• Print
• Share

Update Report No. 2: Afghanistan

Update Report in Word Format • PDF Format

Expected Council Action
Council members are negotiating a draft resolution on Afghanistan which focuses on the trafficking of chemical precursors of heroin.

The draft prepared by France was first circulated to members on 3 June. Experts have met twice, on 4 June and 9 June. France is pushing for adoption of the resolution ahead of the 12 June international conference on Afghanistan to be held in Paris.

Background
The 2007 Afghanistan Opium Survey, published in August 2007 by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), reported that the 2007 production of 8200 tons of opium has resulted in Afghanistan becoming almost the exclusive supplier of opium worldwide. It also highlighted the link between opium cultivation and insurgency.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)’s 2007 annual report released on 5 March 2008 highlighted a major contributing factor—the ready availability of acetic anhydride in Afghanistan. (Acetic anhydride is the main chemical used in the manufacture of heroine. It is a controlled substance under the UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988.)

Officials from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan met in Tehran on 19 May 2008 as part of the “Triangular Initiative” brokered by UNODC. This initiative is aimed at improving trans-border cooperation in fighting drugs and crime. The three governments agreed to establish Border Liaison Offices on their borders to carry out joint operations targeted at the narcotics smuggling. They all also agreed to intensify the interdiction of precursor chemicals under Operation Tarcet (Targeted anti-Trafficking Regional Communication, Expertise and Training). This operation focuses on the smuggling of acetic anhydride in the region with UNODC providing training and equipment.

Addressing the Traffic of Chemical Precursors of Heroin in Afghanistan
The draft resolution recognises the efforts of neighbouring countries in addressing the impact of illicit drugs in Afghanistan, reiterates support for the fight against illicit trafficking of drugs from and chemical precursors to Afghanistan and recalls that counter-narcotics is a cross-cutting priority of the Afghan Compact. The draft resolution also:

• calls on member states to increase international and regional cooperation in monitoring international trade in chemical precursors, notably acetic anhydride, and prevent their diversion from licit international trade;
• urges member states, particularly Afghanistan, neighbouring countries, producing countries and those on trafficking routes to increase cooperation with INCB and to provide it with estimates of their legitimate requirements for chemical precursors, in accordance with resolution 49/3 of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. (Please see below for details of the relevant document.);
• requests members states to ask exporters (through the Secretary-General) to provide a systematic notification of all exports to their territories of chemical precursors in accordance with the 1988 Convention—(please see below for details of the relevant document)—and for governments to utilise the online exchange of pre-exports notifications system;
• calls for all member states, particularly Afghanistan, neighbouring countries, producing countries and those on trafficking routes to adopt adequate national legislation and strengthen national capacities for:
  • regulation and monitoring of chemical precursors manufacture and trade,
  • specialised enforcement operations against diversion of precursors, and
  • border controls;
• invites the international community to provide technical assistance and support in building national capacity in the above areas;
• reiterates support for international and regional initiatives such as the Paris Pact Initiative and the Second Ministerial Conference on Drug Trafficking Routes from Afghanistan held in Moscow in 2006—(please see below for details of these documents)—and Project Cohesion which is an international chemical control initiative created in October 2005;
• requests that the Secretary-General submit a report on the implementation of the resolution no later than nine months from its adoption, including further recommendations on strengthening regional and international cooperation on preventing the diversion and smuggling of chemical precursors to and within Afghanistan; and
• requests the Secretary-General appoint, within existing resources, a group of up to five independent experts to prepare the above report.

Council Dynamics
France has taken the lead on this resolution and has been working closely with Italy, the lead country on Afghanistan. The UK which leads on counter-terrorism has also been closely involved along with the US.

Initial responses from the wider Council membership suggest no major disagreement over the underlying issue of curbing the trafficking of precursors. However, a number of Council members have said they need more time to study the draft resolution given its technical nature.

France is arguing that the trafficking of precursors is a real weak link in the Afghanistan fight against drugs and believes it is timely to give the issue a higher profile. In their view, a Council resolution would reinforce efforts at the 12 June Paris conference on Afghanistan to put higher priority on the problem.

The main difference which seems to exist in the Council is between members who believe that a resolution is desirable and those who feel that a presidential statement would suffice. Some point out that the proposed resolution largely recalls existing obligations and that it is drafted in non binding language.

Some of the Non-Aligned Movement countries in the Council such as Indonesia, Vietnam and South Africa appear to prefer a presidential statement.

Afghanistan supports the idea of a resolution, but neighbouring countries like Pakistan are less comfortable, particularly with the suggestion of a future report from the Secretary-General.

UN Documents

Useful Additional Sources

• 2^nd Ministerial Meeting on Drug Trafficking Routes from Afghanistan, in Moscow, June 2006 (E/2007/28)
• Resolution 49/3 of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Strengthening Systems for the control of precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of synthetic drugs
• UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (as amended by the Protocol of 25 March 1972)
• UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988
• Afghanistan Opium Winter Rapid Assessment Survey, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, February 2008
• UNAMA’s website
• London Conference website containing the Afghanistan Compact

• Print
• Share

• Share or print this post