International drug control – Third Cttee debate – Summary record

Third Committee 

Summary record of the 4th meeting

Held at Headquarters, New York, on Tuesday, 1 October 2002, at 10 a.m. 

Chairman: ………………………………….  Mr. Wenaweser   (Liechtenstein)

Contents

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Agenda item 101: International drug control (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 10.05 a.m.

Agenda item 101: International drug control (continued ) (A/57/3, 88, 127 and 203)

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34.  Mr. Koren (Israel) expressed support for ODCCP efforts to promote the entry into force of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols and welcomed the negotiation of a convention against corruption. His Government had established the Israel Money Laundering Prohibition Authority, which cooperated with the Israeli police and Anti-Drug Authority in investigating and preventing crimes related to money-laundering and financing of terrorism.

35.   His Government shared the international community’s concern about the threat of drug abuse and trafficking. Among other measures, it had adopted a new prevention strategy that gave priority to intervention programmes targeting high-risk groups such as young people. International cooperation was a vital component of efforts to combat both transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. Such efforts had become imperative, since revenues from drug sales were being used to finance terrorism. His delegation commended ODCCP regional cooperation programmes, especially the activities of the Central Asia office but was disappointed at the lack of cooperation in the Middle East region, where the renewed cultivation in Lebanon of cannabis and opium poppy was particular cause for concern.

36.   Terrorism did not only affect those who suffered direct and indiscriminate attacks, but also posed a real threat to international peace and security. It endangered the international political process, including the peace process in the Middle East, where the dangerous link between drugs and terrorism was well known. Hezbollah oversaw drug cultivation, smuggling and terror financing from the Lebanese side of the border with Israel and its trafficking of firearms and explosives to terrorist organizations in the Palestinian territories was financed from drug profits.

37.   His delegation supported the proposal to strengthen the Terrorism Prevention Branch and hoped that the Branch would do more to identify and promote awareness of the links between terrorism and related crimes such as drug trafficking. In conclusion, he drew attention to Israel’s report to the Counter-Terrorism Committee (S/2001/1312), which showed that Israel had been a leader in the counter-terrorism effort and was committed to working with other States to assist the international effort against terror.

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The meeting rose at 11.55 a.m.

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