Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08UNVIEVIENNA579
2008-10-31 10:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
UNVIE
Cable title:  

UNGASS WORKING GROUPS DEMAND REDUCTION ANND CONTROL OF

Tags:  SNAR KCOR PGOV AORC UNCND 
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INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1379
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0848
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ OCT MOSCOW 0781
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0099
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0179
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 0042
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0132
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0200
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0876
RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000579 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCOR PGOV AORC UNCND
SUBJECT: UNGASS WORKING GROUPS DEMAND REDUCTION ANND CONTROL OF
PRECURSORS AND AMPHETAMINE-TYPE STIMULANTS.

SUMMARY:

UNCLAS UNVIE VIENNA 000579

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCOR PGOV AORC UNCND
SUBJECT: UNGASS WORKING GROUPS DEMAND REDUCTION ANND CONTROL OF
PRECURSORS AND AMPHETAMINE-TYPE STIMULANTS.

SUMMARY:


1. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) convened the last two
of five Intergovernmental Working Groups (WG) to review progress
achieved since the 1998 UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS)
on Drugs. These two most recent working groups approved
recommendations in the areas of (1) Demand Reduction (September
15-17),and control of precursor and of amphetamine-type
stimulants (September 17-19). The recommendations included
proposals put forth by the U.S. delegation to advance drug control
objectives and reaffirmed the 3 UN Drug Control Conventions and the
commitments contained within the 1998 UNGASS Political Declaration
and accompanying Action Plans.


2. Chaired by Swiss Counselor David Best, the Working Group on
Demand Reduction, reviewed successes, limitations and the "way
forward" on implementing the 1998 UNGASS commitments on demand
reduction. The USDEL prevented direct endorsement of so-called
"harm reduction" policies and practices. Mexico chaired the final
working group on precursor chemicals and amphetamine type stimulants
and their precursors. This meeting was the most technical of the
five working groups and most of the issues were discussed by experts
with little politicization. Most delegates spoke about the need to
further implement the 1988 Convention and the UNGASS action plan,
with particular emphasis on the challenges of substitute chemicals
and increasing communication and data exchange on precursor chemical
flows and seizure trends. The final documents will be the basis for
the 2009 Political Declaration to be adopted by the High-Level
Segment of the March 2009 UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).


Working Group on Demand Reduction
-------------- --------------


3. During the UNODC-hosted intergovernmental Working Group on Demand
Reduction (September 15-17),USDEL gained support for advancing
effective demand reduction policies and programs. The final
conclusions included an endorsement of comprehensive and sustainable
evidence-based programs and support for treatment programs that
work, key USG objectives.

4. The WG conclusions include a key USG objective to ensure a
greater understanding of substance abuse, dependence and addiction

through awareness programs, and mainstreaming use of screening
approaches. This language further advanced a US initiative on
screening and brief intervention treatment (SBRT) that was included
in a resolution adopted at last year's Commission on Narcotic Drugs
(CND). USDEL also advanced the importance of data collection
systems that provide current, comprehensive drug use and
epidemiologic data, as well as the provision of effective drug
treatment programs in jails and prisons for individuals with drug
dependence treatment. The Working Group endorsed both of these
concepts in the session's final conclusions. USDEL also inserted
reference in the Working Group's final Report on the concept of drug
courts as alternatives to incarceration of drug-related offenses.
(The USDEL also submitted a conference room paper on all USG
objectives.)


5. A number of delegates sought to include the term "harm
reduction" in the final conclusions. Specifically, the United
Kingdom (UK),the Netherlands, Romania and New Zealand strongly
advocated "harm reduction" as a new "third pillar" to the
counter-drug paradigm of supply and demand reduction. Saudi Arabia,
Russia, Japan and Indonesia joined USDEL in blocking any references
to harm reduction. Sweden proved to be a key ally in this regard.
Despite constraints by an EU Counter-drug Action Plan that endorses
"harm reduction," Sweden spoke out strongly against its reference as
a "third pillar" and mentioned privately its similarities with the
U.S. position on demand reduction. Tunisia, Algeria, Iran, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt and Cuba were vocal in their opposition of this issue.



6. Instead, USDEL emphasized the need for comprehensive and
sustainable evidence-based demand reduction programs. There was
strong support that such programs should be integrated into local
communities and aimed to prevent the use of drugs and reduce the
adverse consequences of drug abuse, including HIV/AIDS.


7. A number of European delegates sought to highlight the "rights"
of drug users to further define the "harm reduction" agenda.
Russia, and Algeria, Egypt, and others again expressed concerns
about the broad issue of harm reduction. Many of the delegates who
sought to block USG initiatives in the other five groups supported
our efforts to oppose this language. Specifically, Cuba and Egypt,
as well as Japan, Algeria, Tunisia, and others supported USDEL
efforts to deflect EU language on the human rights of drug users, as
well as efforts to endorse a "right to health" and address issues
(such as alcohol and tobacco) within the purview of the World Health
Organization (WHO). USDEL further removed language from the
conclusions document that promoted the idea of a new legal
instrument for demand reduction. It remains unclear whether this
proposal emanated from a Member State or rather was pushed by a
non-governmental organization (NGO).


8. Efforts by the United Kingdom and other European Union Member
States were well organized and, several countries included NGOs on
their delegation. The UK, in particular, allowed the NGO
representatives to speak on behalf of their government and to
advocate for increased NGO involvement in the UN-context, the need
to take into account human rights for drug users and to support drug
user advocate groups (COMMENT: We expect that the UK will seek to
re-introduce its language on "harm reduction" and access to opioid
substances during the negotiations for the Political Declaration to
be adopted at the high-level segment of the UN Commission on
Narcotic Drugs. END COMMENT).

9. USDEL ensured that references to the availability of opioid
substances for medical pain management remained in the context of
drug demand reduction and recognized the importance of proper
controls, in line with the international drug control treaties. In
contrast, the UK sought explicit reference to increased access to
opiates for medical use in pain relief and for mental disorders.
USDEL, supported by Egypt, successfully argued that the UK language
fell outside the scope of the Working Group's mandate.
Bolivia and the Conventions

10. Working Group Chairman David Best's efficient, fair-minded
approach was helpful in a meeting that was fraught with divisions
regarding demand reduction approaches. Moreover, the Bolivian
delegation made a statement--similar to past interventions in
previous UN settings--regarding the need to remove coca from the
list of substances controlled by the UN drug control treaties.
Bolivia also called for an INCB study on the discrepancies to the
schedules of the conventions and on the licit uses of coca.
However, the chair shut down Bolivia's attempt to hijack the agenda
of the meeting each time, and indicated that these issues were not
the purview of the meeting. Several other delegates including
Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Egypt also voiced opposition to the
Bolivian interventions and highlighted that state parties to the
conventions did not have the option to decide whether to implement
their provisions.
Precursor and Amphetamine-Type Stimulants and their Precursors
-------------- --------------
--------------

11. The last UNGASS UNODC-hosted intergovernmental Working Group on
precursor and ATS (September 17-19) was chaired by the Vienna-based
Mexican DCM Ulises Canchola Gutierrez (Mexico). The final
conclusions adopted by the WG included all of the five USG
objectives, and with minimum controversy. These key points included
promoting greater compliance with CND Resolution 49/3 that invites
States to share legitimate commercial requirements for the most
common methamphetamine precursor chemicals; targeting use of
substitute chemicals in the production of (ATS); promoting control
of machines and equipment necessary for production of amphetamine
Type Stimulants (ATS) production-as recommended in Article 13 of the
1988 UN Convention; increasing cooperation between industry and
governments through promotion of international best practices, and
development of an international code of conduct for industry-as
called for in the 1998 UNGASS commitments; and highlighting the role
of the INCB in facilitating multinational law enforcement
cooperation targeting precursor chemicals. The USG submitted an
interagency-agreed paper as a conference room paper.

The Players:

12. The precursor chemical/ATS WG focused on the technical subject
matter and there was little attempt to politicize the discussions,
as in the previous WG meetings. Member States that had previously

sought to emphasize differences, such as Bolivia, Honduras, and
Algeria, instead emphasized the need for increased cooperation to
prevent diversion of precursor chemicals. The key players in this
meeting were also different than the previous four WGs. Sub-Sahara
African countries sent technical experts who were surprisingly
candid about their challenges. These African delegations focused on
the need for funding and equipment, as well as training and capacity
building. The Brazilian delegate requested assistance from the INCB
in encouraging governments (including their own) to develop
interagency coordination mechanisms between administrative and law
enforcement authorities. The European Commission (EC) delegation,
as the competent authority for EU member States, supported many of
the USG positions and coordinated closely with the United States
prior to the meeting. Notably absent for most of the meeting were
the delegates from Egypt, Cuba, and Iran-although they did show for
the adoption of the conclusions.

UNODC versus INCB


13. Rivalry between UNODC and the INCB for leadership in
coordinating chemical control was one theme that emerged during the
review of the UNODC documents. The UNODC paper prepared for the
Working Group omitted any references to the current prominent role
of INCB in collecting data, promoting coordination and sharing of
data in support of operational activities. The first draft of the
conclusions (drafted by UNODC) called for the establishment of a new
"coordinating donor mechanism" for precursor control without mention
of the current efforts of INCB in collecting data, establishing a
clearing house, setting up a special surveillance list for
non-controlled substances and/or support to operations. In
contrast, most Member States emphasized these issues and implored
others to increase support to INCB. INCB received strong support in
the final draft and the references to the creation of new mechanisms
were also watered down to ask Member States to step up efforts to
advance existing efforts. Member States also voiced strong support
for INCB's role in facilitating international law enforcement
cooperation to prevent precursor chemical smuggling, and urged the
INCB to continue to serve this vital role.

ATS:

14. Mexico outlined its national successes in controlling
methamphetamine production through the banning of ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine. While many praised Mexico and other Central
American states for their bold action to limit the diversion of
these chemicals, there was no consensus to pursue a blanket ban due
to the legitimate commercial requirements for these substances.
Russia raised the issue of non-scheduled chemicals as new precursor
for the production of ATS and the need to update schedule I and II
in article to include substitute chemicals. In response, the USDEL
also noted that the problem of substitute chemicals required
frequent updating of the "limited special surveillance list," to
target substitute chemicals. The USDEL also recognized that the
1988 UN Convention already includes a process to include new or
change the scheduling of precursor chemicals as necessary. The
final conclusions included recommendations to target the problem of
substitute chemicals, as well as other emerging trends, through
analysis, data sharing, increased domestic legislation and support
to UNODC and the INCB.


15. The Russian delegate also suggested that some chemicals used in
the production of heroin and cocaine could be "marked" at the point
of manufacture (by adding identifiable agents to enable tracing) in
order to assist in backtracking investigations. Several Member
States including the USDEL and the EC opposed it. The final
conclusions only notes that the practice of "marking" certain
chemical shipments merits possible consideration, but also notes
that any possible use of markers must also take into account the
potential burden posed to authorities and industry.


16. France underscored the need for increased cooperation with the
pharmaceutical industry. The EU noted that the INCB plans to
develop a code of conduct for use by industries involved in the
production, transport and storage of precursor chemicals to increase
cooperation-as called for by the UNGASS commitments. Russia
underscored the importance of this "code of conduct," as did the
USDEL. Other delegations joined in supporting USDEL language
encouraging the development and implementation of the code of

conduct.

Side Meeting on Drug Use and HIV


17. On the morning of Thursday, September 18, UNODC hosted a
meeting for leading bilateral and multilateral donors to discuss
interest in holding a regular donor meeting on Drug Use and HIV.
Participants included representation from UNODC, UNAIDS, WHO, INCB,
World Bank, Global Fund, Netherlands, United Kingdom (chair for the
meeting),Germany, Australia, Italy, Canada and United States. The
participating parties agreed to meet regularly to discuss best
practices and coordinate activities around Drug Use and HIV, and
larger, private donors would be invited to participate as well
(e.g., Clinton Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
Plans were made to meet in February 2009 around the margins of a
Dutch-led HIV donor meeting. The purpose of this gathering would be
to finalize plans for this group and to develop an action agenda.
Dutch representation would chair and host the meeting.
SCHULTE