Chair: The 10th meeting is now open. Consideration of Item of 7 – Drug Trafficking.
Documents to be considered:
E/CN.7/2016/5
E/CN.7/2016/10
The UNODC will now present a report on global illicit drug prevalence You can read the report here.
UNODC: My introduction adds to the report shared with you by the chair, with some additions. Four sources, ARQ, Country reports HONLEA, crop Survey, and World Drug Report. Drug Seizures overview. Cocaine and morphine seizures have declined. Cannabis and opium seizures have remained stable. In 2014 global opium decreased in 2014 and 2015. Opium yield has decreased notably. Heroin seizures in Asia pacific has increased dramatically. Peru in Colombia have experienced a decrease production. Global production down from 1980’s. Cocaine global market in two principle regions – North America and Western Europe, supplied from North and West Africa, and South America. The Americas account for 80% of global seizures. The Americas account for 70% of global cannabis herb seizures since in 2005. Cannabis resin seizures evenly distributed between North and West Africa and South America. Amphetamine type stimulants have increased dramatically, this is new information found after release of report. Ecstasy seizures more than doubled. Lebanon accounts for more than half of global seizures. Methamphetamine uptake increased, driven mostly by the North American market. Many subsidiary body meetings have been undertaken to tackle this problem.
Algeria: Meeting held from December 14-18, 2015 with participation from law enforcement and foreign affairs to discuss the drug situation in the region. Held lively discussion and adopted recommendations on strategies to address cannabis trafficking, border control measures, and judicial challenges. Participants emphasized that cannabis cultivation and trafficking was of acute relevance for countries in Africa. NPS was also extensively discussed. Meeting also inter alia took note of the Joint Ministerial Statement in which achievements, challenges, and priorities for further action were identified. Acknowledged that many challenges related to the world drug problem had persisted, and new ones had emerged and needed to be taken into account in implementation of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action. This meeting contributed to the preparatory process for the UNGASS.
Belgium: Emphasis in our regional meeting was on the operational dimensions of drug trafficking. During the meeting, a field visit was organized where audience was addressed by the Belgian Minister of Justice and Minister of Finance. Shows our commitment to address the world drug problem. Container control program and airport control project. Extensive views exchanged on NPS, precursors, and money laundering.
United Arab Emirates: United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosted the 58th meeting of the subcommission on illicit drug trafficking and related matters in the Near and Middle East on November 8-12, 2015. UAE chaired that meeting. Deep gratitude to UNODC office for their cooperation and council in organizing this meeting and ensuring its success. Subcommission discussed its agenda. Member states agreed on the Abu Dhabi Declaration. Hope this committee will adopt the report of the subcommission.
Thailand: Problem of trafficking is evolving and complex in nature. Worsened by the network of transnational crime syndicates. Abuse of social media. Effective and timely response must be ensured. Need to build a network among us to tackle trafficking. New patterns of consumption and trafficking requires enhanced analysis of forensics. Databases help authorities gather evidence on trafficking routes. More information on the direct effects of trafficking, distribution, and abuse of substances is needed. Strengthening international cooperation is crucial. As drug traffickers observe no borders, the problem is a common and shared responsibility. CND moves forward to enhance international cooperation. Cooperate with our region, particularly to address trafficking and consumption in the Golden Triangle. Facing the problem of illicit precursors. Request the producing countries to prevent diversion. Thailand cooperates with ASEAN member states to achieve ASEAN drug free. Also cooperate with China and Myanmar. Visit our exhibition in the rotunda. Strive to promote mutual legal assistance and harmonization of laws. Cooperation established through the sharing of information to closely monitor patterns and trends in trafficking. Work together with stakeholders to share our best practices in countering illicit drug trafficking.
Korea: According to the World Drug Report, the number of drug abusers is almost 246 million people. Despite the increase, illicit drug use has remained relatively stable considering the population growth rate. This is a result of our devotion and commitment. There are increasing risks threatening global health, as drug smugglers establish new trafficking routes to widen their base and avoid routes that we monitor. Using the internet for the sake of anonymity. Trafficking different types of drugs that they have never dealt with before. These changes have been found in the domestic market as well. Number of criminals exceeded 10,000 for the first time since 2009. Domestic methamphetamine smuggled from China, but recently there is a new route from Cambodia. Number of illegal drugs purchased increased by ten times since 2011. Unlike the past when pharmaceuticals were mainly sold on the internet, online sale markets have increased amphetamine purchases. Need a balanced, cooperative, comprehensive, and integrated approach on both supply and demand. To effectively address this, the Korean government focuses on preventing drug trafficking but also on launching anti-drug projects and campaigns with South Asian countries to counter the entire process of manufacturing and production. Hold international meetings to share latest information. Established transnational commission on counter narcotics to reinforce cooperation and efforts on prevention and treatment. Will participate in the UNGASS.
Venezuela: Reconciliation bill in which amnesty will be granted to drug trafficking offenses with minor amounts when the offense has been committed in camps or any other type of meeting. Apart from being a breach of domestic law, this is a breach of the international drug conventions. Denouncing this legislation as it is against the traditional stance of Venezuela. Contravenes the basic principles of human rights and openly promotes impunity.
United States: Many of the themes in the report highlight greater cooperation. New trafficking routes and increased domestic consumption has increased need for this. It is important to research and share information on NPS and new trafficking routes, In order to tackle them and rise to new challenges. Combating transitional and organized crime also needs cooperation. Let’s not lose sight of the aim of the conventions: protecting human health, maintaining security and increasing cooperation.
Spain: Drug trafficking by sea is one of the main methods used to transport drugs. Article 17 of the 1988 convention gave us a tool for signature countries, so we could deal with maritime trafficking. We appreciate the documents created by the UN in helping governmental bodies implement Article 17. It would be useful to help track the implementation of the article among MS, which has not happened in 28 years. There is no update information on the relevant national authorities; we only have obsolete fax addresses, not email addresses. It would be good to extend the list of signatories to Article 17. States have the right to visit a vessel, but are often delayed by bureaucratic measures. We would like to suggest that working groups are developed on the subject. We would like UNODC to have periodic meetings to provide statistics on the application of Article 17.
Mexico: I would like to begin by saying thank you for the report on this subject. Important to acknowledge the work of all the subsidiary bodies, in preparation for UNGASS. Would like to underscore the importance of meeting of HONLEA. We have made a lot of progress in finding ways to implement the 2009 declaration. We ask to draw up quantifiable indicators to draw up progress on the underlying factors of drug use and drug trafficking including poverty etc. We ask for increased balance between demand and supply reduction. We ask for an explicit attempt to decrease violence. The efforts of the 5 HONLEAS should be recognized.
India: The production of Opium increased by 11% in India. Our neighboring countries almost entirely account for this rise. We are committed to supply reduction. We have bilateral, multilateral agreements, working groups and are a signatory to all three-drug conventions. We are in the advanced stages of setting up a south Asian coordinating Center for tackling drug trafficking. Following apprehensions raised by the commission and sub commission, we have increased our presence on the high seas. The third phase of the Paris pact programme is funded by India, which is proof to our continuing commitment.
Canada: In recent years, the focus has shifted to a balanced approach that addresses supply and demand reduction. Domestic efforts to address trafficking have significant implications for how we address this problem. Urge countries to adopt domestic policies that reduce trafficking. We need to continue to work closely with law enforcement partners around the world to combat trafficking. Need to encourage information sharing and development of distribution strategies. Canada remains steadfast in commitment to collaborate with concerned countries and international organizations in efforts to combat the world drug problem.
Russia: Effective multilateral and international mechanism. Law enforcement and prevention bodies involved. Review the mandate, as well as the impacts on the subsidiary bodies of CND. Believe that the subsidiary bodies of the CND have not yet exhausted their potential regarding their terms of reference from the beginning.
Egypt: There is a strong cannabis trafficking movement in the Middle East and in North Africa. Egypt has managed to host a number of meetings on international cooperation between our countries and European countries with regard to controlling this movement. Have made big seizures in that respect. Some consumption in the Middle East, but made some seizures. Heroin also being trafficked through East Asia through the Red Sea and the Middle East. Egypt sponsored cooperation to detect this movement, which led to some seizures. With regard to precursors and cocaine, this comes by air from Brazil. Made some big seizures and arrested the traffickers. Cast light on the production of captagon. Spread last year in the Middle East, especially in the Eastern part. Being used by terrorist to commit their atrocities. Huge number of tablets produced last year and this year. We have been subjected to the problem of tramadol, which was recently scheduled at the international level. Released a paper two years ago on tramadol, which is a huge problem for our country. Taken efforts to control precursors via monitoring. Trying to reduce demand through cooperation among ministries and by providing treatment. Committed to awareness raising. Promote international cooperation. Cooperation with Europe and Arabian countries to exchange information. Better cooperation will allow us to control trafficking. Participating in number of international meetings.
Iraq: Concerned about the danger of drugs severe in our part of the world. Three conventions constitute the cornerstone for designing international policies. We welcome any trends that would help implement these conventions without impacting the role of justice in fighting narcotic drugs. Stress the need for common views among government and understand the different cultural views with regard to combating this. Respect regional and country specific differences. UNODC continue providing capacity building and technical assistance. Call on member states to continue to finance and support mutual assistance to states taking into account that a number of countries have faced economic problems, such as mine that is facing the fight against terrorism. Yet we are still taking measures to address the world drug problem. We have to cooperate bilaterally or through the office of the UN. We designed programs and national mechanisms to detect and seize narcotic drugs. Regularly reported to INCB and through continued meetings with UNODC.
Chair: We will now take up the Abu Dhabi Declaration for consideration. We have been informed that there are a number of amendments, agreed upon by interested delegations, reflected in an amended version of the text on the screen. New preambular paragraphs.
USA: Can we request some time to review the edits? There hasn’t been an informal process, so we are seeing this for the first time. If we are given some time, that would be helpful.
Mexico: Needs a revised title. It is not just about the Abu Dhabi Declaration. It is about the results of the five meetings. Title should reflect that this is about the results of the meetings of the subsidiary bodies. We also have comments on the last paragraph. We have two options. Can change the last preambular paragraph into an operative paragraph and take note of all the meetings and results, or in the operative part, we could repeat something similar. We can’t just take note of one of the results of those meetings. Latin America and the Caribbean also issued recommendations and they are included in the secretariat reports, just like this one. Should take note of the results of the five regional meetings.
Chair: Propose that interested parties meet in informals under the guidance of the UAE.