RIA Novosti hosted an international anti-drugs forum from June 9-10. Below is the forum participants’ final statement given by Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service during a Moscow-Washington video linkup on Thursday.
The final statement can be read below:
Final statement of the International forum “Drug production in Afghanistan: A challenge to the International Community”
(Moscow, June 9-10, 2010)
The forum’s delegates, comprising representatives of states, international and regional organizations, representatives of civil society institutions, academic and business communities, praise the initiative taken by the Russian Federation in organizing this event and express satisfaction with its results which are in line with the international community’s efforts to combat the illegal Afghan drugs trade.
The delegates also:
Recognized the interdependent nature of challenges in Afghanistan and the region, the delegates also stressed the importance of continued international efforts in building a stable, peaceful, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan.
Noted that such assistance should be comprehensive with Afghanistan taking the lead, the UN playing a central role and in strict compliance with the UN Charter:
Noted that the volume of the Afghan drug trade and the nexus between narcotics trafficking and terrorism challenges international peace and security, and that the cultivation and production of narcotics finance terrorist activity in Afghanistan and further afield;
Recognized the significance of assistance rendered by the international community, international and regional organizations as well as non-governmental organizations and other civil-society institutions to the government of Afghanistan towards reducing drug production, including through implementing programs to: create alternative income sources for Afghan farms, expand regional agricultural produce sales markets, boost security and judicial bodies, strengthen control over the narcotics trade, eliminate the drug infrastructure, reducing both the demand for and consumption of illegal drugs.
The delegates, therefore, issue the following statement:
We call on all interested UN member states, international and regional organizations, public-political and non-governmental organizations, as well as other civil society institutions, to implement coordinated strategies combating the illegal drugs both in Afghanistan and in the region in strict compliance with UN resolutions and the recommendations made by international and regional forums.
We take note of the range of measures as proposed by the Russian Federation and other forum participants aiming to eliminate the Afghan production of illegal drugs, namely: to see increased UN consideration of how to counter the international threat posed by illegal drugs, particularly those grown in Afghanistan; to achieve the coordinated implementation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s economic development programs; to destroy drug crops and simultaneously implement alternative-development programs; to improve the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF)’s involvement in combating the Afghan illegal narcotics infrastructure; to expand cooperation between regional security agencies, including exchanging information on the illegal drugs trade, and the trade in precursors for drugs; and the subsequent training of personnel for anti-drug duties in Afghanistan and other regional states.
We advocate more effective programs in rendering assistance, including financial assistance, to the Afghan government, in monitoring the illegal drugs trade, the drafting of plans for practical cooperation between international and regional organizations involved in the struggle against the cultivation and production of narcotic drugs and their trade in this country and the region.
We stress the need for stronger international and regional cooperation in countering the threat posed by illegal drugs, primarily that emanating from the territory of Afghanistan.
We believe that streamlined and regular dialogue between interested states, international, regional and non-governmental organizations and other civil society institutions as regards joint efforts to counter the illegal production of Afghan narcotic drugs, their trade and consumption can effectively supplement existing international approaches to combating the production and trade of illegal drugs in Afghanistan.
MOSCOW, June 24 (RIA Novosti)
