The war on illegal drug trafficking is a top priority of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov said in an interview with TASS this Friday, June 26, dubbed International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
“For the Shanghai Cooperation Organization this day has a special meaning. The fight against illicit trafficking has transformed into a priority activity of the SCO and its Charter reflects that,” the top official said.
A menacing trend
The issue of non-medical use of narcotics and psychotropic substances has become ever more pressing, the Secretary General said. According to the UN 2019 World Drug Report, people using drugs numbered over 270 mln in the 15-64 age group (5.5% of world population) which is 30% higher than in 2009. The number of opioid users alone grew 1.5 times in 2016 – 2017 totaling 53.4 mln people. The underground drug market’s revenues are estimated at approximately $320 bln. The alarming surge of the drug business and drug addiction seen over the recent years has adversely affected practically all spheres of society and government, undermining institutions, social norms, and particularly the gene pool of nations. The world today is open like never before with trade, economic and individual connections between countries, regions, organizations, and people circulating, so these opportunities are now used by transnational criminal networks dealing in illegal drug production, trafficking, and trade, the SCO chief pointed out. He added that the path to success in fighting the drug trade involves not only the increased effectiveness of law enforcement structures, but also a consolidation of nations’ diversified efforts by sharing their best practices, information, and harmonization of legislation, national strategies and approaches to solve this issue.
Cooperation
The Secretary General said that currently one can confidently state that the SCO is one of the most prominent regional organizations involved in anti-drug issues. “We have a common normative base and a flexible institutional cooperation foundation which encompasses absolutely all aspects of anti-drug policy, from intelligence gathering activities to the realization of a whole range of preventative, medical, and rehabilitation measures,” he emphasized.
A three-level mechanism of regular consultations by the relevant organizations implements the renewed SCO anti-drug strategy and its program. Due to their joint effort, up to 40% of illegally trafficked opioids have been seized throughout all of Eurasia.
The war on illegal drug trafficking is a top priority of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov said in an interview with TASS this Friday, June 26, dubbed International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
“For the Shanghai Cooperation Organization this day has a special meaning. The fight against illicit trafficking has transformed into a priority activity of the SCO and its Charter reflects that,” the top official said.
