Fighting drugs around the Word

Drugs as global problem

Using of illegal and abusing substances belongs to the charter of global challenges of international security and peace keeping efforts. Drug threat is a part of background of asymmetric conflicts and threats linked with terrorism, organized crime and financial system therefore it cannot be ignored or forgotten which was proved by 30th International Drug Enforcement Conference opened in Moscow in June 2013 where special guests were President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Federal Drug Control Service Director Viktor Ivanov. Moreover, the attention to the topic deserve to be studied as every year United Nations are commemorating International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 of June.

Source: RIA Novosti

Ways of approach

Drugs threat recognition had been treated as important issue for many global initiatives by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Global Commission on Drug Policy, Russia's Federal Drug Control Service with Collective Security Treaty Organization or American Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs with Drug Enforcement Agency represented sometimes by NATO activity and Pentagon war on terror. The main difference between those international actors are tools of countering the drugs and scale of effectiveness to solve the challenge. Moreover the serious attitude about drugs problem was presented also by Shanghai Cooperation Organization at 2012 summit where SCO claimed to combat illicit drug trafficking from Afghanistan. SCO is recognizing Afghanistan as a source of drug production and the controversial issue is that even the afghani elites are involved in the process like brother of President Karzai. This approach confirms multipolar diagnosis of harmful impact of drug trafficking around the world and its catastrophic influence on people’s health and global order.

Source: RIA Novosti

 

The most known areas of drugs export are countries in Southern Asia and Latin America therefore there is need for international cooperation where are made efforts by Russia to counteract opium smuggling from Afghanistan via Tajikistan to Russian Federation or by USA which are facing drug problem coming from the Central and South America. The cooperation is made between Russia and USA to fight drugs from Latin America and as well from Afghanistan by joint efforts which was confirmed by statement of head of FSKN, Viktor Ivanov . What is remarkable, Russian foreign policy despite many years of experience by USA in solving the drug problem, supports effectively all global policies also in Latin America. The example of Russian-Nicaraguan military cooperation confirms the good will of Russia which wants to equip Nicaraguan forces to stop narcotraficantes going from south with a cocaine. As well Russian contracts for Mexican army to supply Mexican forces by Mi-17 choppers are a prospect to support goals of American Plan Colombia and Merida linked with drugs facing by US in the region as the structures of organized crime are strong in Latina America and being needed sometimes to be counteracted with a strong state response. China, Russia and USA understand how destructive illicit substances are for global community therefore request of stronger states forces under control of legal government, equipped by know-how flow and security officers cooperation like during Olympic games with facing terrorists threat. But there are many different and divided policies how to fight with drugs around the world and some of them are not acceptable for others like legalizing soft drugs. For example in US there is big movement to legalize soft drugs as marijuana which is opposed as an idea by Russian authorities so the dialogue is still being working out and giving even global repercussions like in Afghanistan were drugs are not being fought enough efficient . One of those reasons is American agriculture policy but this would be a topic for a second part of blog, thank you for your attention!