Udenrigsudvalget 2014-15 (1. samling)
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European Union
Statement on the occasion of the
Special segment on the preparations for the UNGA Special Session on the World Drug
Problem of the 58
th
Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Vienna, 9-17 March 2015
Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States
1
.
The following countries align themselves with this statement: Turkey
§
, the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
, Montenegro
*
, Iceland
, Serbia
*
, Albania
*
, Bosnia
and Herzegovina
*
, Norway
, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and
Andorra.
2. UNGASS 2016 will be a prominent platform and a very useful opportunity for the
international community to take stock of the achievements of the international drug
control system to date, to elaborate on the immense challenges that remain in the
global, local and national response to the world drug problem and to find workable,
operational and sustainable solutions for the longer term within the framework of the
international treaties.
3. The EU strongly believes that UNGASS should not be a mere
replica
of the High
Level Review of the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action carried out in
March 2014. Of course, the 2014 Joint Ministerial Statement shall serve as a very
important basis for the debate, but we should seize the opportunity to discuss within
UNGASS 2016 challenges that remain and possible solutions that respond to the
evolving nature of the problem.
1
The way the EU statements are delivered in this Commission is subject to ongoing clarifications in the context of the ECOSOC
reform Resolution 68/1
§
Candidate Country
Candidate Countries former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania, as well as potential Candidate
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
Candidate Country Iceland continues to be a member of the EFTA and of the European Economic Area.
Norway is a member of the EFTA and of the European Economic Area.
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4. We appreciate the efforts undertaken to guarantee an inclusive preparatory process
leading to UNGASS 2016 and emphasise the need to ensure the most effective
involvement of all relevant UN agencies and bodies, in particular dealing with public
health, human rights, development and security both in the preparations for and during
UNGASS 2016 itself. GA Resolution 69/200 invites all relevant UN agencies and
bodies to contribute fully to the preparations for UNGASS and we welcome their
active role.
5. We welcome the consensus for a strong engagement of the NGOs in all debates. We
also support the proposal of a formal civil society hearing prior to UNGASS, the
outcomes of which should contribute to the UNGASS processes.
6. As far as the draft agenda of UNGASS 2016 is concerned, we support the proposal to
have a three-day Special Session and to focus on achievements and challenges in
addressing the world drug problem, in the framework of a more effective
implementation of the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action.
7. We welcome the idea to organise High Level Workshops during the UNGASS 2016 in
parallel to the high level general debate and the suggestion that these workshops
should be interactive, including involvement of all stakeholder, namely civil society
and scientific community.
8. We believe that any document to be prepared by the CND and adopted as outcome of
the UNGASS 2016 should be concrete and focused, providing solid input as a
stepping stone towards the target date of 2019 and beyond. We support the proposal to
reflect in a Chair’s summary the salient points raised during each of the High-Level
Workshops.
Mr. Chairman,
9. The EU and its Member States believe that the outcome document of the high level
workshops to be discussed at UNGASS 2016 should consequently include the
following recommendations:
a. UN Conventions which provide the international legal framework for addressing the
drugs phenomenon and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights are the
cornerstone of the global response to the world drug problem. The drug control
treaties must be acknowledged and respected in developing and implementing national
drug policies and laws, as well as regional and international programmes;
b. the key objective of the international drug control system is to protect public health, to
protect citizens against social and societal damage caused by drug use to tackle
marginalization and stigmatization and to contribute to reintegration in society. In this
sense, dependant drug users should be considered as people who need treatment and
care. These objectives can be achieved by improving the implementation of provisions
agreed upon the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International
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Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug
Problem;
c. an effective drug policy should be based on a global and a balanced approach,
comprising drug demand reduction, including prevention, treatment, risk and harm
reduction and care, and drug supply reduction, including prevention and dissuasion
and disruption of drug-related crime as well as international cooperation;
d. the initiatives of developing methods aiming to achieve experience based knowledge
and evidence in order to attain a measurable reduction in illicit supply and demand of
drugs as well as drug related harm should be welcomed and supported, if these
initiatives are undertaken in line with the principles of an integrated and balanced
strategy to counter the drug problem, international law and common and shared
responsibility;
e. the new challenges such as the spread of non-scheduled new psychoactive substances
for the purpose of consumption by humans, the use of new technologies in drug
trafficking and related money-laundering, and the growing use of substitute or
alternative precursor chemicals used to replace traditional precursors under
international control must be addressed internationally under the framework of
international drug control policies;
f. civil society, including the scientific community, has much to offer and can facilitate
the works of policymakers and represents a valuable asset in terms of their field
knowledge, resources and commitment. Therefore their meaningful participation in the
formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of drug demand reduction
policies should be promoted and encouraged;
g. there is a need for full implementation of the relevant international legal instruments
related to the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the
right to life, and the inherent dignity of all individuals, when addressing the world
drug problem, assessing current policies and elaborating national and international
solutions;
h. from the perspective of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the absolute priority
is the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances, including for drug-related
crimes, as well as the abolition of other practices which are not in line with the
principles of human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, solidarity, the rule of law
and human rights;
i. there is an urgent need for improving access to and availability of controlled
medicines, and avoiding unnecessary obstacles to access to essential medicines, as a
result of the response to illicit drug trafficking, by looking at possible obstacles within
the framework of the Conventions, by supporting the development of health systems,
and stressing WHO's important role to strengthen health system capacity globally;
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j. drug demand reduction should be based universally on effective, targeted and efficient
evidence-based programs and best practices in prevention, early detection and
intervention, access without discrimination to treatment, therapeutic plan, risk and
harm reduction services, social reintegration and recovery; whenever new methods or
approaches are tested in order to gain evidence on the effectiveness of such new
services human rights and the protection of human dignity shall be duly respected;
k. the general requirements of best practice are high level of coverage, easy access to
services, continuity of care over different settings, and patient satisfaction;
l. the drug problem has a gender dimension that must be highlighted both regarding drug
demand and supply reduction;
m. national drug strategies should guarantee access to prevention, risk and harm
reduction, diagnosis, treatment, care, support services relating to blood-borne diseases
associated with drug use but not limited to HIV and viral hepatitis for dependent drug
users, taking into account the humanitarian interventions outlined in the technical
guidance documents of WHO, UNODC and UNAIDS;
n. facilitating access to research, evaluation and monitoring findings is vital to ensure
that well-informed decisions are made on priority measures to be taken and
interventions to be implemented;
o. These findings are required to provide policymakers and the professionals working in
the drugs field with solid information on evidence-based interventions and best
practices in the diverse and complex field of drug use;
p. the application of contemporary practices based on the principles of “restorative
justice” and “alternatives to coercive sanctions” will bring significant benefits in terms
of cost-effectiveness, in both public health and society as a whole;
q. strengthening of international cooperation to prevent and counter drug - related
organised crime, including drug trafficking, should be promoted by:
-
-
intelligence-sharing and the exchange of best practices;
strengthening counter-narcotics capacity and developing expertise of origin and transit
countries;
working with international partners to tackle drug trafficking;
implementation of law enforcement and judicial cooperation mechanisms and mutual
legal assistance instruments applicable to drug trafficking and related crimes;
promoting closer cooperation between existing law enforcement coordination centres
and platforms;
further developing of multi-disciplinary training and awareness activities at national,
regional and international level;
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improving the technical capacity of Judges, Public Prosecutors and Law Enforcement
Officials in the field of drugs as well as creating, strengthening and developing the
mechanisms for the identification, freezing, seizure and confiscation of property
obtained through or derived from drug trafficking and related crimes;
r. alternative development measures should be promoted as a long term approach to
tackle the root causes of drug crop cultivation such as poverty, weak statehood, lack of
food security, poor infrastructure and limited access to sales markets for licit products,
lack of access to land, lack of technical capacity to grow alternative crops, local
conflicts and violence;
s. alternative development proves to be successful and sustainable if the corresponding
programs are non-conditional, non-discriminating and, if eradication is scheduled,
properly sequenced;
t. there is a need for strengthening of cooperation between financial institutions, regional
banks, development organizations and UN specialized agencies so that alternative
development becomes part of the sustainable development agenda.
10. We conclude by reiterating our commitment to provide further inputs as regards the
preparation process for the UNGASS 2016.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.