For information
Rowdy Yates
UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE VIENNA (UNIS) For information only
- not an official document)
UNIS/SGSM/053
24 June 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
"No one should be stigmatized or discriminated against because of their
dependence on drugs"
Message on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking, 26 June 2008
VIENNA, 26 June (UN Information Service) -- Ten years ago, in response
to the seriousness of the world drug problem, Member States of the
United Nations convened a Special Session of the General Assembly, where
they committed themselves to a vigorous plan of action to reduce both
the supply and demand for drugs.
Today, drugs continue to destroy lives, generate crime and threaten
sustainable development. But we also have a better understanding of how
to confront drug abuse and trafficking. Policymakers can draw on a
growing body of evidence about drug dependence and drug-use trends.
International cooperation and technical assistance are improving law
enforcement capabilities. Increased development assistance is helping to
reduce poverty and the sale of illicit crops by giving farmers
sustainable alternatives. A stronger focus on prevention and treatment
is putting health at the centre of drug-control strategies and helping
to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS. And there is a growing consensus, both
within communities and among states, that drug control is a shared
responsibility in which we all play a part.
We still have much work to do to reduce our vulnerability to drugs.
States with weak criminal justice systems and limited law enforcement
capabilities need assistance to reduce illicit drug trafficking, which
spreads crime, corruption and instability, and which ultimately
endangers the successful realization of the Millennium Development
Goals.
As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, I remind all Member States of their responsibility to fully
respect the rights of prisoners who are drug dependent or are in custody
for drug-related crimes, especially their rights to life and a fair
trial. I also call on Member States to ensure that people who are
struggling with drug addiction be given equal access to health and
social services. No one should be stigmatized or discriminated against
because of their dependence on drugs.
The combined efforts over the past decade have greatly enhanced our
understanding of the drug problem worldwide and strengthened our
capacity and resolve to reduce the damage done by drugs to individuals,
their loved ones, to communities and states. On this International Day
Against Drug Abuse, let us each shoulder our responsibility to prevent
and reduce the damage that drugs do, and thereby build a healthier and
safer world.
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