III. Analysis of the World Situation
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E/INCB/2000/1 III. Analysis of the world situation A. Africa sharply in the last five years that it competes with that of methaqualone. Major developments 184. In eastern Africa, most illicit drugs arrive by sea, 180. Many countries in Africa are burdened by major often concealed in container cargo, through ports in economic, political and social problems. Civil strife Djibouti, Eritrea and the United Republic of Tanzania. and war, poverty, human immunodeficiency virus Ocean-going vessels with multi-ton consignments of (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), illicit drugs have been lying in international waters and crime and corruption in some countries are closely feeding the consignments to small supply vessels off related to the drug control problem in the region and the coast of countries in eastern Africa, in particular need to be taken into consideration when formulating Somalia, which continues to lack the necessary drug control programmes. government structure to deal with the problem. 181. Despite eradication efforts and significant 185. In most countries in Africa, drug abuse appears to seizures in some countries in Africa, the region be rising, the age of initiation to drug abuse is falling remains a major supplier of cannabis. While cannabis and the number of women and children abusing drugs continues to be the most widely abused drug, the abuse is growing. The mode of administration is also of psychotropic substances is widespread, because of changing, the most noticeable trend being the injecting inadequate systems for licensing and inspecting trade of heroin. Even though the rate of injecting drug abuse in such substances. The illicit manufacture and abuse is still comparatively low, this is a particularly worri- of methaqualone continue in southern and eastern some development, as the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is Africa. Recently, heroin and cocaine abuse has become high in most parts of Africa, especially in countries in more widespread in urban areas. Although Africa southern Africa. The link between drugs and serves mainly as a transit point for smuggling heroin HIV/AIDS was also highlighted at the and cocaine, the falling prices of those substances in XIII International Conference on AIDS, held in cities across sub-Saharan Africa have resulted in Durban, South Africa, in July 2000. increased abuse of the substances. Treaty adherence 182. In 1999, seizures of cannabis, heroin and psychotropic substances in Africa increased markedly, 186. In March 2000, the Comoros became a party to compared with 1998, while cocaine seizures decreased. the 1961 Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, The total amounts reported seized continue to be the 1971 Convention and the 1988 Convention and comparatively small and probably do not reflect the Kenya acceded to the 1971 Convention. extent of the trafficking in, availability of and abuse of 187. Angola, the Central African Republic, the Congo, those substances in the region. Lack of resources for Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea and Eritrea are not yet drug control remains the main obstacle in the fight parties to any of the three main international drug against illicit crop cultivation and illicit drug pro- control treaties. In addition, Algeria, Chad and duction and trafficking in Africa. Morocco have not yet acceded to the 1972 Protocol 183. Western African syndicates, with their experience amending the 1961 Convention; Liberia and the United in smuggling cannabis and heroin, are actively looking Republic of Tanzania are not yet parties to the for new connections in Latin America and are bringing 1971 Convention; and the Democratic Republic of the cocaine trafficking to all parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda notably in southern and western African countries. and Somalia are not yet parties to the They are also using a growing number of nationals of 1988 Convention. The United Republic of Tanzania is different African countries as drug couriers and smug- taking action to ensure its accession to the glers. Cocaine abuse is especially prevalent in southern 1971 Convention. The Board urges the States Africa, where, in cities such as Harare and concerned to participate in the international drug Johannesburg, the price of cocaine has fallen so control system by acceding to those treaties. 30 E/INCB/2000/1 Regional cooperation 192. The first meeting of ministers of the interior and the third meeting of the committee of police chiefs in 188. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) eastern Africa, organized in Khartoum in June 2000 by convened a third expert group meeting on drug control the Government of the Sudan in collaboration with in Algiers in February 2000 to monitor the Interpol, decided to gather and share information on implementation of the OAU plan of action on the drug trafficking and to hold meetings on a regular basis control of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Africa. to discuss trends in drug trafficking and operations The Board notes with appreciation that, in the plan of aimed at countering the problem. action agreed to by the first Africa-Europe summit, held under the aegis of OAU and the European Union 193. Countries in northern Africa participate in in Cairo in April 2000, the Governments involved activities of the Council of Arab Ministers of the expressed their commitment to the fight against illicit Interior related to drug control and crime prevention. drug trafficking, arms trade and terrorism in Africa. It 194. The third meeting of the inter-ministerial drug is hoped that those initiatives and the renewed political control coordinators of western Africa of the Economic commitment made by African Governments will lead Community of West African States (ECOWAS), held in to more prioritization of drug control by OAU and November 1999, proposed, inter alia, the creation of an African Governments. intergovernmental African group against money- 189. A number of subregional organizations have laundering. That proposal was officially adopted addressed the issues of drug control and the promotion during the ECOWAS Conference of Heads of State and of cooperation among States in Africa. The Common Government held in Lagos in December 1999. Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) 195. The Board notes the holding of the seminar on and the East African Community have developed a money-laundering organized under the auspices of the draft protocol on combating drug trafficking within Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in eastern Africa, modelled on a protocol developed by Dakar in July 2000 to sensitize and inform national the Southern African Development Community authorities and financial institutions throughout the (SADC) in order to establish an institutional subregion about money-laundering issues and to framework under the treaty of the East African accelerate the development and adoption of legislation Community, signed in 1999. and an institutional framework to support efforts to 190. The SADC regional drug control programme, fight money-laundering in the member States of the developed on the basis of the SADC protocol against West African Economic and Monetary Union. illicit drug trafficking, became operational, the 196. The Government of Egypt concluded a bilateral allocation of funds having taken place in early 2000. agreement with the Government of Pakistan on drug SADC activities include a project aimed at increasing control cooperation, strengthening an existing drug awareness and involving the mass media in agreement between the two Governments. Nigeria southern Africa, a study to assess the needs of law signed memoranda of understanding on drug control enforcement agencies with regard to sharing and with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian exchanging information on drug-related issues, and Federation. work to enhance coordination among the various national drug control bodies in the subregion. 197. The Board notes the planned establishment of an African international law enforcement academy in 191. In eastern Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Botswana, which will further law enforcement the United Republic of Tanzania are intensifying drug education and cooperation in the region. In Senegal, control cooperation between their police anti-narcotics the operational capacity of the national narcotics units through biannual meetings on information laboratory has been increased, making it a regional exchange for heads of criminal investigation training and reference centre for the identification and departments. That cooperation has already yielded testing of substances. positive results, such as joint operations involving Kenyan and Ugandan police aimed at curbing cannabis trafficking along their common border and a heroin seizure at the border between Rwanda and Uganda. 31 E/INCB/2000/1 National legislation, policy and action of the Government and the high priority accorded to drug control are reflected in the establishment of 198. The Board notes that in many countries drug laws committees on drugs and financial crime in the two and drug policies continue to be updated. Such action chambers of the parliament and the appointment of a has already led to encouraging results. senior special assistant to the President on drugs and 199. National drug control strategies have been financial crime. Existing legislation against money- adopted in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Kenya and laundering has been tightened, shifting the onus of Togo and are under preparation in the Central African proof to the accused in cases involving money- Republic, Madagascar and the United Republic of laundering. Tanzania. Mauritius is developing a package of 204. Rwanda, which is emerging from a long period of legislation that is needed to enable it to become party civil conflict, has started to build new infrastructure for to the 1988 Convention. In Egypt, the drafting of a law drug control. In 1999, the police formed a small anti- against money-laundering, initiated in 1998, is to be narcotics unit in Kigali; later that same year, the unit finalized soon. seized 4 kg of heroin without ever having received 200.