Vienna Chapter
Mr. Chairman
The G-77 and China is pleased to see you preside over the 47th
session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). The Group is confident
in your ability to successfully conduct the activities of this session and
I wish to assure you of the Group's support in the task ahead.
Let me also extend the Group's appreciation to the Secretariat for
putting together the documents for this session. The G-77 and China would
like to make some observations and comments on some of the issues on the
agenda of this session.
Mr. Chairman
The choice of amphetamine-type-stimulants (ATS) and control of
precursor chemicals for the thematic debate is timely, coming after the
2003 Global Survey of ATS by the UNODC. The G-77 and China welcomes this
survey and notes with concern that all countries are part of the ATS
problem, either as producers and or consumers. It is also a matter of
concern that the abuse of ATS is rapidly spreading, regardless of
nationality, age, gender or income with the attendant health problems and
hazards. The Group calls on Member States to urgently develop their supply
reduction programmes for ATS, to complement and ensure the effectiveness
of demand reduction initiatives.
The Group also calls upon Member States to strengthen their
mechanisms for control of precursor chemicals, in particular the prior
notification of export mechanism and to share relevant information in
order to prevent their diversion into illicit market. In this regard, we
urge all states to provide active support for Operation Topaz, Operation
Purple and Project Prism. These important projects by the International
Narcotics Control Board (INCB) are in danger of being discontinued due to
inadequate funding. We therefore, appeal to all Member States, especially
the development partners for continued and adequate funding of these
projects.
Mr. Chairman
The G-77 and China wishes to recall the Joint Ministerial Statement
at the 46th session of the CND, especially the new commitments contained
in the Statement, which were aimed at meeting the goals and targets set
out in the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its
twentieth special session. We urge the Secretariat to take note of these
new commitments and to follow-up on them appropriately.
Mr. Chairman
On the agenda item on drug demand reduction, the G-77 and China is
concerned about the drug liberalization policies of some Member States in
breach of the three Narcotic Conventions, which could promote drug abuse
and fuel supply and trafficking of illicit drugs. The Group wishes to
reiterate that the ultimate aim of the three Narcotic Conventions is to
reduce harm globally, and that national harm reduction programmes carried
out by some Member States should not be considered as complementary or
substitutes for demand reduction programmes. The Group calls on all States
to adhere strictly to the provisions of the three conventions.
The G-77 and China welcomes the establishment of the HIV/AIDS Unit
within the Division of Operations at the UNODC, which will integrate the
activities of the Office on HIV/AIDS issues. In addition, the Group
expresses the hope that the UNODC will give priority attention to
addressing risk-taking behavior resulting from drug abuse within the
context of the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction (GA resolution
S-20/3 annex) and in particular, the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS
(GA resolution S-26/2 annex), which calls for the provision of a wide
range of prevention programmes aimed at reducing risk-taking behavior.
Mr. Chairman
On the agenda item on illicit drug traffic and supply, the G-77 and
China wishes to recall that the Joint Ministerial Segment of the 46th
session urged Member States to prevent proliferation of sources of licit
opium. If this appeal is not heeded, this has the potential to disturb the
delicate balance between supply and demand for licit opium, which had been
achieved over the years through the efforts of INCB. Also, ECOSOC
Resolution 2003/40 on this subject, which was adopted on the
recommendation of the CND, specifically underscored the need to maintain
this balance. The Group notes with deep concern that the actions of some
Member States have upset this balance, as contained in the INCB report for
2003. We urge all States wishing to cultivate opium for therapeutic
purposes to exercise utmost caution and, to adhere to the established
system in order to prevent proliferation of sources of licit opium.
The Group welcomes the report of the Cannabis Survey conducted by
Morocco in cooperation with UNODC in 2003. This survey is a significant
tool for the analysis, data collection and an assessment of the major
factors behind the rise of cannabis cultivation. Indeed, it has shown the
urgent need for the international community to redouble its efforts in
combating the cultivation and trafficking of cannabis. It is in this
connection that the Group recommends to the UNODC to conduct a global
survey of cannabis, before the forty-eighth session of the Commission and
strongly supports the African Group draft resolution on the control of
cultivation and trafficking of Cannabis in Africa.
Mr. Chairman
The connection between consuming and producing countries is transit
countries. We note with deep concern the dramatic increase in the abuse of
various types of drugs that has developed along transit trafficking
routes, thereby creating lucrative markets in transit countries. This
development has led to flourishing of transnational organized crime,
increased terrorism and in some instances has even affected governance in
transit countries and along the trafficking routes.
The G-77 and China re-affirms its conviction that the fight against
demand and supply of drugs requires a combination of preventive and
enforcement measures and a need for cooperation in tackling the problems
of States most affected by transit of drugs. It is in this connection that
the Group reiterates its call upon international organizations and
developed countries, in the spirit and principle of shared responsibility,
to provide new and additional financial resources and technical
assistance, including alternative development programmes and preventive
alternative development projects, to drug producing countries and transit
countries in their efforts in fighting the drug problem.
Mr. Chairman
At various occasions, the G-77 and China had sought to know the
issues being discussed by the Paris Pact and whether the resources of the
UNODC were being committed to the meetings of the Paris Pact. The Group
has difficulties in understanding the reasons for the lack of transparency
that the Secretariat has created around the Paris Pact, even when the
members of the Pact had requested that other countries be invited to its
meetings. The Group is confident that the Secretariat would find it
necessary to brief the Commission on the activities of the Paris Pact.
Mr. Chairman
The G-77 and China wishes to recall that the amount allocated to some
regions in our Group in the 2004-2005 biennial budget had declined in
quantitative and in real terms, especially in Africa. The Group notes the
efforts of the UNODC to secure more funds for projects in our countries
and appealed to development partners not to relent but to further assist
and give the UNODC certain measure of flexibility in the use of earmarked
funds. Therefore, the Group encourages UNODC and the major development
partners to allocate and implement a more balanced programme based on
equal geographical distribution. In addition, the Group calls on the
Secretariat to allocate more resources to INCB and to ensure that the
priorities set by the CND are given higher share of its regular budget.
I thank you.
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