UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME TOPIC A B ACKGROUNDER OPIUM IN AFGHANISTAN Prepared for: Connect Model United Nations 2012 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Director: Geena Lee INTRODUCTION Drugs and crime, illicit activities that transcend national borders lead to devastating consequences worldwide. More specifically, drug trafficking threatens the security and stability of the global community. The problem lies where governments of countries are corrupt, struggling to monitor borders and to defend such transnational illicit activity. An increasing number of people are being affected by drugs through addiction heavily supported by an increasing number of criminal parties who generate huge profits as a result. As the drug cycle continues to escalate, the world will not only experience the direct health effects that result from drug use but also, social and political unrest from this increase illegal economic activity. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recognizes the urgency in addressing global drug markets. The Afghan Opium Survey taken in 2009 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime presented the complexity of this issue and demonstrated that the problem goes beyond the actual drugs themselves. Of course, drugs are not the only problem that nations face today. However, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime identify combatting drugs as the first step in further tackling the many other existing problems such as insecurity, instability, and inequality. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime hopes that nations will come together and make cooperative efforts to improve present intervention techniques and to promote further effective monitoring to prevent drug trafficking. Background Over the last century, Afghanistan has become the top global supplier of opium, the raw ingredient of the illicit drug, heroin. Accounting for approximately 90% of the opium supply in the world and equalling an annual market of $65 billion, Afghanistan caters to 15 million addicts worldwide (UNODC, 2009). Through these simple statistics, it is clear that the opium trade market poses a huge impact to the global community. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime s report Addiction, Crime and Insurgency (2009), Every year, more people die from Afghan opium than from any other drug in the world: perhaps 100,000 globally. With heroin being a deadly drug, the spread of HIV as well as death is constantly on the rise. It also does not help that Afghanistan opium production rates are higher than 1
the demand, making the drug easily accessible and therefore encouraging the growth of the market. This increase of addicts and health issues are putting a strain on governments in areas where caregiving services already lack efficiency and essentially cannot keep up with supporting patients. Moreover, crime and terrorists are continually being supported financially. Putting health issues aside, the opium market generates a whole separate problem of the illegal trade market. The drug chain undermines governance and stability, with insurgency playing a huge role with the Taliban collecting great amounts of money from the drug trade, estimated at about $200-400 million annually in 2007 (Addiction, Crime, and Insurgency, 2009, p.9).while the Taliban and other criminal groups benefit, Afghanistan s economy took a toll as farmers began depending on opium cultivation for their livelihoods. Insurgents were making all the profits, with the Taliban and other Al- Qaeda related groups making up to $1 billion in Pakistan (ACI, 2009, pg. 2). Instability therefore, gave way to opium production. With agriculture being the main way of life for 70% of Afghans, it was the country s main source of income (Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2012). Opium became Afghanistan s main cash crop which farmers became more and more dependent on. Because of this strong dependence, despite law enforcement, Afghan opium production ceased to decrease. The drug cycle became more tightly bound, with farmers being left absolutely vulnerable to the insurgents. Furthermore, not only was all this illicit economic activity taking place in Afghanistan, but also spreading to other countries involved with the opium trade market. As Afghanistan increased the production of opium over the last decade, the range of markets began to broaden. With a high demand present in Europe and the Middle East, China and countries in Central Asia became involved as well. Even the United States of America and Canada were found to receive most of their heroin from Afghanistan rather than from Latin American countries. With a third of the heroin produced being trafficked to Europe via the Balkan route and another quarter being trafficked to Central Asia and the Russian Federation via the Northern route (UNODC, 2009), it was evident that Afghan opiates are a global threat that must be addressed immediately. In 2009, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that 150 tons of Afghan heroin reached Europe, 120 tons Asia and 45 tons Africa. In addition, while the opium market directly involved the Golden Crescent countries (Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan), increasing flows of heroin to Africa opened a new route and therefore, increased trade to countries in North America and Oceania (UNODC, 2009). Recently, the increase of heroin consumption in Africa has become an area of concern for the UNODC. With Africa becoming a new stop in the opium trade route before going to Europe, North America, and Oceania, there has been an increase of addicts in Africa and an increase in corruption as a result. Another concern for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is the inability for nations to intercept opium trade. According to the UNODC s report on Addiction, Crime and Insurgency, countries in Central Asia are seizing a mere 5% of the 90 tons of heroin that crosses their borders. Likewise, the Russian Federation which receives 20% of the opium produced by Afghanistan seizes only 4%. Other European countries also struggle with 2
interception. Members of the European Union such as Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania intercept less than 2% of opiates received. These statistics demonstrate a direct relationship of the lack of efficiency of governments in preventing damage. In the southern areas of Afghanistan where there is a lack of security, opium tends to be produced more excessively. Moreover, with drug trafficking increasing as a result of insecurity and instability in countries, there has also been an increase of trade by sea and air as opposed to land. With the production and trade of opium increasing and innovating constantly, governments must address these issues accordingly with new and updated laws. PAST ACTION In response to the trafficking of opium in Afghanistan, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime responded with a regional focus. First, the UNODC focused on Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries, which include Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Pakistan, Tajikstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to form a strategic plan to combat drug trafficking. Due to most Afghan- Pakistani borders being unmonitored and wide open, they were transformed to a trade zone for illicit substances (UNODC, 2009). This Regional Programme focuses on border control and overall security in order to prevent further transactions. Also, The Paris Pact was an international attempt at combating the trafficking of opium, uniting more than 50 countries and organizations towards the cause. The Paris Pact Initiative was launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in September 2004. Following this came the Rainbow Strategy which prioritized and directed specific plans that needed to be taken. Other initiatives such as the Triangular Initiative (TI) and the Central Asian Regional and Information Coordination Centre (CARICC) are examples of projects that enforced the interception and seizure of illicit drugs (UNODC Central Asia, 2012). All in all, nations that are directly and indirectly affected by the Afghan opium trade need to work together to increase security and prevent further damage. International cooperation is key in combating drug trafficking. Drug prevention through education and governmental promotion is crucial along with increased measures in security to ensure that illegal drug trafficking can no longer take place. Overall, drug trafficking spreads crime, corruption, addiction, and disease and ripples its effects to countries all over the world. MAJOR COUNTRY POSITIONS United States of America : For years, the United States of America have made efforts to combat the opium industry in Afghanistan. They support the introduction of other crops and forms of livelihoods for the farmers of Afghanistan so they no longer have to depend on opium for survival. The U.S. have strayed away from eradication as they believe it to be ineffective and disastrous. The U.S. also opposes legalization of opium within Afghanistan. 3
They will support Afghanistan in their direction of choice. Russian Federation: Russia is concerned with the continual increase of addicts in their country and suspect countries that support Afghan opium trade. In contrast to the U.S., they push eradication greatly. However, they do not wish to see Afghanistan fall to the Taliban. Afghanistan: Opium production supports not only the Taliban, but is responsible for most of Afghanistan s economy. It supports farmers, traffickers, smugglers, officials, criminals that generate huge revenue. Therefore, against eradication. African Union : Concerned with the increase of African addicts to heroin and for the further decline of instability in regions. Increase in drugs in the population will lead to an increase of corruption which governments want to prevent. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER Is poor security the reason why there is so much opium? Or is the excessive amount of opium the reason for poor security? To what extent can insecurity and instability of an area justify illicit drug activity? What is the role and impact of the Taliban in relation to the opium drug trade? How are other nations being affected politically, economically, socially? How can the UNODC work to prevent further illicit drug activity and to promote and ensure stability within nations without fatally affecting citizens (i.e. Afghan farmers who rely on opium production)? Is eradication a viable solution? How effective will a counternarcotics strategy be and how might the UNODC in conjunction with other international policy-making sectors bring about this potential solution? SOURCES United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2009). Addiction, Crime and Insurgency: The transnational threat of Afghan opium. Retrieved from http:// www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/afghanistan/afghan_opium_ Trade_2009_web.pdf United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2012). Afghanistan Opium Survey 2012: Opium Risk Assessment for all Regions. (Phase 1 & 2) Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/afghanistan/oras_ report_2012.pdf 4
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2012). Central Asia. Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drug-trafficking/central-asia.html United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2011). The Global Afghan Opium Trade: A Threat Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/ documents/data-andanalysis/studies/global_afghan_opium_trade_2011- web.pdf United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2009). UNODC reveals devastating impact of Afghan opium. Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/ unodc/en/frontpage/2009/october/unodc-reveals-devastating-impact-ofafghan-opium.html U.S. Department of State Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (2012). Background Note: Afghanistan. Retrieved from www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/ bgn/5380.htm 5