By Holy See Mission
Statement byH.E. Archbishop Celestino MigliorePermanent Observer of the Holy See to the U.N.before the Third Committee on Item 109:International
Drug ControlNew York, 14 October 2003Mr. Chairman,
On behalf of my
delegation, I wish to join the previous speakers in expressing our
congratulations on your election and to assure you of our full
cooperation as
you guide the Committee's work this year. I take this occasion to convey
the
Holy See's continuing appreciation for the work of the United Nations,
this
Third Committee, and in particular the work of United Nations Office on
Drugs
and Crime in the prevention, reduction and suppression of illicit drug
abuse.
In all of its
phases and dimensions, the illicit drug scourge robs the human person of
his or
her innate dignity. My delegation notes with special concern the ever
more
obvious links between the illicit drug trade and other human tragedies,
such as
the trafficking of human beings, the proliferation of illicit small
arms,
organized crime, and terrorism. The plague of drugs is not unlike an
un-weeded
garden, whose devastation and spoiling effect know no political,
geographical,
or socio-economic boundaries.
As it has been
mentioned by other distinguished delegations in this Committee,
developing
countries and populations afflicted by poverty are particularly
vulnerable to
the devastating trickle-down effects of the drug trade as easy
trafficking
points or inexpensive cultivators of source crops. It is for this reason
that my
delegation welcomes development projects that offer farmers profitable
and
viable alternatives to drug cultivation. These alternative development
projects
require comprehensive rural development programs, with stable
infrastructures,
appropriate technology and basic health care, education and so forth.
Definitely, the problem of drug cultivation and illicit trafficking is
not
unrelated to the issues of sustainable human development as
envisioned in
the Millennium Development Goals.
Mr. Chairman, my
delegation would like to echo the statement offered by UNODC Executive
Director
in the 2003 Global Survey on Ecstasy and Amphetamines who called for the
need
for Global Social Change to truly reverse the alarming upward trends
seen in the
production and abuse of synthetic drugs, especially by young people
throughout
the world. With production of Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS)
estimated at
just over 500 tons a year and more than 40 million people having used
them in
the past 12 months, the Holy See is especially concerned that the
permanent
health damages, including lasting impact on brain functions, caused by
ATS
is not fully understood and duly addressed.
My delegation
would also like to thank the Executive Director of UNODC, Mr. Antonio
Maria
Costa, for drawing special attention, in his opening remarks, to the
importance
of demand reduction measures that take a balanced and integrated
approach, in
accordance with UN drug conventions and the goals set out by the 20th
Special Session of the General Assembly. In light of such an approach to
demand
reduction, the Holy See would like to highlight one of the key means
that can
contribute to effective prevention of drug abuse. That is, the role of
the
family.
In fact, the 2003
Report on the World Social Situation rightly stresses the importance of
the
family in addressing the questions of social vulnerability and risk
affecting
especially "young people living in so-called dysfunctional families,
characterized by conflict, inadequate parental control, weak ties with
other
members of the extended family and community, and premature autonomy".
As the many
causes and consequences of dependence on psychotropic substances are
related to
family dynamics, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, efforts
should target
family relationships in their biological, psychological, social,
cultural and
economic dimensions. Moreover, since the family forms the very basis of a
society, illicit drug abuse can destroy the social fabric of a community
and
even destabilize a civil society.
A great number of
researches clearly demonstrate a link between strong family bonds and
the
prevention of drug abuse by children. The family is usually the first to
suffer
from both the acute and the long-term consequences of substance-abusing
members,
a tragic situation which in most cases leads to the disequilibrium in
the
household relationship and finally to the breakdown of the family.
The family is the
first environment where a child learns various habits. Nurturing
parenting
practices, such as involvement in their children's daily activities and
open
communications within the family, contribute to healthy social behavior
in
childhood and adolescence. Often, the simple act of parents sharing a
meal
regularly with their children has proven effective in reducing the
likelihood of
experimentation with drugs.
Mr. Chairman, in
preparation for the observance of the tenth anniversary of the
International
Year of the Family in 2004, my delegation wishes to encourage the United
Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as intergovernmental and
nongovernmental
organizations, research and academic institutions, to work closely with
the
Social Policy Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs
by
exploring and sharing experiences and findings that could strengthen the
central
role of the family in drug prevention.
The phenomenon of
the growing use and increasing abuse of narcotic and psychotropic
substances has
assumed tragic dimensions. It is especially worrying to note that this
social
ill affects thousands of young people, which implies enormous
consequences for
the future of society. The Holy See is confident that the international
community will not fail to heed what so many young people are trying to
say
through their tragedies and anguished appeals, and will redouble its
efforts in
helping the young generation to liberate itself from this deadly
phenomenon of
narcotics abuse because the future of youth signifies the future of all
humanity.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
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