Pubdate: Thu, 12 Mar 2009
Source: Independent  (UK)
Copyright: 2009 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.independent.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/209
Author: Toby Green, in Vienna
Referenced: Wednesday's draft policy declaration 
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CND/session/52-HLS.html
Referenced: Costa's statement http://drugsense.org/url/3TcacLyY
Referenced: Alan Campbell's statement http://drugsense.org/url/VaZ8ND1R
Referenced: European Commission report 'The World Drugs Problem, Ten 
Years On, http://drugsense.org/url/yEsNto0k
Cited: Human Rights Watch 
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/09/un-drug-summit-undo-decade-neglect
Photos: Protest photos not from the newspaper http://drugsense.org/url/CImFtlOI
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/ungass.htm (UN Vienna drugs conference)

WAR ON DRUGS 'HAS ENRICHED CARTELS'

Campaigners Criticise Draft Paper for Not Including Harm Reduction Tactics

United Nations member states are set to paper over their differences 
today and sign up to 10 more years of the much-criticised "war on 
drugs" at a drugs summit in Vienna. A draft policy declaration tabled 
at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs last night did not mention the 
innovation that campaigners had hoped for: "harm reduction" 
strategies such as needle exchange programmes to prevent the spread 
of HIV, or even legalisation and regulation to help erode the power 
of traffickers and drug lords.

The summit comes in the wake of high-profile indictments of the UN's 
drug strategy. A European Commission report published on Tuesday said 
the strategy had not made any progress in cutting supply and demand.

Antonio Maria Costa, the executive director of the UN Office on Drugs 
and Crime, said that "measurable progress" had been made.

Opening the Vienna talks, he said addiction to illicit drugs had 
"stabilised" in the past few years but admitted that a "dramatic 
unintended consequence" of the battle to stamp out the illicit trade 
was that drug cartels had become so rich they could destabilise 
impoverished and vulnerable nations in Africa and South America.

"When mafias can buy elections, candidates, political parties, in a 
word, power, the consequences can only be highly destabilising" he said.

"While ghettoes burn, West Africa is under attack [by Latin American 
traffickers transporting cocaine to Europe], drug cartels threaten 
Central America and drug money penetrates bankrupt financial institutions".

World markets were still supplied with about 1,000 tons of heroin, 
1,000 tons of cocaine and large volumes of marijuana, cannabis resin 
and synthetic drugs, Mr Costa said. He warned against the 
legalisation of drugs - which has attracted renewed support -as "a 
dangerous wager".

"Drugs are not harmful because they are controlled - they are 
controlled because they are harmful. The fact that certain unlawful 
transactions are hard to control does not mean that they should be made legal."

Britain and other EU countries including Germany, the Netherlands, 
Romania, Portugal, Spain, Finland and Slovenia, will file 
reservations on the draft declaration, diplomats indicated.

Alan Campbell, who led the UK delegation, said that the British 
delegates were disappointed with the outcome.

"We will of course be signing up to the declaration, but there are a 
number of criticisms we will be making and I think making them quite clear."

Britain had supported the inclusion of harm reduction strategies in 
the document and Mr Campbell said he did not think the emerging 
strategy was " bold enough".

Campaigning groups including Human Rights Watch and the International 
Aids Society said the proposed political declaration lacked 
"critically important measures for treating and stemming the spread of HIV".

Craig McClure, from the International Aids Society, said: "This 
political declaration fails public health. The international 
commitment to fight HIV, the denial of any reference in the 
declaration to life-saving harm reduction programmes is unacceptable 
and unconscionable."

Protesters carrying placards which read "The war on drugs destroys 
lives" and "Drug law isolates" greeted delegates as they arrived at 
the summit. Fake $1,000 bank notes with Mr Costa's picture under the 
inscription, "The United Nations of Prohibition" were also handed out. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake