UNITED NATIONS: SPEECH OF THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY ON THE ERADICATION STRATEGIES

delivered by Marina Sikora

for the Transnational Radical Party

Vienna, December 4, 1997

Mr. Chairman,

The Transnational Radical Party takes note of the fact that crop eradication strategies can no longer be politically accepted without the combination of alternative development strategies. This could be the sign of a new improved attention and respect for social as well as environmental problems that massive crop eradication caused in the recent past mainly in developing countries, without obtaining the results expected.

On the other hand we are of the opinion that serious and effective development policies should be driven by other criteria and guidelines rather than the highly repressive principles which inspire the so-called "war on drugs".

In the Colombian proposal it is said that " [...] 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". This is probably true, but we would rather prefer that infrastructures, or technological, agricultural or any other types of policies - that affect the social and economic life of a country - should be coordinated according to its real needs, rather than to its diligent obedience the "diktat" of the crop eradication illusion.

In another paragraph of the draft proposal it is said that " [...] alternative development programs should contribute to promote democratic values". This good intention is really too hard to believe for us if we take into consideration the Afghani example. Talibans, the group with which the UNDCP will have to implement the crop eradication program in Afghanistan.

Regarding this particular UNDCP program, it seems clear to us that cooperation on crop eradication does not necessarily pay particular attention to the system of government and the way in which human rights are enforced in the region where they are planned.

In fact, according to the very enthusiastic reply that the Talibans given to Mr. Arlacchi's plan, it is clear that the UNDCP crop eradication program will be carried out in tight collaboration in one of the most unjust, cruel, violent and discriminatory context in the world.

The Transnational Radical Party calls on liberal and progressive governments, especially those that have always considered human rights a significant part of their political agenda - and in particular to major voluntary contributors of UNDPC, like Italy - and on other NGOs particularly on those who are supporting and advocating developing countries and sustainable development to stop this project that will give money to an extremely violent group that cannot offer any serious guarantee on the actual implementation of the project itself.

The prohibitionist illusion of erasing drugs from the face of the earth, which inspires crop eradication programs, will never "contribute to promote democratic values". It can become, on the other hand, an easy way for totalitarian, authoritarian and illiberal regimes to enrich themselves.

Which could be the effects of the "Talibans' financing program"? We believe that one possible concrete consequence could be the moving of poppy seeds cultivation to new territories, without effectively affecting, in a long term, the availability of heroin in the consumption markets. Moreover, another even more dangerous consequence could be the "ratification", made through an UN body, of the principle that you can mistreat, segregate and oppress a population, receiving at the same time money from the international community, for the sake of the so-called war on drugs.

In conclusion Mr. Chairman,

the total ineffectiveness of crop eradication programs, along with the compromise with criminal regimes that it can eventually involve, make the Transnational Radical Party respectfully suggest to this august Assembly the abandonment of the renewal in the commitment on crop eradication in occasion of the next year special session of the General Assembly. Thank you.