Turkmenistan Publishes 2006-2010 Counternarcotics Plan

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001022 SIPDIS SENSITIVE, SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY),INL/AAE (CARROL) TASHKENT FOR CORTINOVIS ALMATY FOR WALDO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PREL PINR PGOV PBTS TX SUBJECT: Turkmenistan Publishes 2006-2010 Counternarcotics Plan Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Turkmenistan's new national counternarcotics plan is a matrix of 48 measures with assigned implementers (government ministries and agencies) and program durations. It is short on detail, but will prove helpful for initiating new INL programs and other U.S. government-sponsored counternarcotics and substance abuse initiatives. More than 60% of the objectives are holdovers from the previous plan, which failed to achieve goals on money laundering, combating drug addiction and establishing drug registries. However, the plan demonstrates progress, as the government is now admitting the need to address substance abuse. End Summary. Putting the Plan Together -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On April 24, a presidential decree proclaimed the establishment of a national counternarcotics plan, the "National Program on Fighting Illegal Drug Trafficking and Assistance to Drug and Psychotropic Substance Addicts for 2006 - 2010." Embassy immediately requested a copy of the plan, but later learned that the plan had not been completed. Finally, on August 31, embassy received the counternarcotics plan, which consists of 48 different "measures." Plan implementation was assigned to numerous law enforcement ministries, the health ministry and a potpourri of other government agencies. Specific responsibilities were not published. Plan Highlights -------------- ¶3. (U) Highlights of the new plan include: -- Regional cooperation on counternarcotics issues; -- Prevention, research and treatment of drug addiction as well as HIV/AIDS victims; -- Prevention and suppression of drug-related crimes among youth; -- Enhanced technology-based border security; -- Preparation of training materials for law enforcement agencies on organized crime, terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering; -- Conducting surveys on the spread of drug use and HIV/AIDS among the population, and especially the young; -- Creation of "hot lines" for drug users; and -- Commemoration of special days such as "Combat AIDS Day" and "Combat Drugs Day." Where the Plan Addresses INL Programs -------------- ¶4. (U) The plan also incorporates some new objectives which use on-going and future International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) programs, such as: -- Improving the technical capabilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' national forensic laboratory, and training the national forensic laboratory personnel in modern forensic examination techniques (U.S. Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) - Forensic Laboratory Support Program); -- Developing and adopting legislation on money laundering; -- Promoting the involvement of public associations in drug addiction prevention activities; engaging youth in sports and socially useful activities (Drug Demand Reduction Program); -- Arranging roundtables with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organizations and diplomatic missions accredited in Turkmenistan to discuss the status of the programs proposed in the ASHGABAT 00001022 002 OF 002 plan (INL-funded UNODC programs on the Afghan border); and -- Implementation of programs and projects proposed by the U.S. Government and other foreign countries. Something Old, Something New? -------------- ¶5. (SBU) More than 60% of the activities listed in the new plan are carried over from the previous 2001-2005 national counternarcotics plan. Many of these holdovers are generic in description, and it consequently is difficult to ascertain how much has been accomplished. One major accomplishment, however, was the October 2004 adoption of the National Law on Drugs, which addressed the storage and destruction of drugs and psychotropic substances, precursor control and controlled deliveries. ¶6. (SBU) There are some significant actions which the old program failed to accomplish and which were repeated in the new plan. For example, the creation of special units to combat money laundering was delayed to 2007. The goalposts for activities such as the establishment of clinics for the compulsory treatment of drug-addicted women and familiarization with international practices for rehabilitating drug addicts was shifted from 2002 to 2007-2008. The creation of a state registry of recipient agencies for drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors has been shifted from 2001 to ¶2006. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Security and law enforcement cooperation continue to be the one area of the three-pronged program of engagement (promotion of security, economic development, democracy/human rights) with the government for which the embassy receives consistent governmental cooperation. It was encouraging to see that the government openly admitted the need to address substance abuse, an area of engagement the embassy has pushed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the need for a national law on money laundering and greater dialogue with the international community on narcotics. Although security engagement is apparently moving forward, it is lopsided, and not a substitute for meaningful engagement in human rights. End Comment. BRUSH