Position paper
Name: Song Minxiao, Huang Chubing
University: Dalian University of Technology
Country: United States of America
Commission: the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Topic: the promotion of international cooperation to solve the drug problem
Crimes related to drug abuse, illegal manufacturing and trafficking of drugs are serious problems for virtually every country. The abuse of drugs has an adverse impact, not only on the individual abuser, but also on the economy and society of the country as a whole. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs(UNODC) was requested to enhance its functioning by the Economic and Social Council in resolution 1999/30. The commission is facing with several rough problems: reduce the quantity of drug, crack down drug-related crimes, and combat illicit traffic, etc. States undertook commitments within the framework of Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961,the 1972 Protocol, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988.
To effectively curb the illicit drug trafficking, abusing and those consequences the UNODC has convened its Member States to develop coordinated responses. Since Member States adopted the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy, and focused on taking efforts to alleviate the drug problem, the international community had made progress on the issue.
As the world's largest drug-consuming countries, The United States establish the first Drug court in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 1989 as a response to the growing crack-cocaine problem plaguing the city. In the U.S., the penalty for illegal drug possession and sale can vary from a small fine to a prison sentence. Federal law makes even possession of soft drugs, such as cannabis, illegal. To reduce drug use in the community and prevent youth drug use, U.S. has state-level actions: Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program was supported by ONDCP. DFC organizations mobilize communities to prevent youth drug use by creating local data-driven strategies. Besides, The 2012 National Drug Control Strategy establishes two overarching Goals including curtail illicit drug consumption in America on the one hand and improve the public health and public safety of the American people by reducing the consequences of drug abuse and use by 2015 on the other hand. America desires to strengthen international partnerships to reduce the supply of drugs. To alternative livelihoods in drug producing regions, the Administration has devoted $1.2 billion to alternative development programs during the past 3 years to provide economic incentives and increased security to farmers in drug producing regions in the Western Hemisphere. Inside the country , the Administration has strengthened support for prevention and treatment programs-during the past 3, years U.S. have spent over $31 billion on drug education and treatment programs at the Federal level, compared to $27 billion on domestic law enforcement. The Strategy pursued a mainstream approach to the choice between an enforcement-centric "war on drugs" on the one hand and the notion of drug legalization on the other. And the Obama Administration has consistently reiterated its firm opposition to any form of drug legalization. Though in November 2012, two U.S. states notably passed measures to legalize the recreational use of marijuana (CNN) , conflicting with U.S. federal law, and the issue has yet to arise in the legal system.
Finally, The United States of America insist on promoting further international cooperation to disrupting transnational drug networks and criminal organizations.The United States call upon all the Member States to: (1)strengthen multilateral collaboration in crack down transnational drug-related crimes and secure the borders of allied states to avoid other countries becoming replacement breeding and crimes repeat as well as possible.(2)associate developed countries to provide financial assistance, technological support and equipment aid to promote drug-producing countries to take steps on substituting the drug crops with economic crops.(3)Reinforce and continually carry out anti-drug education to residents especially in consuming countries to curb drug-related crimes. (4) enhance Law-enforcement efforts against elements of the supply chain, through surveillance and undercover work. (5) Providing effective and targeted treatment to dependent users.(6) Enhance international cooperation in the identification and reporting of new psychoactive substances to assistant further global cooperation in combating drug-related crimes.(E/CN.7/2013/L.2/Rev.1 COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS, Fifty-sixth session, Vienna, Austria, 11-15 March 2013) By these ways, there will be a possibility to breaking the circle of drug problem and drug-related crime.
Name: Song Minxiao, Huang Chubing
University: Dalian University of Technology
Country: United States of America
Commission: the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Topic: the promotion of international cooperation to solve the drug problem
Crimes related to drug abuse, illegal manufacturing and trafficking of drugs are serious problems for virtually every country. The abuse of drugs has an adverse impact, not only on the individual abuser, but also on the economy and society of the country as a whole. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs(UNODC) was requested to enhance its functioning by the Economic and Social Council in resolution 1999/30. The commission is facing with several rough problems: reduce the quantity of drug, crack down drug-related crimes, and combat illicit traffic, etc. States undertook commitments within the framework of Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961,the 1972 Protocol, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988.
To effectively curb the illicit drug trafficking, abusing and those consequences the UNODC has convened its Member States to develop coordinated responses. Since Member States adopted the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy, and focused on taking efforts to alleviate the drug problem, the international community had made progress on the issue.
As the world's largest drug-consuming countries, The United States establish the first Drug court in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 1989 as a response to the growing crack-cocaine problem plaguing the city. In the U.S., the penalty for illegal drug possession and sale can vary from a small fine to a prison sentence. Federal law makes even possession of soft drugs, such as cannabis, illegal. To reduce drug use in the community and prevent youth drug use, U.S. has state-level actions: Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program was supported by ONDCP. DFC organizations mobilize communities to prevent youth drug use by creating local data-driven strategies. Besides, The 2012 National Drug Control Strategy establishes two overarching Goals including curtail illicit drug consumption in America on the one hand and improve the public health and public safety of the American people by reducing the consequences of drug abuse and use by 2015 on the other hand. America desires to strengthen international partnerships to reduce the supply of drugs. To alternative livelihoods in drug producing regions, the Administration has devoted $1.2 billion to alternative development programs during the past 3 years to provide economic incentives and increased security to farmers in drug producing regions in the Western Hemisphere. Inside the country , the Administration has strengthened support for prevention and treatment programs-during the past 3, years U.S. have spent over $31 billion on drug education and treatment programs at the Federal level, compared to $27 billion on domestic law enforcement. The Strategy pursued a mainstream approach to the choice between an enforcement-centric "war on drugs" on the one hand and the notion of drug legalization on the other. And the Obama Administration has consistently reiterated its firm opposition to any form of drug legalization. Though in November 2012, two U.S. states notably passed measures to legalize the recreational use of marijuana (CNN) , conflicting with U.S. federal law, and the issue has yet to arise in the legal system.
Finally, The United States of America insist on promoting further international cooperation to disrupting transnational drug networks and criminal organizations.The United States call upon all the Member States to: (1)strengthen multilateral collaboration in crack down transnational drug-related crimes and secure the borders of allied states to avoid other countries becoming replacement breeding and crimes repeat as well as possible.(2)associate developed countries to provide financial assistance, technological support and equipment aid to promote drug-producing countries to take steps on substituting the drug crops with economic crops.(3)Reinforce and continually carry out anti-drug education to residents especially in consuming countries to curb drug-related crimes. (4) enhance Law-enforcement efforts against elements of the supply chain, through surveillance and undercover work. (5) Providing effective and targeted treatment to dependent users.(6) Enhance international cooperation in the identification and reporting of new psychoactive substances to assistant further global cooperation in combating drug-related crimes.(E/CN.7/2013/L.2/Rev.1 COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS, Fifty-sixth session, Vienna, Austria, 11-15 March 2013) By these ways, there will be a possibility to breaking the circle of drug problem and drug-related crime.
