During the reporting period, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, headed by Mr. Giorgio Giacomelli, continued to carry out its activities on the basis of a three-tiered strategy articulated at the country, regional, and global levels.
At the country level, the Programme elaborated guidelines to assist Governments in the preparation of national drug control master plans, that is, national agendas that address both illicit demand and illicit supply reduction. Support by the Programme led to the development of master plans in 14 countries and territories in the Caribbean. Master plan assistance was also provided to Algeria, Guatemala, Namibia, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Viet Nam. The Programme assisted the Government of Colombia in developing drug control components within that country's 10-year National Alternative Development Plan, to become effective on 1 January 1996.
In 1994, the Programme funded a comprehensive ground survey of the extent of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. The results -- to be confirmed in a 1995 survey -- reveal a dry opium production volume substantially in excess of previous estimates of 2,000 metric tons; based on the revised estimates, Afghanistan would be the world's largest illicit producer of opium.
At the regional level, the Programme held in South Africa in November 1994 a regional workshop aimed at strengthening judiciary cooperation against drug trafficking in southern Africa. Governments in the region adopted a communiqué against corruption and a plan of action comprising measures to strengthen drug trafficking interdiction in the subregion.
In May 1995, at Beijing, the first ministerial meeting took place between the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, China and Thailand, all of which are parties to the memorandum of understanding on control of illicit drugs in South-East Asia. The meeting approved the accession of Cambodia and Viet Nam to the memorandum of understanding and endorsed an Action Plan on subregional cooperation in drug control matters. In China, law enforcement capabilities in Yunnan Province were strengthened with equipment from the Programme and training needs were identified. Law enforcement officers in the border areas of China and Myanmar launched the establishment of an information exchange system. After the signing of a regional memorandum of understanding in 1994, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and the Programme developed an action agenda for implementation in 1995-1997 emphasizing law enforcement and harmonization of demand reduction techniques.
By 30 June 1995, the Baltic States, 9 Central European countries and 12 countries of CIS had received legal assistance from the Programme. The central Asian republics have emerged as a high priority for the Programme, and accordingly a multisectoral subregional programme, requiring support from the international community, has been developed.
In 1994-1995, the Programme continued its series of demand reduction expert forums, with technical consultations held in Brazil, the Bahamas, Cameroon, India and Morocco. In the context of the United Nations Decade against Drug Abuse, a World Forum on the Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Drug Demand Reduction was held at Bangkok in December 1994 with participants from 115 countries. The Forum resulted in a declaration that reinforces the partnership between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations in demand reduction.
In April 1995, the Programme helped organize in Brazil the Second International Private Sector Conference on Drugs in the Workplace and the Community, with one result being the identification of essential elements of corporate policy needed for drug abuse prevention. In February 1995, the Programme and the International Olympic Committee signed a cooperation agreement to promote sports in the prevention of drug abuse.
At the global level, the Programme conducted research and synthesized the results into technical information and research papers. In order to address complex issues in drug control, the Programme prepared studies on the present status of knowledge on the illicit drug industry and the economic and social impact of drug abuse and control, as well as an interim report on the economic and social consequences of drug abuse, presented to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its thirty-eighth session, in March 1995.
The Programme's laboratory continued to expand its Quality Assurance Programme, aimed at assisting laboratories to develop effective laboratory practices in the analysis of drug-related matters. Eighty laboratories worldwide are participating in the International Proficiency Testing Scheme, which assesses the performance of laboratories and enhances output accuracy.
One of the major issues addressed by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in 1994 and 1995 was the implementation of General Assembly resolution 48/12 of 28 October 1993 on measures to strengthen international cooperation against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related activities. The Executive Director of the Programme convened two meetings in 1994 of an intergovernmental advisory group and produced a report which was examined by the Commission at its thirty-eighth session. That report included specific recommendations on ways to strengthen international action in drug control. The Commission, in its resolution 13 (XXXVIII), invited States to consider the recommendations; it also requested the Executive Director to further refine them in the light of States' comments for submission to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session.
In response to General Assembly resolution 48/12, the International Narcotics Control Board, an independent treaty organ, outlined its assessment and major findings with respect to the drug control treaties in its report for 1994. The Board also issued a special supplement on the effectiveness of the treaties, highlighting areas in need of strengthening.
In September 1994 and February 1995, at the request of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the Programme convened a working group on maritime cooperation to further international cooperation in combating illicit drug traffic by sea. The recommendations and principles adopted by the working group and endorsed by the Commission represent a milestone in efforts to contain the problem of illicit drug shipments that traverse international waters.
Also in February 1995, the Administrative Committee on Coordination held a high-level meeting at Vienna that addressed system-wide cooperation in drug control. The meeting resulted in recognition of the need for United Nations programmes, funds and agencies to incorporate drug control components into their programmes and broad support for the leadership role of the Programme in drug control coordination.
The total budget of the Programme for 1994-1995 amounted to $205 million, of which approximately 93 per cent was funded from voluntary contributions. The main share of these resources, $162 million, was used for over 300 operational activities in 50 countries, aimed at countering illicit drug production, trafficking and consumption. In view of the continuous rise in drug-related problems throughout the world and the trend of dwindling resources available for drug control, I urge Member States to provide the political and financial support needed to pursue international priorities in drug control.
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