ID :
135958
Tue, 08/03/2010 - 14:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/135958
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ECO anti-drug chiefs meet in Tehran
TEHRAN, August 3 (MNA) – The first meeting of the anti-drug police chiefs of countries member to the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) kicked off in Tehran on Monday.
Representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also attended the two-day conference to discuss ways to deal with the rising threats of illicit drugs in the region.
Iranian National Police Chief Esmaeil Ahmadi Moqadam addressed the conference on Monday.
Quoting a UNODC report, he stated that illicit drug consumption has dropped 0.4 percent nationwide from 2.8 percent in 1999 to its current level of 2.4 percent.
Ahmadi-Moqadam noted that the issue of illegal drugs poses a major threat to national security of the ECO member states.
He warned that unless member states rise up and take the appropriate steps to deal with the drugs production, smuggling, and consumption, the issue will turn into an insurmountable crisis within the next decade.
He said that Afghanistan is the biggest victim of illicit drugs, citing social problems such as war, displacement, hunger, and contagious diseases as the root causes of the crisis.
A decade ago, Afghanistan was under the spotlight because it was regarded as the major producer of opium, but nowadays the issue of addiction in that country has become another source of consternation, he noted.
The police chief stated that countries with the highest consumption of illicit drugs should bear the bulk of responsibility in helping Afghanistan resolve the drug crisis.
He said Russia and the Eastern countries were not a major market for illegal drugs but drug abuse in these countries has increased dramatically over the past decade.
Ahmadi-Moqadam told the ECO anti-drug chiefs that no country alone can reverse the rising trend of drugs production and abuse, adding that regional cooperation can play a significant role.
ECO is a regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the member states.
In 1992, the Organization was expanded to include seven new members, namely: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also attended the two-day conference to discuss ways to deal with the rising threats of illicit drugs in the region.
Iranian National Police Chief Esmaeil Ahmadi Moqadam addressed the conference on Monday.
Quoting a UNODC report, he stated that illicit drug consumption has dropped 0.4 percent nationwide from 2.8 percent in 1999 to its current level of 2.4 percent.
Ahmadi-Moqadam noted that the issue of illegal drugs poses a major threat to national security of the ECO member states.
He warned that unless member states rise up and take the appropriate steps to deal with the drugs production, smuggling, and consumption, the issue will turn into an insurmountable crisis within the next decade.
He said that Afghanistan is the biggest victim of illicit drugs, citing social problems such as war, displacement, hunger, and contagious diseases as the root causes of the crisis.
A decade ago, Afghanistan was under the spotlight because it was regarded as the major producer of opium, but nowadays the issue of addiction in that country has become another source of consternation, he noted.
The police chief stated that countries with the highest consumption of illicit drugs should bear the bulk of responsibility in helping Afghanistan resolve the drug crisis.
He said Russia and the Eastern countries were not a major market for illegal drugs but drug abuse in these countries has increased dramatically over the past decade.
Ahmadi-Moqadam told the ECO anti-drug chiefs that no country alone can reverse the rising trend of drugs production and abuse, adding that regional cooperation can play a significant role.
ECO is a regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the member states.
In 1992, the Organization was expanded to include seven new members, namely: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
