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IS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MEETING ITS DRUG CONTROL TARGETS? THE ANSWER IS NO.
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According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, since the General Assembly's 20th special session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem, “efforts by governments to respond to an aggressively evolving illicit drug situation have gained new momentum” and “international cooperation, especially information-sharing and joint action against illegal drug sources and trafficking routes” are quoted as major achievements in this regard.
Statement by Marco Perduca, UN Representative for the Transnational Radical Party and Executive Director of the International Antiprohibitionist League:
“The Commission on Narcotic Drugs is closing its 46th session with some 23 resolutions all adopted by consensus. In none of the texts discussed there is any attempt to analyze how and if the international community is meeting its drug control targets, nor is there the slight doubt that the strategies contained in the he Political Declaration adopted at the 1998 UNGASS have proved be effective in any way.
“In the final versions of the documents adopted by the CND, the only major achievement has been the deletion of all possible references to the mere presentation of different approaches to the drug issue as well as any acknowledgment of a possible advisory role that other UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization or UNAIDS can play in assisting the international community in its attempt to control drugs worldwide.
“With the notable exception of a very small group of countries, such as Canada, the UK, Belgium, Switzerland and Greece, the 46th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs has not been able to put on the table many controversial issues that might have been instrumental in preparing the 2-day ministerial segment that will start on 16 April in a more pragmatic and assessment-driven way.
“In line with the outcome of meetings like this convened in Vienna over the last four decades, the 46th session of the CND will only be remembered for having been totally faithful to the governmental prohibitionist regime, allowing only one speaking opportunity for a presentation of the “efforts” carried out by so-called civil society groups to support the integrity of the three UN Conventions on Drugs.
“The failures of the CND are the product of the “golden unwritten rule” that wants the UN tied to consensual decision-making. If democratic governments will continue to cave in to the pressure of authoritiarian regime or questionable democracies and reject as a matter of policy, the possibility to vote on documents, the future of the Organization of the United Nations will only be that of a huge secretariat to implement a surreal mix of ideologies and programmes around the world. May the Nobel Peace Prize rest in Peace
Statement by Marco Perduca, UN Representative for the Transnational Radical Party and Executive Director of the International Antiprohibitionist League:
“The Commission on Narcotic Drugs is closing its 46th session with some 23 resolutions all adopted by consensus. In none of the texts discussed there is any attempt to analyze how and if the international community is meeting its drug control targets, nor is there the slight doubt that the strategies contained in the he Political Declaration adopted at the 1998 UNGASS have proved be effective in any way.
“In the final versions of the documents adopted by the CND, the only major achievement has been the deletion of all possible references to the mere presentation of different approaches to the drug issue as well as any acknowledgment of a possible advisory role that other UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization or UNAIDS can play in assisting the international community in its attempt to control drugs worldwide.
“With the notable exception of a very small group of countries, such as Canada, the UK, Belgium, Switzerland and Greece, the 46th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs has not been able to put on the table many controversial issues that might have been instrumental in preparing the 2-day ministerial segment that will start on 16 April in a more pragmatic and assessment-driven way.
“In line with the outcome of meetings like this convened in Vienna over the last four decades, the 46th session of the CND will only be remembered for having been totally faithful to the governmental prohibitionist regime, allowing only one speaking opportunity for a presentation of the “efforts” carried out by so-called civil society groups to support the integrity of the three UN Conventions on Drugs.
“The failures of the CND are the product of the “golden unwritten rule” that wants the UN tied to consensual decision-making. If democratic governments will continue to cave in to the pressure of authoritiarian regime or questionable democracies and reject as a matter of policy, the possibility to vote on documents, the future of the Organization of the United Nations will only be that of a huge secretariat to implement a surreal mix of ideologies and programmes around the world. May the Nobel Peace Prize rest in Peace
