ISM 3 Non-paper one

The attached draft text is being circulated at the request of the Government of Colombia in advance of the third informal inter-sessional meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs acting as preparatory body for the special session of the General Assembly on international drug control in order to contribute to the preparations for that meeting.

Non-paper

Colombian Proposal

PREPARATIONS FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEVOTED TO THE COMBAT AGAINST THE ILLICIT PRODUCTION, SALE, DEMAND, TRAFFIC AND DISTRIBUTION OF NARCOTIC DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES AND RELATED ACTIVITIES AND TO PROPOSE NEW STRATEGIES, METHODS, PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES AND SPECIFIC MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING

DRAFT UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON STRENGTHENING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMS AND PROJECTS

The General Assembly,

p.p.1 Bearing in mind that its resolution 51/64 decided that this special session should be devoted, among other matters, to examining the fight against the illicit production of narocitc drugs and psychotropic substances and proposing new strategies, methods, practical activities and specific measures to strenghten international cooperation for addressing the problem of illicit drugs;

p.p.2 Taking into consideration that one of the objectives of this General Assembly Special Session is to encourage international cooperation for developing illicit crop eradication programs and promoting alternative development programs;

p.p.3 Recognizing that the problem of the illicit production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and its relationship to socio-economic development requires close cooperation among the States, the United Nations competent organs and international financial institutions;

p.p.4 Aware that to achieve maximum effectiveness in the fight against drug abuse, a balanced approach should be maintained, by allocating appropriate resources to initiatives that include reducing both illicit demand and supply;

p.p.5 Encouraged by its purpose of promoting international cooperation for supporting alternative development programs and projects aimed at consolidating self-sustainable production systems and economic, social and environmental processes to benefit communities affected by illicit crops, in the framework of an effectively comprehensive and sustained solution to the problem of illicit drugs;

Decides to adopt the following United Nations Declaration on Strengthening International Cooperation for Alternative Development Programs and Projects,

o.p.1 Reaffirms that alternative development, within the comprehensive fremework of the global strategy against illicit drugs that has guided the work of the United Nations, is the appropiate economic and social component for reducing illicit drug production.

o.p.2 Considers Alternative Development as a tool devoted to generate and promote lawful and sustainable socio-economic options for those peasant and indigenous communities that have resorted to illicit crops as a means of support.

o.p.3 Reiterates that international cooperation continues to be of fundamental importance for strengthening alternative development programs and projects, within the United Nations objective of achieving an effectively comprehensive and sustainable solution to the illicit drug problem.

o.p.4 Underscores the importance that civil society, Non Governmental Organizations and the private economic sector to join together and participate closely in implementing alternative development programs and projects.

o.p.5 Encourages the UNDCP to continue playing its role of catalyzing agent with respect to international financial institutions, and assist governments interested in applying to those institutions, and assist governments interested in applying to those institutions for financing their alternative development programs and projects.

o.p.6 Requests the UNDCP to continue providing technical and financial assistance to governments in conducting alternative development programs and to intensify its efforts to obtain additional financial resources by requesting voluntary contributions from governments.

o.p.7 Requests the Executive Director of the UNDCP to design a mechanism for the Program's Fund to receive, in the government's voluntary contributions, a precentage of the seized proceeds of the illicit drug traffic and related activities, to support alternative development programs and report to the Commission on narcotic Drugs at its 42nd session for its consideration.

o.p.8 Promotes the following objectives of alternative development programs and projects and of international cooperation for that purpose, that are aimend at enhancing the effectiveness of the common effort to reduce the illicit production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances:

(a) Alternative development, having endorsed the objectives of comprehensive rural development but focussed o the peasant communities and regions affected by illicit cultivation and production, should be consistent in its implementation with national development policies.

(b) Alternative development programs and international cooperation for that purpose should, within the general context of sustainable development, take into consideration the particular economic, social and cultural characteristics of the communities affected by the illicit production of drugs.

(c) Alternative development should contribute to create sustainable social and economic opportunities that will increase the welfare of the small peasant and indigenous farmers affected by illicit cultivation and production.

(d) The national institutions responsible for alterantive development shall promote the participation of the affected communities in the formulation and implementation of projects.

(e) Alternative development programs should contribute to promote democratic values, to encourage community participation, to develop a civic culture of rejection toward illicit crops and recovery of social conduct based on adherence to law.

(f) Institutional strenghtening at the regional and local level should be considered to be a factor that will improve the participation of the communities involved in the activities promoted by alternative development.

(g) Improved road, services and production infrastructure as well as technology transfer should be among the collective benefits that encourage peasant and indigenous communities to abandon illicit crops.

(h) Alternative development programs and projects should take into account sustainable development criteria and should contribute to avoid the implacement of illicit crops, even to ecological fragile areas.

(i) International cooperation should help alternative development programs and projects to reach the goal of sustainability in the medium and long term.

o.p9 Requests the agencies of the United Natins system, particularly FAO and UNIDO, to cooperate within their sphere of competence by supporting agroindustrial development and transferring technology toward the regions and communities that are targets of alternative development programs and projects.

o.p.10 Recommends that the governments that are executing alternative developmnt stategies implement follow-up and evaluation systems that would enable them to monitor the qualitative and quantitative development of these programs and to share their experience with the other governments, the UNDCP and the INCB.