INDIA WILL SUPPORT OUR INCB CANDIDATE IF WE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 002172 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR INL/PC CHRISTINE CLINE, IO/T HEATHER VON BEHREN, SCA/INS, SCA/RA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR AORC PREL UN IN SUBJECT: INDIA WILL SUPPORT OUR INCB CANDIDATE IF WE SUPPORT THEIRS REF: STATE 47574 NEW DELHI 00002172 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) After PolCouns raised reftel points regarding the nomination of Ambassador Levitsky for re-election to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) on March 29, MEA Joint Secretary (UN Economic and Social) Manjeev Puri responded that India would be pleased to support the US candidate, provided the US supported a candidate India intended to nominate. ¶2. (SBU) On March 30, Deputy Secretary (UN Economic and Social) Prashant Pise followed up on this issue, sending to Poloff a note requesting USG support for Indian candidate RK Tewari, presently a member of India's Appellate Tribunal for Forfeiture of Properties. Poloff agreed to convey the GOI note to Department. ¶3. (SBU) Full text of the GOI note on Tewari's candidacy and Tewari's Curriculum Vitae follow: TEXT OF GOI NOTE -------------- The Government of India has nominated Mr. R.K. Tewari, presently Member of the Appellate Tribunal for Forfeiture of Properties and former Member of the Central Board of Excise and Customs, Ministry of Finance, as India's candidate for election to the International Narcotics Control Board for the term 2007-2012, elections for which will be held during the resumed organizational session of the Economic and Social Council in New York in May 2006. India is the sole producer of licit opium gum in the world and is supplying opiate raw materials to major opiate producing countries to meet the global demands for medicinal and scientific purposes. India is a Party to three Conventions (1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) and is fulfilling its international commitments for meeting the demands of opiate raw materials and preventing diversion and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. India's role as a producer and traditional supplier of licit opium to the international market and its excellent counter-narcotics measures have been appreciated by the International Narcotics Control Board in its reports. Mr.R.K. Tewari fulfills all the conditions and possesses the requisite qualifications for being elected as a Member of the INCB. Mr. Tewari has vast and varied experience in the field of licit opium cultivation and drug enforcement in various capacities. As a member of the Appellate Tribunal for Forfeited Property, he is associated with the hearing and disposal of appeals against the orders of forfeiture of properties of drug traffickers, smugglers and foreign exchange manipulators. Throughout his long tenure in this field, he has been closely associated with the continuously expanding work in this field at the international level. India believes that his vast knowledge and very substantial experience on the national and international drug scene would serve the interest of the INCB and the international community would gain from his experience and dedication to the cause of drug abuse control. A copy of the curriculum vitae of Mr. Tewari is enclosed. The Government of India would, therefore, appreciate the valuable support of the Government of the United States of America for the candidature of Mr. Tewari for election to the International Narcotics Control Board. END TEXT OF GOI NOTE TEXT OF TEWARI C.V. -------------- CURRICULUM VITAE Mr. Rama Kant Tewari (India) Name Tewari Rama Kant Nationality NEW DELHI 00002172 002.2 OF 003 Indian Date of birth 15th July 1945 Educational qualifications Master of Arts (Philosophy) Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) Present position (since 1 June 2005) As Member, Appellate Tribunal for Forfeiture of Properties, I hear and dispose of appeals against the orders of forfeiture of properties of drug traffickers, smugglers and foreign exchange manipulators under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act, 1985) and Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976. Past work experience (October 1968 to May 2005) I joined the Indian Customs and Central Excise Service in October 1968 and superannuated on 31 July 2005. During these years, I worked in the field of narcotics law enforcement for over 14 years (details in next section). I was given the Presidential Award in 1989 in recognition of my distinguished services rendered in anti-narcotics legislation. I last served as Member (P&V) and budget. My responsibilities in this capacity included personnel management of the! entire Indian Customs and Central Excise Service as well as working on the taxation of customs, excise and service tax which form the major source of revenue for the central government. Experience in narcotics law enforcement As Assistant Narcotics Commissioner and subsequently as Deputy Narcotics Commissioner when I was responsible for superintendence of licit opium cultivation and preventing diversion of opium in particular and also preventing illicit drug trafficking. As Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise, I was responsible, among other things, for anti-drug operations in Indo-Nepal border. As Director (Narcotics Control) in the Ministry of Finance: -I was closely associated with ! the drafting of the NDPS Act, 1985 as well as Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988. The latter is a preventive detention law, which permits the state to detain habitual drug offenders with a view to preventing them from trafficking drugs. -I formulated India's stand on the Draft UN Convention, 1988 and also participated in the Plenipotentiary Conference held in Vienna during November- December,1988. -I was closely involved in amending the NDPS Act, 1985 in 1989 to incorporate provisions relating to precursor control, asset forfeiture of drug traffickers and other India's obligations under the UN Convention, 1988. -I also participated in various international and regional meetings on narcotics law enforcement. As Deputy Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau, my job included ordering investigations into pre-export notifications/ authorization in respect of precursors as well as monitor trade in precursors. Consultancies National evaluator for the UNODC Regional Precursor Control Project for SAARC Countries in October 2003. The recommendations made in the evaluation report were unanimously approved in the Terminal Tripartite Review of the Project (November 2003) by the donors, the beneficiary countries and the project staff. As Consultant to the Regional Precursor Control Project in August 1998, made an in-depth study of the problems, existing legal and administrative arrangements for precursor control in Nepal. My report has been accepted by His Majesty's Government of Nepal. Publications The legislative scheme of pre-trial destruction or lawful NEW DELHI 00002172 003.2 OF 003 disposal of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in India (Bulletin on Narcotics Volume XLIV No. 1, 1992- The role of Law enforcement agencies in drug abuse control, UNDCP, Vienna) Paper on 'Money Laundering' for the UNDCP Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi. Co-authored the book 'Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Laws Of India' (Konark Publishers, 1989). International experience Participated as a delegate in the Ministerial Level International Conference on Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse held in Vienna, June 1987 Led an Indian delegation to the 10th Special Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Vienna, February ¶1988. Participated as Alternate Leader of the Indian Delegation to the UN Plenipotentiary Conference held in Vienna, November-December, 1988 to finalise UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988. Participated as a member of three-member Indian delegation in the second Inter-Regional HONLEA meeting held in Vienna, September , 1989. Participated as a Legal Expert from India in the first Expert Group Meeting on pre-trial destruction of seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances organized by the United Nations Division of Narcotic Drug at Vienna, 13-17 November ¶1989. Elected as Vice-Chairman of the Meeting. Led a three member team of observers from the Government of India to Bangkok to study and analyse the precursor control system in Thailand. The visit was organized by the UNDCP Regional Office for South Asia, New Delhi Participated in Chemical Diversion Conference organized by Drug Enforcement Administration of USA at Prague, Czcheckoslovakia, 11-14 February 1997. Participated as a resource person in the National Workshop on Precursor Control organized by the UNDCP Regional Office for South Asia at Colombo, Sri Lanka, 17-18 February, 1997. Worked as UN Consultant in Kathmandu (Nepal) to advise HMG Nepal on legislative, administrative and enforcement measures for precursor control, 17-31 August, 1998. Rapporteur in the workshop on 'Drugs and Precursor Control- Towards a Broader Perspective' organized by the UNDCP in New Delhi, 16 September, 1998. END TEXT OF TEWARI C.V. MULFORD