General Assembly, Organization of American States
Twenty-Ninth Regular Session
OEA/Ser. P AG/INF.232/99
June 8, 1999
Original: English/French
 

Remarks by the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa of Canada, the Honourable David Kilgour, on the Dialogue on Drugs Intervention During the Twenty-Ninth Regular Session of the General Assembly

Introduction

Mr. Chairman,

Thank you for allowing me the privilege of addressing this session of the Assembly at the beginning of the Dialogue on Drugs.

Canada proposed the dialogue on drugs to expand the discussion of the world drug problem by applying the human security perspective to the issue. By doing so, we set out to confront the challenges to human security presented by the illicit drug trade and its associated criminal activity.

Our starting point was the tremendous progress that has already been made, particularly the 1996 Hemispheric Anti-Drug Strategy, the key role played by the Hemisphere to ensure the success of the UN Special Session last year, and the development of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism. We are also building on the progress towards greater hemispheric co-operation made through the Santiago Plan of Action.

Le Ministre Axworthy vous a �crit en janvier pour vous inviter � vous joindre au Canada et � entamer le dialogue. Nous avons entrepris un processus de consultations directes avec vous, par le biais de vos repr�sentants et avec la soci�t� civile lors d’une r�union d’experts tenue � San Jos� au Costa Rica. Le Ministre vous a �crit � nouveau pour vous faire part des r�sultats de ces consultations. Je tiens � vous remercier et � remercier vos fonctionnaires qui ont apport� leur pr�cieuse contribution � ce dialogue.

I am happy to report that the dialogue on drugs initiative and human security approach were broadly welcomed. Human security was new for many, but there was an appreciation that it offers a valuable, holistic approach to the drug problem, among others.

Human Security

I mentioned human security in my intervention yesterday.

Today Canada is distributing a paper entitled "Human Security: Safety for People in a Changing World" which elaborates on the human security concept.

We are discussing human security themes at a number of points during this General Assembly. This is because the challenges that face us relate to human security.

By any definition, the drug problem is a quintessential human security issue. It is a shared problem that affects negatively the lives of many, many individuals.

As an example, I was struck in my travels by one shared problem. We in Canada have a problem in some communities with glue sniffing by youth. I heard of concerns in many other countries about the same problem with shoe glue.

By placing the needs of citizens at the centre of policy considerations, the human security optic offers a unique opportunity to develop comprehensive, integrated responses to the drug problem. These can complement what we are already doing.

Results of the Consultative Process

Our consultations with you elicited a wide range of views. I’d like to set out a number of the ideas that were most commonly raised. I hope that in our discussion you will add your own further perspectives.

- Civil society

The need to involve civil society in the design and implementation of anti-drug policies was a constant. This was, of course, of particular interest to members of civil society, but it is also true that many governments agree there is a need for greater public participation. We learned of examples of government initiatives to involve the public.

Nous avons pris connaissance de plusieurs excellentes initiatives Gouvernementales. Le Costa Rica, par exemple, a parl� des "Triangles de Solidarit�" qui font intervenir diff�rents palliers de gouvernement et qui engagent la participation du public.

In Alberta, my home Province in Canada, there is a highly successful program called the Dare Program, a joint program with the private sector and law enforcement agencies that educate children in grade 6 school classes about drugs.

Canada also brings the health sector together with law enforcement through a highly successful program which has sensitised both groups to the others concerns.

Such examples, and I am sure there are others, demonstrate that there is indeed political will to have public participation in policy development.

I would urge that we make a firm commitment to turn that political will into concrete action in our countries. In doing so, we should build on the political will expressed in the instruments to which we have already agreed that recognise the importance of involving the people in policy development.

These include the Santiago Plan of Action, the conventions on corruption and on firearms and in key UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS) documents such as the Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction.

- Implementation of existing commitments

Nous avons clairement affirm� nos engagements politiques et notre volont� de relever les d�fis pos�s par les drogues, le d�veloppement humain et social, l’int�gration �conomique, la sant� et l’�ducation, la promotion de la d�mocratie et la lutte contre la corruption, le trafic illicite d’armes � feu et le crime organis�.

Plusieurs d’entre vous ont exprim� leurs pr�occupations quant au lien entre les armes � feu et le commerce de drogues illicites. L’importance de la probit� et des valeurs �thiques par rapporta la lutte contre la corruption et l’�dification de syst�mes d�mocratiques a �galement �t� soulign�e.

To ensure commitments are effectively implemented requires political impetus. Our consultations revealed concerns that concerted political will is not always applied to ensure countries adhere to their commitments.

Foreign ministers, have a unique role: we are the link between domestic and foreign policies. We can act continuously within our governments to ensure that our national commitments are met.

We may wish to use the opportunity of this discussion to reflect on several practical issues relating to the implementation of existing international commitments.

These include the Inter-American program to combat corruption, the 1996 Inter-American convention against corruption, and the Inter-American convention against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives and other related materials.

- Unintended consequences of policies

In our consultations we were told that the effectiveness of policies dealing with the drug problem is sometimes undermined by a lack of integration with policies dealing with related problems.

These include policies pursuing other democratic, human security, social and economic objectives. No single aspect of the drug problem can be dealt with in isolation from the broad social, political and economic circumstances in which the problem is rooted.

We learned that there is a great deal of concern about the unintended consequences of drug policies. One example of this raised by our Caribbean colleagues is the detrimental impact of criminals deported from countries such as Canada and the USA to smaller States, particularly in the Caribbean.

We should undertake to ensure our anti-drug policies are integrated with other policies. We should ensure that unintended consequences do not undermine their effectiveness. One way is to maintain a balance between supply interdiction and demand reduction as we agreed in the Hemispheric Anti-Drug Strategy and at UNGASS.

We can also look to how anti-drug work can be integrated with the work of other fora. For example, at their recent meeting in Peru, Ministers of Justice agreed to develop the parameters of a comprehensive Hemispheric program to assist countries in the development of effective, credible and fair justice and law enforcement institutions.

- Support for the MEM and CICAD.

Our discussions revealed a firm commitment to the effective implementation of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) and the work of CICAD. The Inter-Governmental Working Group developing the MEM has made good progress and we look forward to seeing the MEM put in place following the third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City.

We must ensure that political support for CICAD and the MEM process is sustained.

- Alternative development

The importance and complexity of alternative development emerged as a priority during the consultative process. The obstacles to successful alternative development strategies are well known.

We should consider how we can work within our governments to address these obstacles, including the interrelationship between alternative development, the development of, and access to, markets locally, regionally and globally, and the role that international, financial institutions can play.

- Action to respond to the lessons learned

The dialogue on drugs was never intended to be prescriptive; nor was it intended to establish a new hemispheric process. There is already a body of agreements and instruments in place to deal with the drug problem.

I would suggest that we consider what concrete initiatives each of us could undertake in our own countries to address some of the issues I have raised here today.

- Canada's response

The drug problem, we all agree, is a shared problem. We have seen through CICAD and our work on the MEM that joint efforts are the key to real success.

An area in which we can work more closely together is public participation in the development of, and implementation of, policies. We should continue sharing information on our respective domestic efforts as part of our reinvigorated commitment to public participation.

In this spirit of co-operation, Canada will be examining how we can make modest but concrete contributions to provide assistance to local organisations througout the hemisphere. We will also be considering how we can expand our work with CICAD.

- Human security focus in Canadian foreign policy

La communaut� internationale se mobilise pour aborder les questions qui touchent directement la vie quotidienne des gens. C’est dans ce contexte que le canada a red�fini et r�orient� ses priorit�s en mati�re de politique �trang�re. Nous avons adopt� une nouvelle perspective face � notre engagement � l’�gard de l’H�misph�re Occidental.

As Canada prepares for the series of hemispheric events to come over the next two years, we are committed to strengthening links with the Hemisphere, and in so doing to advancing human security in the region.

I am confident that today's discussion on drugs will, provide valuable input into the ongoing development of a strategy for human security in the Americas.

We look forward to discussing this issue and the broader issue of human security with you and your permanent representatives to the OAS in greater detail as we work through the year to develop the agenda for the general assembly next year in Canada.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.