International drug conference calls for 'vigorous action' against drug abuse, illicit trafficking.

International Drug Conference calls for "vigorous action' against drug abuse, illicit trafficking

THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, held in Vienna from 17 through 26 June, adopted by acclamation a Declaration expressing the commitment of participating States to "vigorous action' and co-operation at all levels towards the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. It also approved a handbook--the "Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outline of Future Activities Relevant to the Problem of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking'--containing 35 detailed targets for such action. Forfeiture of assets and equipment of drug traffickers, improved extradition procedures and the use of controlled delivery techniques were among major measures recommended.

Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia and President of the Conference, said the Declaration adopted was "a clear expression of the collective political will to respond to the drug menace', and underlined a shared responsibility to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking. It would provide strong encouragement to professional and other workers against drug abuse to sustain and upgrade their work. At the national level, he said, the priority of anti-drug abuse work would be reinforced.

"No nation or political leadership can now afford to ignore or stand in the way of the campaign to rid us of the scourge of drugs and drug traffickers', he declared.

The Comprehensive Outline, he went on, did not have the status of a legal charter but must nevertheless be regarded as "a morally binding pledge towards a collective effort to implement the guidelines for reducing drug abuse and illicit trafficking'.

Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar in May 1985 proposed the convening under United Nations auspices of a world conference on drug abuse, a phenomenon he called "as destructive a threat to this and coming generations as the plagues which swept many parts of the world in earlier centuries'.

At the opening of the Conference, which was attended by representatives of 138 Governments, many at the ministerial level, Mr. Perez de Cuellar said: "Together we can and must put a stop to this modern-day slavery called drug addiction. Together we can put an end to the violence which it has spawned . . . Together we can ensure that the forces of life and hope will triumph over the forces of death and despair'.

Also attending were representatives of specialized agencies and United Nations bodies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

The work of the Conference took place in plenary and in a Main Committee. The Main Committee discussed the draft Outline, the draft declaration and the conclusions of the Conference. The plenary then considered the report of the Main Committee and took action on the Outline, the draft declaration and the report of the Conference.

In their statements, many delegations commented on the status of a new convention on drug abuse and illicit trafficking which is being drafted by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. The draft convention at present contains 14 articles addressing all aspects of illicit trafficking operations from clandestine production, manufacture, transportation and distribution of illegal drugs, to the "laundering' of profits from illegal drug sales. The overall objective of the new instrument is to strengthen international co-operation and co-ordination among customs, police and judicial bodies, providing them with guidelines to intercept illegal drug traffic at all stages.

A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Forum, meeting concurrently with the Conference, concluded by proposing possible future governmental activities in the field, which would involve the resources available through NGOs. The Forum, said Rosalind W. Harris, Programme Director of the Planning Committee for NGO Activities for the Conference, had demonstrated the value of co-operation among Governments, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs.

Secretary-General of the Conference was Tamar Oppenheimer. In addition to President Mahathir Mohamad, other Conference officers were: Imre Hutas (Hungary) and Juhana Idanpaan Heikkila (Finland), Vice-Presidents for Co-ordination; and Philip Emafo (Nigeria), Rapporteur-General. The 24 Vice-Presidents represented: Austria, Bahamas, Burundi, China, Ecuador, France, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Libya, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Panama, Senegal, Thailand, Turkey, USSR, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Yugoslavia and Zambia.

Presiding Officer of the Main Committee was Guillermo Bedregal-Gutierrez, Foreign Minister of Bolivia. The three Deputy Presiding Officers were: Willy Schlegel of the German Democratic Republic, Mohamed Rafaat Elsayed of Egypt and Jacques Gignac of Canada. Dalbir Singh of India was the Rapporteur.

Outline

The Comprehensive Outline is a compendium of recommendations for practical action for Governments and groups to combat drug abuse and trafficking. (For complete summary, see UN Chronicle, May 1987, No. 2.)

The text is to be used as a working guide by national authorities and interested organizations as a source of ideas to be selected and translated into action appropriate to local circumstances. It identifies 35 "targets' aimed at enlisting the participation in drug-abuse control efforts by Governments, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, academic institutions, community groups, parents and individuals, as well as by the regional and international groups, and the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations.

The Outline has four main sections: prevention and reduction of demand; control of supply; suppression of illicit trafficking; and treatment and rehabilitation.

Seven targets are presented in connection with prevention and reduction of demand. They are: assessment of the extent of drug misuse and abuse; organization of comprehensive systems for the collection and evaluation of data; prevention techniques in the educational system; prevention of drug abuse in the workplace; prevention programmes by civic, community and special interest groups; leisure-time activities in the service of the continuing campaign against drug abuse; and programmes undertaken through public information media.

Under the heading control of supply, the Outline lists nine targets: strengthening of the international system of control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; rational use of pharmaceuticals containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances; strengthening the control of international movements of psychotropic substances; action related to the increase in the number of controlled psychotropic substances; control of the commerical movement of precursors, specific chemicals and equipment; control of analogues of substances under international control; identification of illicit narcotic plant cultivation; elimination of illicit plantings; and redevelopment of areas formerly under illicit drug crop cultivation.

On the subject of suppression of illicit trafficking, the 12 targets listed were: disruption of major trafficking networks; promoting use of the technique of controlled delivery; facilitation of extradition and restriction of movement; mutual judicial and legal assistance; admissibility in evidence of samples of bulk seizures of drugs; adequacy and efficacy of penal provisions; forfeiture of the instruments and proceeds of illicit drug trafficking; tightening of controls of movement through official points of entry; interdiction of illicit movements of drugs into and through the territories of sovereign States members of an economic union; surveillance of land, water and air approaches to the frontier; controls over the use of the international mails for drug trafficking; and controls over ships on the high seas and aircraft in international air space.

Seven targets were listed under the heading treatment and rehabilitation: towards a policy of treatment; inventory of available modalities and techniques of treatment and rehabilitation; selection of appropriate treatment programmes; training for medical and paramedical staff and other professionals; reduction of the incidence of diseases and the number of infections transmitted through drug-using habits; care for drug-addicted offenders within the criminal justice and prison system; and social reintegration of persons who have undergone programmes for treatment and rehabilitation.

Reservations on some provisions of the Outline were expressed by the representatives of India, Bolivia and Iran.

Declaration

In the Declaration, States participating in the Conference committed themselves to vigorous international actions against drug abuse and illicit trafficking as an important goal of their policies; and expressed their determination to strengthen action and co-operation at all levels towards the goal of an international society free of drug abuse, and to strive for the universal accession to and strict implementation of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, its 1972 Protocol and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

They expressed their determination to pursue the goals set towards combating the scourge of drug abuse and illicit trafficking and to adopt urgent measures to strengthen international co-operation through a balanced, comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach. They emphasized the need for the international community to adopt measures to treat all aspects and causes of the problem, while recognizing their collective responsibility to provide appropriate resources for the elimination of the problem. States also affirmed the need for wider adherence to the relevant Conventions and called for the urgent but careful preparation and finalization of the draft convention against illicit trafficking.

The participating States recognized the important role of the United Nations system in the efforts to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking, and urged strong national and international support for the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control to enable it to fulfil its mandate.

They recognized the determined efforts of Governments at all levels to counter the escalating incidence of drug abuse and illicit trafficking and the growing link between drug trafficking and other forms of international organized criminal activities; recognized and welcomed the significant role played by non-governmental organizations in the drive against drug abuse, and urged further initiatives to strengthen national and international efforts; and welcomed the Outline as a compendium of possibilities for future action by all concerned.

Recognizing the magnitude and extent of the world-wide drug problem, States agreed to intensify efforts against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, and to promote interregional and international co-operation. For the prevention and reduction of demand, they agreed to develop methodologies and institute systems for assessing prevalence and trends of drug abuse on a comparable basis; and to develop and implement measures to reduce drastically illicit demand through adequate techniques and programmes.

To control supply, they agreed to encourage contributions from international financial institutions and Governments, where possible, for the implementation of programmes and projects for integrated rural development activities, including crop eradication /substitution schemes; and to develop and implement procedures to eliminate the illicit supply of specific precursors and other materials necessary for the manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and to prevent the diversion of pharmaceuticals to the illicit drug market.

For the suppression of illicit trafficking, States agreed to develop bilateral and other instruments or arrangements for mutual legal assistance which might include extradition and tracing, freezing and forfeiture of assets, and for enhancing international legal or law enforcement co-operation in this field. For the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts, States agreed to develop, promote and evaluate effective treatment and rehabilitation techniques, and to provide health professionals and primary health care workers with information and training concerning appropriate medical use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Finally, the Secretary-General was requested to keep under constant review the activities referred to in the Declaration and in the Outline, and to propose how the priority attached to the field of drug abuse control could best be carried out.

The representative of Japan expressed reservations on certain paragraphs of the Declaration.

Other action: In other action during the session, the Conference recommended that the United Nations General Assembly set a date for the annual observance of an international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. Nine Governments expressed their intention to adhere to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or to that Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, or to the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. They were: Belgium, Burundi, Hungary, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Suriname and Switzerland.

Photo: Conference President Mahathir Mohamad Prime Minister of Malaysia, approaching podium at conference hall in Vienna.

Photo: Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, who in 1985 suggested a world conference be held to highlight the "scourge' of drug abuse, addressed the Conference on 17 June. Tamar Oppenheimer, Secretary-General of Conference, is at his right.

Photo: Some 138 Member States attended the Drug Conference, which focused on reduction of both supply of and demand for drugs, as well as rehabilitation and treatment of addicts.