping a new era

Giorgio Giacomelli, Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the UN International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) - established in 1991 to coordinate UN drug control activities and serve as the focal point of the UN Decade against Drug Abuse (1991-2000) - told the Commission that the struggle against illicit drug production, trafficking and consumption would help shape the "new and undefined era" at the end of a bipolar world. The UNDCP had focused much attention on the development of regional cooperation and had been able to achieve "encouraging progress" in various sectors of its activities, he said.

The Commission recommended that Member States consider establishing controls on arms transfers and explosives, as there was a link between the illicit traffic in arms and the drug trafficking industry.

In a text on money laundering, UNDCP was requested to continue studying how to control the proceeds from illicit traffic and to report annually on the UN System-wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control.

On prevention of ecological damage, the UNDCP was also asked to design and implement crop survey systems in areas where illicit cultivation was likely to take place.

To implement drug control treaties, Governments were urged to: support UNDCP activities to prevent diversion of precursors and essential chemicals to illicit manufacturers of narcotic drugs; accede to the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and establish a system for the control of export of those substances; and help in maintaining a balance between the licit supply of and demand for opiates for medical and scientific needs, so that the problem of excess stocks of opiate raw materials could be solved.

A working group was requested to be established on maritime cooperation to promote implementation of the articles of the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances relating to illicit traffic by sea.

Legalization opposed

The issue of potential legalization of "soft drugs" like cannabis was discussed in debate. The Commission endorsed the view of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), which opposes the legalization of non-medical use of drugs.

Oskar Schroeder, President of INCB, in introducing the Board's report on trends in 1992, said that anti-prohibitionism had gained favour in some countries.

Liberalization of drug laws, however, implied unacceptable risks, but a certain flexibility was contained in the existing conventions for implementing non-penal corrective measures for offences. To further discuss the legalization of drugs would be a waste of the Commission's time, he felt.

The Netherlands said that after 20 years of experience with relatively liberal drug laws, his country had not eradicated drug abuse, but had reached a "generally acceptable level of containment" of social and individual problems associated with drug abuse.

Most countries, however, endorsed the INCB view. Jamaica said cannabis had a negative effect on young people and studies carried out in his country had convinced his Government that the drug should not be legalized.