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UNODC

Armenia

Topic B: Drug Trafficking

Combating Drug Trafficking

Making around 200 to 750 billion dollars every year, drug trafficking is the illicit manufacturing

and distribution of drugs in the black market. Drugs were first originated in the United Kingdom

for medical use, but have since been used unconventionally for other reasons. Eventually, the

opium drug was spread to China in the 1800s due to be traded for luxury goods such as silk,

porcelain, and tea1 This drug became extremely profitable, and soon addiction became common

As opium became more widely available around the world, more drugs were created leading to

drug networks, which sprung up during the 20th century in order to avoid being caught with

illicit substances. Recently, a specific area that has a lot of opium trade is the golden triangle,

located in Southeast Asia which includes Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos.2 Today, many types of

illegal drugs are distributed around the world such as heroin and cocaine in specific parts of the

Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Drug Trafficking has been proven to be damaging to

developing countries and communities especially in the golden triangle. Policies must be put in

place as soon as possible to decrease the profits and effect it has on the world. During the

Vietnam War, while U.S soldiers were fighting in Vietnam, around one in every three male

soldiers got addicted to heroin while they were there. This shows that even with the discipline
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and obedience of soldiers, these illegal drugs are to be kept away and unmanufactured for

commercial use.

B.Over the past few decades, the UN has taken extreme measures to abolish drug trafficking like

establishing the UNODC in 1997. The UNODC today helps with fighting illicit drugs and crime

as well as educating the negative side effects of not achieving international action for drugs.3

Furthermore, there were several treaties passed by the UN before the UNODC was established in

their early efforts. In 1960, the UN developed the Single Convention on Narcotic which some of

the resolutions included, resolution III for example, are developing leisures and other activities to

improve the physical and psychological health of young people without being addicted to drugs.

In addition, in 1990, the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and

Psychotropic Substances was established. Some of the policies it emphasized were international

cooperation, the provisions of money laundering, and getting rid of precursor chemicals. 87

countries approved this treaty which was a big step forward. Some NGOs also work with

providing necessary equipment and support to drug trafficking victims. The World Federation

Against Drugs (WFAD) is an organization that has partnerships across the globe. They recognize

the drug addicts in the post-covid era and advocate for human rights for their protected use and

affordable health care against these illicit drugs. WFAD also emphasizes the Article 33 of the

Convention on the Rights of the Child signing states have an obligation to protect children from

illegal substances.4

C.Armenia recognizes that they need to improve drug trafficking policies as well as partnering

with different NGOs. This is why Armenia proposes to base off the framework of Operation

Engage by the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration. The focus on the removement of
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manufacturing of these drugs and building education in communities to inform them about the

dangers of drug use.5 Another solution that Armenia proposes is working with the National

Central Bureau program by Interpol which helps to investigate criminal areas and information to

assist another country nearby. The NCB has also developed training programmes for their police

enforcement to help spread awareness on drug trafficking. This Bureau program has also helped

develop many responses to situations as well proving effective. From 2020-2023, INTERPOL

developed the I-CAN to fight against the Ndrangheta global networks. They collaborated with

Argentina’s Superintendency of Federal Investigations which held a group session with a

hundred professionals such as prosecutors and anti-mafia analysts. Their project has shown rapid

success with 46 of these Ndrangheta members arrested with their efforts. These arrests include

well known drug traffickers that have been wanted since the 1990s but have been found in only a

couple years of operation of this program. In 2022, 80 professionals gathered together in Rome

to discuss plans of international cooperation on combating this issue. Implementation would be

through expanding this to a worldwide scale for other developing countries to follow the same

orders. Armenia is sure that with these solutions, a safer and better environment would be able to

be given.6

Works Cited

1. .“History of drug trafficking.” Yami 2,

https://yami2.com/en/doc/history-of-drug-trafficking/. Accessed 23 January 2024.

2. Newman, Macall. “Luxury Camping in Thailand.” Four Seasons,

https://www.fourseasons.com/goldentriangle/. Accessed 23 January 2024.

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3. “Operation Engage.” DEA.gov, https://www.dea.gov/operation-engage. Accessed

26 January 2024.

4. “The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.” United Nations Office in

Vienna, https://www.unov.org/unov/en/unodc.html. Accessed 23 January 2024.

5. “World Federation against Drugs (WFAD).” ohchr,

https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/drug/cfi-hrc54-drug-po

licy/submission/subm-s-ohchrs-report-csos-wfad-41.docx. Accessed 25 January

2024.

6. “Operation Engage.” DEA.gov, https://www.dea.gov/operation-engage. Accessed

26 January 2024.

7. “INTERPOL Cooperation Against 'Ndrangheta (I-CAN).” Interpol,

https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Organized-crime/INTERPOL-Cooperation-Ag

ainst-Ndrangheta-I-CAN. Accessed 26 January 2024.