VIENNA, 02 March (UN Information Service) - Corruption related to drug trafficking, the availability of licit medicine for treatment of pain and mental illnesses, and the fast rise of designer drugs are at the centre of the 2010 Annual Report presented today by the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Prof. Hamid Ghodse in Vienna. Sonja Wintersberger, Officer in Charge of the United Nations Information Service, moderated the event hosted by Presseclub Concordia.
Corruption
Corruption is one of the main factors that make drug trafficking possible, the INCB found. The high profits in the illicit drug market exceed by far the means of state institutions which then makes it hard to gain control, says the Report. Organized crime groups use corruption strategically. What they cannot achieve through bribery, they can still achieve through violence and intimidation and vice versa. "Police and justice officials often face tremendous pressure from organized crime groups when working to stop drug trafficking. Even so, we also want to point out and acknowledge that the majority of the law enforcement officials resist corruption and intimidation", Mr. Ghodse said.
Availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes
In the report, INCB states that about 80 per cent of the world's population have no or insufficient access to pain relief drugs, notably in Asia, Africa and South America. "We want a complementary approach with a dual objective: Ensuring availability of licit drugs and preventing diversion, and with regard to the latter I am proud to say that we have been very successful in the last 17 years. Today, the diversion from licit to illicit markets at the national level is nearly zero", says Hamid Ghodse. Still, the access to pain relief medicine for the treatment of pain and to psychotropic drugs for the treatment of mental illness is one of the "fundamental Human Rights." INCB urges Governments, with the assistance of the international community, to adopt the recommendations included in the report in order to identify the barriers to adequate availability and take remedial action as appropriate.
Designer drugs and Precursors
The abuse of designer drugs like mephedrone are still on the rise. "Governments have already reacted to this enormous threat to public health, but drug traffickers are still able to bypass control measures by modifying the molecular structure of illegal substances, resulting in a new product with similar effects," warns Mr. Ghodse. The report also reminds governments of the need to remain vigilant in identifying and addressing new trends in the diversion of precursor chemicals intended to be used in the illicit manufacturing of drugs. Criminal networks have shown themselves to be highly adaptable in modifying their diversion and production methods in order to circumvent stricter control measures adopted by governments.
Regions
The INCB report also contains a round-up of regional developments in the production trafficking and abuse of drugs. "Cannabis is a major problem in Africa", says Mr. Ghodse "and despite a decrease in coca bush cultivation in South America this is still of great concern to the Board". INCB expressed its concern about the developments in Europe, which has the largest illicit market for heroin and where cocaine is replacing amphetamine and "ecstasy" as a drug of abuse. Given the enormous value of illicit drug markets relative to the size of local economies, traffickers have the resources to bribe officials to protect their operations: a serious danger in combating drug abuse, according to the Report.
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is the independent monitoring body for the implementation of the United Nations international drug control conventions. The Board consists of thirteen members who are elected by the Economic and Social Council and who serve in their personal capacity, not as government representatives. It was established in 1968 in accordance with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961.
INCB cooperates with Governments to ensure that adequate supplies of drugs are available for medical and scientific uses and that the diversion of drugs from licit sources to illicit channels does not occur. INCB identifies weaknesses in national and international control systems and contributes to correcting such situations.
The Annual report 2010 is being launched today in more than 25 countries around the world.
