UN today book extract on drugs views

[trixion]

Uncivil society: crime, illicit drugs and terrorism
Transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and terrorism have become social,political and economic forces capable of altering the destinies of countries and regions.
Such practices as the large-scale bribery of public officials, the growth of “criminal multinationals”, trafficking in human beings, and the use of terrorism to intimidate communities large and small and to sabotage economic development are threats that require effective international
cooperation. The United Nations is addressing these threats to good governance, social equity and justice for all citizens, and is orchestrating
a global response.
The Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) leads the international effort to combat drug trafficking and abuse, organized crime and international terrorism — what have been called the “uncivil” elements of society.
The Office — which has 21 field offices and liaison offices in New York — is composed of a crime programme, which also addresses terrorism and its prevention, and a drug programme.

Drug control
More than 110 million people worldwide use illicit drugs at least once a month, and some 25 million persons are addicts or “problem users”. Drug abuse is responsible for lost wages, soaring health-care costs, broken families and deteriorating communities. In particular, drug use by
injection is fuelling the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis in many parts of the world. There is a direct link between drugs and an increase in crime and violence.
Drug cartels undermine governments and corrupt legitimate businesses. Revenues from illicit drugs fund some of the most deadly armed conflicts.
The financial toll is staggering. Enormous sums are spent to strengthen police forces, judicial systems and treatment and rehabilitation programmes.
The social costs are equally jarring: street violence, gang warfare, fear, urban decay and shattered lives. The United Nations is addressing the global drug problem on many levels.
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs, a functional commission of ECOSOC, is the main intergovernmental policy-making and coordination body on international drug control. Made up of 53 member states, it analyses the world drug abuse and trafficking problem and develops proposals to strengthen international drug control. It monitors implementation of the international drug control treaties and the guiding principles and measures adopted by the General Assembly.
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is a 13-member, independent, quasijudicial body that monitors governments’ compliance with international drug control treaties and assists them in this effort. It strives to ensure that drugs are available for medical and scientific purposes and to prevent their diversion into illegal channels. It sends investigative missions and technical visits to drug-affected countries, and conducts training programmes for drug control administrators, particularly those from developing countries.

A series of treaties, adopted under United Nations auspices, require that governments exercise control over the production and distribution of narcotic and psychotropic substances, combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking, and report to international organs on their actions.
These treaties are:
• The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), which seeks to limit the production,
distribution, possession, use and trade in drugs exclusively to medical and scientific purposes, and obliges states parties to take special measures for particular drugs such as heroin. The 1972 Protocol to the Convention stresses the need for treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts.
• The Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971), which establishes an international control system for psychotropic substances. It responds to the diversification and expansion of the spectrum of drugs, and introduces controls over a number of synthetic drugs.
• The United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988), which provides comprehensive measures against drug trafficking, including provisions against money laundering and the diversion of precursor chemicals. As the main instrument for international cooperation against drug trafficking, it provides for the tracing, freezing and confiscation of proceeds and property derived from drug trafficking; the extradition of drug traffickers; and the transfer of criminal prosecution proceedings. States parties commit themselves to eliminate or reduce drug demand.
Through its drug programme, UNODC provides leadership for all United Nations drug control activities. It helps to prevent developments that could aggravate drug production, trafficking and abuse; assists governments in establishing drug control structures and strategies; provides technical assistance in drug control; promotes the implementation of drug control treaties; and acts as a worldwide centre of expertise and repository of information.

UNODC’s multifaceted approach to the global drug problem works with NGOs and civil society, and includes community-based programmes in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, as well as the provision of new economic opportunities to economies which
depend on illicit crops. Better training and technology to curb drug trafficking makes law enforcement agencies more effective, while assistance to business and NGOs helps them create programmes to reduce demand.
For instance:
• The Illicit Crop Monitoring Programme, carried out in Afghanistan, Bolivia, Colombia, Laos, Morocco, Myanmar and Peru, integrates satellite sensing, aerial surveillance and on-the-ground assessment, in order to enable countries to gain a wide-ranging picture of illicit growing areas and trends.
• The Global Assessment Programme on Drug Abuse supplies accurate and current statistics on illicit drug consumption worldwide. Such a picture of drug abuse trends is crucial for finding the best strategies for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
• The Legal Advisory Programme works with states to implement drug control treaties by helping to draft legislation and train judicial officials. More than 2,400 judges, magistrates, prosecutors, senior law enforcement officials and other key officials from 160 countries have benefited from this programme.
At a 1998 special session of the General Assembly on countering the world drug problem, governments pledged to work together to streamline strategies and strengthen activities aimed at curtailing illicit production and consumption. These included: campaigns to reduce drug
demand; programmes to restrict availability of materials that can be used in drug production; improving judicial cooperation among countries to better control drug trafficking; and stepped-up efforts to eradicate illicit crops.

source: untodaybook.pdf

swi-alfa... swim feel that regarding abt the un red list qns swiy posed can be answer from "Legal Advisory Programme" mentioned above.