(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Vienna: The State of Qatar underlined the need to address the root causes of the global drug problem and not just address its manifestations, in light of the expansion and diversity of drug types and markets, especially synthetic drugs, and the 23 percent increase in drug abuse over the past decade.
This came in a statement delivered by Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the federal Republic of Austria and its Permanent Representative to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna HE Jassim Yacoub Al Hammadi, before the high-level segment of the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), currently being held in Vienna.
His Excellency called on the international community to set implementable goals, within specific time frames, to achieve progress in reducing the supply and demand for drugs and enhance international cooperation.
He said that the global drug problem is not an isolated phenomenon from other criminal activities, especially corruption crimes and other forms of organized crime, on top of which is cybercrime, which has witnessed a significant expansion in the use of the Internet for drug trade, and the crime of money laundering, especially drug trade money, which requires more efforts to uncover the links between these crimes and break the supply chains.
His Excellency stressed the need to prioritize prevention strategies, starting from the family, school, and local community, up to the level of state institutions, civil society, academic institutions, and the media, noting the importance of strengthening international cooperation, technical assistance, and building the capacities of developing countries. He pointed out that combating drugs and achieving the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development go hand in hand and reinforce each other.
His Excellency expressed the State of Qatar's deep gratitude for the pivotal role played by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and the International Narcotics Control Board, being the United Nations bodies entrusted with the primary responsibility for combating drugs, calling for strengthening their role and capabilities in providing technical support to member states.
He explained that the global drug problem undermines sustainable development efforts, disturbs the balance of societies, and the security and economy of countries, and threatens international stability and security. Unfortunately, the joint efforts are still falling short of containing this epidemic, as indicated by the World Drug Report for 2023 issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, His Excellency added.
He also considered that the legalization of some types of drugs is one of the main challenges facing the process of tackling the global drug problem, calling for a reconsideration of legalizing the use of cannabis for purposes other than scientific and medical, since this legalization was based on false perceptions about the harms of cannabis use. Reports by the International Narcotics Control Board and numerous reliable medical and scientific institutions revealed that legalizing cannabis use has serious immediate and long-term health implication on users and on society in general, he added.
His Excellency touched on the State of Qatar's honoring of its pledges in the three drug control conventions, in the ministerial declarations, and in the action plans for the years 2009, 2014 and 2019, as well as in the final declaration of the special session of the General Assembly for the year 2016.
In addition to law enforcement efforts and tightening control over ports of entry, the State of Qatar gives high priority to preventive policies and programs to fortify society, especially the youth, through education, awareness and warning against falling into the clutches of this scourge, He said stressing that the State of Qatar is proud of its national record in protecting its people from drug scourge.
Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Federal Republic of Austria and its Permanent Representative to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna HE Jassim Yacoub Al Hammadi also stressed the commitment of the State of Qatar to bilateral, as well as multilateral cooperation to combat illicit drug trafficking and its participation in the international coalition to combat the dangers of synthetic drugs, noting that it is currently finalizing an agreement to finance a drug control program in the Kyrgyz Republic for the years 2024-2025, implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
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