Notes for an address by - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Canada Intervention
as delivered by Ambassador Mark Bailey
General Debate of the High-Level Segment
at the
57th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs
March 13-14, 2014
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OPENING REMARKS:
Mister Chairman, Ministers, President of the International
Narcotics Board, distinguished delegates, Ladies and
Gentlemen. Canada is pleased to participate in this high level
review of the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action to
address the world drug problem. Canada remains committed to
action to address our shared challenges of illicit drugs at home
and abroad, for which we have a common and shared
responsibility. We encourage all States Parties to fulfil their
obligations under the three international drug control
conventions.
When the Political Declaration and Plan of Action was adopted,
Canada had already implemented many of its commitments.
Canada continues its efforts to address the domestic and world
drug problem. Today, I am pleased to provide you with some of
the highlights of our approach, and progress in meeting these
commitments.
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Mr. Chairman, all of us here today recognize that addressing
the illicit drug trade is a multi-faceted challenge. The illicit drug
trade and associated crime fuels corruption which undermines
the rule of law, good governance, and democratic institutions.
We understand that effectively tackling the illicit drug trade,
and its associated crime and violence, requires attention to all
related factors.
Au Canada, les organisations non-gouvernementales jouent un
rôle clé dans la lutte contre les drogues illicites, en particulier
dans les domaines de la prévention et du traitement de la
toxicomanie.
Monsieur le président, un grand nombre de nos efforts ont été
déployés dans le cadre de la Stratégie nationale antidrogue, qui
a pour but de promouvoir des collectivités plus sûres et plus
saines en réduisant la consommation de drogues illicites. Elle
s’articule autour de trois plans d’action : la prévention, le
traitement et l’application de la loi, et cette année, notre
gouvernement a pris la décision d’étendre la portée de la
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Stratégie à l’abus de médicaments d’ordonnance. Depuis 2007,
le gouvernement du Canada a investi plus de cinq-cent millions
de dollars dans ces plans d’action afin de prévenir l’usage et
pour améliorer l’accès au traitement pour les toxicomanes, tout
en sévissant les trafiquants et producteurs de drogues illicites
qui menacent la sécurité de nos jeunes et de nos collectivités.
Notre gouvernement investira quarante-quatre point neuf
millions de dollars dans des activités orientés spécifiquement
sur l’abus des médicaments d’ordonnance.
Au Canada, la lutte contre les stupéfiants est une tâche
complexe. Notre Stratégie nationale antidrogue est un effort de
collaboration entre douze ministères et organismes fédéraux.
Ces ministères fédéraux travaillent également en étroite
collaboration avec d’autres paliers de gouvernement ainsi
qu’avec des organismes de la société civile, d’autres
intervenants et nos collectivités autochtones, pour veiller à ce
que la Stratégie contribue à rendre les collectivités plus sûres et
plus saines. Par exemple, dans le cadre de la Stratégie nationale
antidrogue, le gouvernement du Canada a fourni un
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financement au Centre canadien de lutte contre les
toxicomanies pour élaborer le Portefeuille de normes
canadiennes de prévention de l’abus de substances chez les
jeunes. Ces normes ont été reconnues à l’échelle nationale et
internationale comme une ressource de premier plan en
matière de prévention de la toxicomanie.
À l’échelle nationale, nous sommes encouragés par l’impact de
nos efforts sur la consommation des drogues. Selon les
résultats de notre dernière enquête nationale sur la
consommation d’alcool et de drogues, on a noté un déclin de la
consommation de cannabis chez les jeunes âgés de 15 à 24 ans.
Cela dit, nous ne pouvons pas nous reposer sur nos lauriers car
il reste beaucoup de travail pour relever les nombreux défis
communs liés aux drogues.
But Canada’s federal government cannot do this alone. Mr.
Chairman, as we know, prescription drug abuse is a serious
problem in many countries, including Canada. Addressing this
issue requires coordinated efforts throughout our health
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system including all levels of government, regulators,
prescribers, patients, public health officials, and drug
dispensers. Efforts are underway to bring various sectors
together, drawing upon the expertise of a range of
stakeholders. Our government was pleased to provide input
into the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse’s “First Do No
Harm” prescription drug abuse strategy. The development of
this comprehensive Strategy involved important contributions
from many of the stakeholders I just mentioned.
Mr. Chairman, we are also stepping up enforcement efforts to
address the diversion of prescription drugs to the illicit market.
Public Safety Canada, in collaboration with its partners, such as
the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, has established a
National Prescription Drug Drop-off Day with the objective of
reducing the criminality associated with prescription drug
misuse, and helping to both raise awareness of and reduce the
rising rates of recreational misuse of prescription drugs by
youth.
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Law enforcement is a key partner in drug control in Canada.
For example, the government of Canada identified the illegal
production of synthetic drugs and the diversion of precursor
chemicals as a problem with serious implications for public and
community safety. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has
established dedicated clandestine laboratory enforcement
teams strategically located across Canada. These teams target
and dismantle synthetic drug operations and related organized
crime groups across the country.
Mr. Chairman, I’d like to turn the Commission’s attention now
to the ongoing emergence of new psychoactive substances. On
the Canadian illicit drug market this is a daunting challenge, and
one that I know many other countries are facing. New drugs
appear and disappear at a rapid pace, and are often associated
with serious risks to public health and safety.
We continue to work on improving the way we inform the
public about the risks of new psychoactive substances when
they become available in our communities. That is why we have
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developed several consumer health alerts to inform Canadians
about the risks associated with these substances. That said, the
phenomenon of new psychoactive substances is transnational
in nature and therefore also requires an international response.
We are pleased to see the establishment of international
initiatives, like the UNODC Early Warning Advisory on New
Psychoactive Substances, which is an important resource for us
as we grapple with the emergence of these substances.
Mr. Chairman, Canada continues to engage on issues related to
international drug control. We were pleased to have prepared a
discussion paper addressing the scheduling processes set out in
the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971
Single Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and identifying
ways we can better work together to improve their application.
We look forward to discussing this issue further next week.
Canada also provides funding and in-kind support to drug
control initiatives through international organizations. For
example, Canada supports the joint United Nations Office on
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Drugs and Crime and World Customs Organization Container
Control Programme as well as the National Drug Control
Strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Canada embraces efforts to adapt its domestic programs and
policies to increasingly complex, sophisticated and
transnational drug-supply networks. And we remain steadfast
in our commitment to collaborate with other concerned
countries and international organizations in our shared efforts
to address the world drug problem. I am confident that when
we next reflect on our activities and progress, we will have
reason to celebrate many more successes.
THANK YOU for your attention.
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