Mr. President,

I wish to thank France for convening this meeting of the Security Council. I also wish to thank the Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon for his statement and Executive Director of UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) Mr. Costa for his briefing.

Mr. President,

The 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1) emphasizes that drugs, transnational crime and terrorism have negative impacts on global development, peace, security and human rights, and calls for collective responses by the international community. In recent years, the international community has made unremitting efforts to prevent and combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, and has achieved positive results. However, at the same time, international terrorist activities, transnational organized crime and the production and trafficking of drugs have become interwoven and increasingly globalized, cartel-controlled, cyber-based and diversified.

The global fighting against drugs remains a daunting challenge. In some countries in conflict or in post-conflict situations, drug trafficking and related transnational organized crimes aggravate flows of illegal funds and weapons and turn into channels of financing for terrorist organizations, and thus jeopardize the social stability and economic development of these countries.

Mr. President,

Strengthening international cooperation on the basis of broad participation and shared responsibility is the most effective way to combat drug trafficking and related transnational crimes. It is precisely the undimished demand for drug consumption in some developed countries and the colossal profits involved that drive international drug cartels to unscrupulously organize the production and trafficking of drugs, while economically underdeveloped regions are most often the points of origin in drug production and of transit in drug trafficking. The international fight against drugs must control drugs in a more balanced way so as to reduce the demand for them and the harm they cause.

Mr. President,

Helping developing countries to develop their economies and generate jobs is the only approach that can address the drug problem at its roots. Drug trafficking and related transnational crimes often grow rampant in societies that are economically backward and impoverished. Some countries emerging from conflict are plagues with difficulties in economic development, youth unemployment and inadequate legal institutions, thereby becoming major victims of international drug trafficking.

Helping those developing countries to achieve economic development is particularly important to eliminating the root causes of drug trafficking and other crimes. The international community must help such countries to develop alternative economies, generate job opportunities, and improve people’s livelihoods so that they have other ways of earning a living and more awareness and capacity to resist the temptation to traffic drugs.

Mr. President,

The fight against drug trafficking and related transnational crimes involves efforts in social, development and many other areas, and needs national Governments, regional organizations and the United Nations agencies to fully exploit their respective advantages and expertise for the international cooperation to be effective. The primary responsibility lies with national Governments. International cooperation in this field must adhere to the principles of respect for sovereignty equal mutual benefit. Regional organizations should be mobilized and their frontline role brought fully into play.

At the international level, the United Nations should play a greater coordinating role. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Narcotics Control Board and other related international treaty bodies must continue to play a significant role in promoting international cooperation and in helping developing countries to enhance their capacities. We support United Nations operational bodies in continuing to address the problem of drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.

Mr. President,

The Security Council shoulders the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Therefore, it should focus its attention on issues that threaten international peace and security brought about by armed conflict. The Security Council can continue to pay attention to the fight against drug trafficking and related transnational organized crime from its own perspective, but the focus should be on the drug trafficking and related transnational organized crime faced by countries in conflict or in post-conflict situations, so as to help address the problem of armed conflict. Meanwhile, we hope that the Security Council’s deliberations on this issue will contribute to the global fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.