Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Topic C: Strengthening international cooperation in combating illicit opiates originating in Afghanistan

Transcription

1 Commission on Narcotic Drugs Topic C: Strengthening international cooperation in combating illicit opiates originating in Afghanistan The path to a sustained victory in Afghanistan lies in improving their economy, creating jobs for the Afghanis, strengthening their government and national services, getting the provinces to trust each other and work together, and eliminating the opium trade. 1 -Lt. General Michael DeLong The global Afghan opium trade represents a clear threat to economic and social development, as well as the stability and security of Member States. Afghanistan has long seen the adverse effects that illicit drugs and transnational organized crime (TOC) have on development. Afghanistan has been the greatest opium producer in the world since 1992, with an export value of approximately $4US billion. 2 Background Key Terminology The international drug trade has adverse effects on all states, particularly those who are origin, transit, and destination countries for opiates. Countries of origin, such as Afghanistan, are countries where the growth or production of drugs occurs. Transit countries are those that drug and drug precursors travel through in order to reach the destination country, which is the country where the drug consumption occurs. Opiates are defined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as any of a group of alkaloids derived from the opium poppy (papaver somniferum). 3 These drugs include opium, morphine, and codeine, and can also refer to semisynthetic opium derivatives, such as heroin. Drug Trafficking organizations (DTOs) are typically international organizations with very strict structures of illicit drug production, transportation, and distribution. Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) refers to activities and organizations that work to obtain power, influence, or monetary gain either entirely or in part through illicit means. 1 A General Speaks Out: The Truth About the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Available at < 2 UNODC 2010 world drug report (PDF). Available at < 3 UNODC, Terminology and Information on Drugs, Second Edition. Available at < 1

2 History During the Soviet Union occupation of Afghanistan, the Afghan government was struggling to maintain control of the provinces of the country. Warlords flourished throughout the country, and the illicit trade of opium became extremely influential as a way to generate funds for weapons. 4 Upon the withdrawal of the Soviet Union in 1989 and no central power to govern the country, warring factions began to restore poppy cultivation to finance their military activities. The most effective anti-opiate production campaign in Afghanistan was during the rise of the Taliban from In July of 2000, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar collaborated with the United Nations (UN) to attempt to eradicate heroin production in Afghanistan. The Taliban launched a strict campaign and began imposing harsh punishments for those partaking in the activity including threats, forced eradication, public punishments, and even beheadings. 5 The result of this anti-opiate campaign was a 99% reduction in opium poppy farming in Talibancontrolled areas, which was a reduction of 75% of the world s supply of heroin at the time. 6 This only lasted a short time; however, since the majority of the Taliban control was deposed in By November of 2001, Afghan farmers were forced to resort back to growing opium for export due to a collapse of the economy and a scarcity of revenue sources. In December of 2001, prominent Afghans met under the auspices of the UN to undertake steps to reestablish the State of Afghanistan. These steps included forming a new constitution and holding national elections. With the relative absence of the Taliban since 2002, the United States has made efforts to combat the drug trade in Afghanistan. There have been concerns of corrupt government officials at the central, provincial, and district levels that are exacerbated by ongoing insecurity and lack of access to development opportunities for the Afghan government. 7 Since 2008, the Taliban insurgency within the country has been supporting poppy farmers as a source of income for insurgent operations. Actions of the United Nations and other Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) The international fight against opium has been a long battle. The first international effort to discuss the world drug problem was the Shanghai Opium Commission in 1909, which laid the 4 UN Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs website Bitter-Sweet Harvest: Afghanistan's New War (PDF). Available at < 5 Press conference on Afghanistan opium survey 2004 (Press release). United Nations. Available at < 6 Afghan Taliban Opium. Available at < 7 Afghanistan: Drug Trafficking and the 2014 Transition. Available at < 2

3 groundwork for the 1912 International Opium Convention. The 1912 Convention committed the contracting parties to controlling the production and distribution of raw opium. 8 The League of Nations also created an Opium Advisory Committee, which was the precursor to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) that was formed to oversee the implementation of the 1912 Convention. 9 This Opium Advisory Committee was devoted to collecting information from Member States in order to report on the measures taken to carry out the obligations of the 1912 Convention. 10 The United Nations, since its inception, has worked tirelessly to address the issue of the international drug trade. The first major United Nations action in regards to the control of the international opium trade was the 1953 Opium Protocol, which asks the international community to implement comprehensive control systems such as controlling cultivation and providing preventative healthcare at the national level. 11 Since that time, there have been numerous other international actions and agreements regarding the Afghan opium trade. The most influential action has been the Paris Pact Initiative a global partnership of more than 70 Member States and international organizations that works towards the reduction of illicit trafficking in opiates, including opium poppy cultivation. The Paris Pact also focuses on the production and global consumption of heroin and other opiates and works to create an international coalition to combat the illicit traffic in opiates. The outcome document of the Third Ministerial Conference of the Paris Pact Partners, the 2012 Vienna Declaration, has been functioning as a road map for the partnership in the current phases of the Paris Pact programme. The Vienna Declaration is a statement of international commitment to act in a balanced and comprehensive manner against the menace of illicit Afghan opiates. The 2012 Vienna Declaration focuses on four pillars for future enhanced cooperation. The first pillar focuses on strengthening and implementing regional initiatives, which allows for local control and empowers these neighboring Member States to address the issue as they see fit. The second pillar works to hinder the international drug trade through detecting and blocking financial flows linked to illicit traffic in opiates. Preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals used in illicit opiates manufacturing in Afghanistan is the main focus of the third pillar. The fourth pillar looks to reduce drug abuse and dependence through a comprehensive approach. 12 There have been a 8 The 1912 Hague International Opium Convention. Available at < hague-international-opium-convention.html> 9 Illicit Traffic in Opium. Available at < 01_3_page009.html> 10 Ibid. 11 United Nations Opium Conference: Protocol and Final Act of 23 June Available at < 12 Paris Pact Initiative: A Partnership to Combat Illicit Traffic in Opiates Originating in Afghanistan. Available at < 3

4 number of resolutions from the CND as well as other UN entities voicing their continued and reinforced support to the Paris Pact Initiative, such as CND Resolution 56/3. 13 An important regional action that has been taken in regards to the Afghan opium trade is the Triangular Initiative, which was established by Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan with assistance from the UNODC. The Triangular Initiative works with existing regional and international initiatives, including the Global Container Control Program, Operation TARCET, the Paris Pact Initiative, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the UNODC Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighboring Countries. The Triangular Initiative s main goal is to form a streamlined and comprehensive approach to information sharing and coordination amongst antinarcotics forces in the region. 14 Current Situation In Afghanistan, opiate production flourishes in areas without a strong governmental presence. The sheer volume of cash and weapons in these areas helps to perpetuate the cycles of violence and lack of rule of law. Despite the enormous profits that are made from illicit drug trade, virtually all the revenues go to DTOs. Transit and Consumption Data Transit and destination patterns of the Afghan opium trade are important to understand in the attempt to comprehensively approach this topic. The opium poppy is drought resistant, easily transported and stored, requires no refrigeration, and does not spoil. It is understandable why DTOs are not only able to export heroin from Afghanistan around the world, but they are able to keep large reserves of the opium poppy. Approximately 3,700 tons of opium are exported from Afghanistan to the rest of the world through its immediate neighbors, namely Iran and Pakistan. 15 The most commonly consumed opiate originating from Afghanistan is heroin. 16 The consumption of raw opium is limited to parts of Asia, as opium-cultivating countries tend to have more opium users than heroin users. 17 There are approximately 11.3 million heroin users 13 Strengthening international cooperation in combating illicit opiates originating in Afghanistan through continuous and reinforced support to the Paris Pact Initiative. Available at < 14 UNODC: Triangular Initiative. Available at < 15 UNODC World Drug Report: Available at < 16 UNODC, 2013 World Drug Report: Available at < 17 Ibid 4

5 worldwide and about 4.1 million raw opium users. 18 Europe represents 10%, the Russian Federation 15%, Iran 15%, China 12%, India 7%, Pakistan 6%, and the Americas consume 6% of the global consumption of opiates originating from Afghanistan. 19 Current Opium Production Afghanistan is currently ranked 169 th on the Human Development Index. 20 The illicit opium trade has been able to flourish due to a weak economy, lack of economic opportunities, weak governmental capacity, and a deteriorating security situation. Currently, approximately 3.3 million Afghans are involved in producing opium, including some opium-producing farms that utilize child labor. 21 The economic benefits are the most influential enabler of the Afghan opium trade. There is a high rate of return on investment with opium poppy cultivation. This has triggered a massive agricultural shift in Afghanistan from growing traditional crops to growing opium poppy. Afghan farmers can make 17 times more profit growing opium poppies than growing wheat. 22 A lack of opportunities for other farming practices due to land scarcity and lack of accessible loans has also forced farmers to cultivate poppies. Competition for scarce land and resources has resulted in unsustainable farming practices that lead to such complications as soil erosion. Transnational Organized Crime & Supply and Demand Drug trafficking and other Transnational Organized Crime, such as human trafficking, money laundering, and terrorism are all intrinsically linked. Not only do prominent TOC actors partake in all different forms of TOC, but the root causes of and possible solutions to TOC are often interrelated. The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (CTOC), developed in 2000, is the main international instrument in the fight against TOC. The CTOC works to strengthen the international capacity to counter TOC. 23 Destination countries for opiates originating from Afghanistan must take actions to curb drug addiction in order to halt the supply of these drugs through drug abuse prevention, treatment, and 18 Ibid 19 UNODC, Addiction, Crime and Insurgency: The transnational threat of Afghan opium [Report]. Available at < 20 Human Development Index. Available at < 21 UN horrified by surge in opium trade in Helmand London: Guardian. Available at < 22 Opium and Afghanistan: Reassessing U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy (PDF). Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College. Available at < 23 Convention on Transnational Organized Crime. Available at < 5

6 care. The smaller the markets for opiates, the less likely production would be at high capacity. There are also adverse effects of drug use to consider, such as the prevalence of HIV/AIDS amongst heroin users. Future Outlook Alternative Development An effective approach to reducing the production of drug crops is alternative development. According to the UNODC s Afghanistan Opium Survey 2013, the total area under opium poppy cultivation in 2013 was 209,000 hectares, which is a record high. A lack of effective security caused poppy eradication efforts in Afghanistan to decrease by 24% in Efforts to integrate alternative development in Afghanistan have failed when Afghan farmers didn t receive payment for cotton that was supposed to be subsidized by the Afghan government. 24 The United Nations has taken many actions to encourage alternative development, including the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development. The UNODC s Global Illicit Crop Monitoring Program works with countries of origin to monitor and address illicit crops in a way that is tailored to the State s needs. The most important aspect to consider in the discussion of this topic is the development of social, economic, and rule of law capacity within countries of origin. Member States face many difficulties in combating the illicit drug trade, especially in the realms of aid, development, and capacity building. The Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards a Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem was developed in 2009 and is the roadmap combating the world drug problem. It establishes the year 2019 as the target year to eliminate or reduce significantly and measurable [ ] the illicit cultivation of opium poppy. 25 The upcoming World Drug Report 2015 from the UNODC will also provide useful data regarding opiates originating from Afghanistan. Focus Questions 1. What has your state done to promote the need to combat the illicit opium trade in Afghanistan? 2. What legislation and or documents has your country signed and ratified regarding the illicit trafficking of opium? 24 Afghanistan Opium Survey 2013: Summary findings. Available at < 25 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation Towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem. Available at < 6

7 3. What internal efforts has your country taken to eradicate the illicit trade of opiates? 4. What efforts has your country made to help other States dealing with this issue? 7

8 Works Cited CIA World Factbook: Afghanistan. Available at < Global Afghan Opium Trade: A Threat Assessment. Available at < Illicit Drug Trends of Afghan Opiates. Available at < The Opium Economy in Afghanistan: An International Problem. Available at < Afghanistan Opium Survey Available at < A General Speaks Out: The Truth About the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Available at < UNODC 2010 world drug report (PDF). Available at < UNODC, Terminology and Information on Drugs, Second Edition. Available at < UN Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs website Bitter-Sweet Harvest: Afghanistan's New War (PDF). Available at < Press conference on Afghanistan opium survey 2004 (Press release). United Nations. Available at < Afghan Taliban Opium. Available at < Opium and Afghanistan: Reassessing U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy. Available at < 8

9 The 1912 Hague International Opium Convention. Available at < Illicit Traffic in Opium. Available at < United Nations Opium Conference: Protocol and Final Act of 23 June Available at < 01_3_page015.html> Paris Pact Initiative: A Partnership to Combat Illicit Traffic in Opiates Originating in Afghanistan. Available at < Strengthening international cooperation in combatin illicit opiates originating in Afghanistan through continuous and reinforced support to the Paris Pact Initiative. Available at < UNODC: Triangular Initiative. Available at < UNODC World Drug Report: Available at < UNODC, 2013 World Drug Report: Available at < UNODC, Addiction, Crime and Insurgency: The transnational threat of Afghan opium [Report]. Available at < Human Development Index. Available at < UN horrified by surge in opium trade in Helmand London: Guardian. Available at < Opium and Afghanistan: Reassessing U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy (PDF). Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College. Available at < 9

10 Afghanistan Opium Survey 2013: Summary findings. Available at < Convention on Transnational Organized Crime. Available at < Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation Towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem. Available at < 10