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UN: Message on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficing
UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE VIENNA (UNIS) For information
only - not an official document)
UNIS/SGSM/053
24 June 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
"No one should be stigmatized or discriminated against because of
their dependence on drugs"
Message on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking, [/SIZE]
26 June 2008
VIENNA, 26 June (UN Information Service) -- Ten years ago, in
response to the seriousness of the world drug problem, Member States
of the United Nations convened a Special Session of the General
Assembly, where they committed themselves to a vigorous plan of
action to reduce both the supply and demand for drugs.
Today, drugs continue to destroy lives, generate crime and threaten
sustainable development. But we also have a better understanding of
how to confront drug abuse and trafficking. Policymakers can draw
on a growing body of evidence about drug dependence and drug-use
trends. International cooperation and technical assistance are
improving law enforcement capabilities. Increased development
assistance is helping to reduce poverty and the sale of illicit
crops by giving farmers sustainable alternatives. A stronger focus
on prevention and treatment is putting health at the centre of drug-
control strategies and helping to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS. And
there is a growing consensus, both within communities and among
states, that drug control is a shared responsibility in which we all
play a part.
We still have much work to do to reduce our vulnerability to drugs.
States with weak criminal justice systems and limited law
enforcement capabilities need assistance to reduce illicit drug
trafficking, which spreads crime, corruption and instability, and
which ultimately endangers the successful realization of the
Millennium Development Goals.
As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, I remind all Member States of their responsibility to
fully respect the rights of prisoners who are drug dependent or are
in custody for drug-related crimes, especially their rights to life
and a fair trial. I also call on Member States to ensure that people
who are struggling with drug addiction be given equal access to
health and social services. No one should be stigmatized or
discriminated against because of their dependence on drugs.
The combined efforts over the past decade have greatly enhanced our
understanding of the drug problem worldwide and strengthened our
capacity and resolve to reduce the damage done by drugs to
individuals, their loved ones, to communities and states. On this
International Day Against Drug Abuse, let us each shoulder our
responsibility to prevent and reduce the damage that drugs do, and
thereby build a healthier and safer world.
UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE VIENNA (UNIS) For information
only - not an official document)
UNIS/SGSM/053
24 June 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
"No one should be stigmatized or discriminated against because of
their dependence on drugs"
Message on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking, [/SIZE]
26 June 2008
VIENNA, 26 June (UN Information Service) -- Ten years ago, in
response to the seriousness of the world drug problem, Member States
of the United Nations convened a Special Session of the General
Assembly, where they committed themselves to a vigorous plan of
action to reduce both the supply and demand for drugs.
Today, drugs continue to destroy lives, generate crime and threaten
sustainable development. But we also have a better understanding of
how to confront drug abuse and trafficking. Policymakers can draw
on a growing body of evidence about drug dependence and drug-use
trends. International cooperation and technical assistance are
improving law enforcement capabilities. Increased development
assistance is helping to reduce poverty and the sale of illicit
crops by giving farmers sustainable alternatives. A stronger focus
on prevention and treatment is putting health at the centre of drug-
control strategies and helping to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS. And
there is a growing consensus, both within communities and among
states, that drug control is a shared responsibility in which we all
play a part.
We still have much work to do to reduce our vulnerability to drugs.
States with weak criminal justice systems and limited law
enforcement capabilities need assistance to reduce illicit drug
trafficking, which spreads crime, corruption and instability, and
which ultimately endangers the successful realization of the
Millennium Development Goals.
As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, I remind all Member States of their responsibility to
fully respect the rights of prisoners who are drug dependent or are
in custody for drug-related crimes, especially their rights to life
and a fair trial. I also call on Member States to ensure that people
who are struggling with drug addiction be given equal access to
health and social services. No one should be stigmatized or
discriminated against because of their dependence on drugs.
The combined efforts over the past decade have greatly enhanced our
understanding of the drug problem worldwide and strengthened our
capacity and resolve to reduce the damage done by drugs to
individuals, their loved ones, to communities and states. On this
International Day Against Drug Abuse, let us each shoulder our
responsibility to prevent and reduce the damage that drugs do, and
thereby build a healthier and safer world.
