Along with other states Lebanon is joining the community seeking to develop a joint strategy. Both demand and supply must be focused on. Criminal elements try to distract our attention against the root causes of these problems, which are supply and the profits to traffickers. The delegate asked if failure of response could be attributed to the failure to exchange information; the ability of traffickers to manoeuvre within the gaps or simply if there needs to be a new strategy. If it not sensible to confront traffickers with a strategy that is not coordinated on the national side. Coordination, planning are terms states love to bandy but they must also venture into hands-on pragmatic efforts to turn these plans into reality. Efforts have thus far not materialised into the set goals.

Very often there is a shortcoming in financial and human efforts to detect and identify illegal crops, at customs points to inspect passage of goods or combing through luggage at airports. The need for where resources need to be devoted should be studied. Perhaps it would be wise to unify or make homogeneous measures – like information. States must have unified information on documents so traffickers can be monitored and caught. If not homogeneous, measures should at least harmonise. Perhaps the system should be tighter so perpetrators do not drop through the wholes and exploit the lacuna.

Perhaps UNODC’s regional office should be strengthened and pool regional contributions to counter-drug efforts.