FIGHTING DRUGS AND CREATING ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS 1.01 The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is committed to tackling and ending the cultivation and trafficking of drugs. At the National Counter Narcotics Conference on 9/10 December last year President Karzai explained how opium production threatens the stability, reconstruction and licit economy of Afghanistan; is destroying the fabric of Afghan society; is undermining efforts to rebuild state institutions after years of war; how it is bringing shame on the Afghan people; and how it is damaging Afghanistan s national reputation. 1.02 The illegal drug economy is currently estimated to be worth $2.8 billion a year. This illicit economy helps to support hundreds of thousands of farmers across the country, as well as many more of their family members. In order to tackle this problem, Afghanistan must work to ensure that there is no incentive for people to remain involved in the drug trade. We understand that an economy with a significant illicit component will do nothing for the long-term economic recovery of our nation. 1.03 In response, the Government of Afghanistan has created an implementation plan that reflects a new determination by President Hamid Karzai and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to tackle the cultivation, production and trafficking of drugs in Afghanistan. There are eight pillars in the Afghan Government's new implementation plan. They are: i. Building Institutions; ii. Information Campaign; iii. Alternative Livelihoods; iv. Interdiction and Law Enforcement; v. Criminal Justice; vi. Eradication; vii. Demand Reduction and Treatment of Addicts; and viii. Regional Co-operation. 1.04 These eight pillars represent Afghanistan s multi-sectoral and coordinated approach to ending the threat posed by the cultivation and trafficking of drugs to our country. On the one hand, Law enforcement will ensure that drugs are not grown, smuggled, or used. On the other, alternative livelihood programs will help rebuild the country s war-shattered infrastructure so that people will be able to earn legitimate incomes. A more complete description of each of the eight pillars of the implementation plan follows. BUILDING INSTITUTIONS 1.05 The Ministry of Counter Narcotics will take the lead role in the development, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the Afghan Government's counter narcotics strategy. The institutional development of the new Ministry will be supported by the UK, US and UNODC. The Counter Narcotics Minister will chair a new Cabinet Sub-Committee on Counter Narcotics with participation from key ministries, including the Minister of Finance, the Minister for Rural Reconstruction and Development, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister for Public Works and the Minister of Interior. 1 Theme 7
1.06 The Counter Narcotics Minister and the ambassador for the United Kingdom, which is the lead coalition nation on counter narcotics, will jointly chair a Counter Narcotics Consultative Group under the new Security Sector Reform Co-ordination structure. International partners and Afghan ministers will be invited to participate in this Group. 1.07 A new Counter Narcotics Trust Fund will be established to fund priorities in the Afghan Government's counter narcotics program. The Fund will be available to support all strands of the program, but the top priority for 2005 will be support for alternative livelihoods. Implementation of alternative livelihood projects will happen through the existing national priority program structure in support of priorities identified in Provincial Development Plans. The Ministry of Counter Narcotics will recommend priorities for expenditures from the Fund. The Cabinet Sub- Committee on Counter Narcotics will give approval for expenditures. 1.08 The Ministry of Counter Narcotics will establish a survey unit that supports capacity building for data collection and analysis. 1.09 With this in mind, the Afghan Government intends to establish District Development Councils and Provincial Development Shuras in each province. These will be responsible for identifying district and provincial development priorities as well as ensuring compliance with the ban on opium cultivation. These structures will recommend priorities for Provincial and District Development Plans. These Plans should reflect the people s top priorities for short, medium and long term investments. 1.10 The Afghan Government also intends to establish Provincial Development Committees (PDCs) in each province to act as the final decision-making body for all development projects in the province. Each PDC will be chaired by the provincial governor and will include representatives of key ministries (MRRD, Agriculture, CN Ministry, etc), UN agencies, international partners, NGOs and Provincial Reconstruction Teams. The PDC will be responsible for formulating the Provincial Development Plan, managing provincial development budgets, and coordinating and monitoring development projects. 1.11 Technical assistance such as training PDCs in gathering information on community needs and channelling resources toward those needs should be provided to assist the establishment and operation of these provincial structures. INFORMATION CAMPAIGN 1.12 Afghan citizens must be kept informed of the changes taking place in their country, and the government of Afghanistan must have a clear message to people about why and how such changes are taking place. A strong public information campaign is therefore an essential part of the government s strategy. 1.13 Afghanistan is committed to stopping poppy cultivation, production, drug trafficking and corruption in line with the teachings of Islam, Article 7 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Afghan criminal law. A public information campaign will focus on how poppy cultivation is: i. Threatening the national security of Afghanistan; ii. Ruining Afghanistan's international reputation; 2 Theme 7
iii. Undermining the security of local communities by funding illegal militias and terrorism; iv. Reducing development assistance being provided to local communities as a result of the insecurity caused by drugs; v. Having a major negative impact on the growth of the legal economy; vi. Fuelling corruption throughout Afghanistan; vii. Driving a substantial increase in addiction to opium and heroin among Afghan youth and families; and, viii. Supplying drugs to millions of people addicted to opium and heroin in neighbouring Islamic countries. 1.14 The National Council of Ulema has already issued a fatwa against drugs and the drug trade. This fatwa is being displayed in all mosques, and religious authorities in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will carry this message to local communities across Afghanistan. 1.15 Government officials such as the Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter Narcotics and the Head of the Central Poppy Eradication Force will continue to visit provinces to inform local communities about Afghanistan's plans to eradicate poppy cultivation. Ministries responsible for rural development, agriculture, irrigation and the economy will inform local communities about what is being done to create new alternative livelihood opportunities for poppy farmers. ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS 1.16 Rural development assistance must and will continue to be provided to all provinces across Afghanistan. With its shattered economy, Afghanistan does have the financial resources to do this alone. Replacing the $2.8 billion illicit economy of the drug trade with legitimate means will require substantial investment. The Afghan Government will therefore seek a major increase in assistance from the international community for an enhanced alternative livelihoods program in 2005. At the request of President Karzai, the Afghan Government is also in the process of drawing up a fully costed and prioritised Alternative Livelihoods Implementation Plan. 1.17 Afghanistan appreciates the new commitments to support the government counternarcotics strategy by the donor community. The government urges donors to ensure their support for National Priority Programs through the National Development Budget and the new Counter Narcotics Trust Fund. Any investment outside these budgets should be strictly consistent with the National Development Programs and Provincial Development Plans, and under the supervision of the government at both the national and provincial levels. 1.18 Responsible ministries and international partners will collaborate to make national development programs more effective in achieving developmental goals and in responding to the particular challenges posed by the opium economy. Progress on national programs will be accelerated in certain key provinces with the close cooperation and guidance of Provincial Shuras and Provincial Development Committees. Such programs include, but are not limited to, the National Solidarity Program, the National Emergency Employment Program, the Irrigation Program, the Agriculture Program, the Afghanistan Stabilization Program, the National Skills Development Program, the Micro-finance Program, and the National Area-Based Development Program. In addition, there will be a particular focus in 2005 on providing alternative livelihoods 3 Theme 7
to seven key provinces where opium poppy cultivation provides a major means of income for rural communities. 1.19 Throughout the year, work will continue through Afghan ministries in collaboration with international donors and implementing partners to testing a wide range of new or improved activities, both agricultural and off-farm, to improve income generation. The Afghan government will agree with international donors and experts how to improve the outreach of credit to rural areas, and to develop a policy on how to tackle opium indebtedness, which is a particular problem in areas where poppy cultivation is entrenched. According to Islamic principles and our laws, all types of credits and loans given for poppy cultivation or to be paid in opium are outlawed. LAW ENFORCEMENT/INTERDICTION 1.20 The Afghan Special Narcotics Force will be expanded to increase its effectiveness against major drugs targets with UK funding and advice. It has already destroyed over 80 tons of opiates, 30 tons of precursor chemicals, 70 drug laboratories and disrupted 2 opium bazaars. In 2005, the Afghan Government will substantially increase its efforts to destroy opium storage sites, drug laboratories and close opium bazaars. It will also arrest drug traffickers and hand them over to the prosecution authorities. 1.21 The Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) will be expanded to more than 750 officers by the end of the year with an effective presence in all major opium producing provinces. A Counter Narcotics Intelligence Fusion Cell linked to the CNPA has been operational for the past few months. In addition: i. Governors and police chiefs will be ordered to close any bazaars operating in Afghanistan which sell or trade opium; ii. The Anti-Corruption Commission will focus its efforts on tackling drug-related corruption; iii. The Afghan government will continue to strengthen the Afghan National Police and the Afghan Border Police. The Afghan National Police, Border Police and Highway Police will receive increased counter narcotics training, facilities, communications, equipment and air support; and, iv. Afghan border crossing points will be improved to interdict the import of chemicals and the export of drugs. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 1.22 A swift and fair justice system is an essential key to eradicating drugs. To date, the Afghan Government is continuing to develop a more effective criminal justice system with the assistance of international donors. 1.23 The Counter Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force became operational in February of 2005, and will fast-track counter narcotics cases within the criminal justice system. Thirty-five special investigators, 35 prosecutors and 15 judges will be trained and operational by the end of 2005 with the assistance and co-operation of the UK, US, Canada, Norway and the UNODC. 4 Theme 7
1.24 A secure court and prison facility will also be developed this year at Pul-e-Charki prison to deal with major drug trafficking cases. An effective counter narcotics law will be developed to close loopholes in existing legislation. A new law on money laundering was adopted in late 2004. Finally, a new court will be established in Kabul with jurisdiction to deal with major drug trafficking cases throughout Afghanistan. 1.25 The Afghan Government will also co-operate with international partners on the extradition of drug traffickers, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. ERADICATION 1.26 The Afghan government is firmly opposed to any cultivation of opium poppies. To ensure this policy is followed, there will be a credible, targeted and verified eradication campaign in 2005. It is important to note that the Afghan Government has a policy that no aerial spraying shall be conducted as a means of eradication. Efforts will be made to ensure that eradication takes place earlier than previous years so that the farmers have time for cultivation of legal crops. There will be no compensation for farmers who cultivate poppy. Eradication will be conducted in two ways: i. First, the Central Poppy Eradication Force (CPEF) will be significantly expanded in time for the start of eradication in the first half of 2005. The Chiefs of Police in provinces visited by the Central Poppy Eradication Force will provide all available resources to support the security of the Force during its operations. Firm action will be taken against anyone opposing the Force. ii. Second, Governors, Chiefs of Police and other relevant Ministries will conduct a provincial-led eradication campaign. 1.27 The 2005 eradication campaign must be credible in the eyes of the international community. To ensure this, the eradication campaign will be monitored and verified by the Counter Narcotics Ministry and Interior Ministry with the assistance of the international community (in particular the UNODC, UK and US). High technology assets including satellite imagery will be used to assist in verification. Finally, the government will have on-the-ground visual verification of eradication efforts through a total of 30 ground-based verification teams made up of 120 people. The first 15 teams will be deployed in March 2005 DEMAND REDUCTION AND THE TREATMENT OF ADDICTS 1.28 Afghanistan is not only the supply base for much of the world s opium and heroin it also knows the dangerous effects of drugs on users. After nearly three decades of war and devastation, opium and heroin have become increasingly used by those trying to escape the suffering they endure on a daily basis, and as a source of pain killers in a country whose health system has been shattered through violence. To help stop this abuse among its own people, drug treatment centers have already been established in Kabul, Gardez and Faizabad. Additional centers will be opened in Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif and Nangahar by the end of 2005. 5 Theme 7
1.29 The Afghan Government will seek funding from the international community in 2005 to provide six regional government hospitals with drug treatment facilities and to develop 34 Community-Based Treatment Services in provincial centres. These facilities will operate in accordance with a national drug treatment protocol to be adopted by the Afghan Government this year. 1.30 The government of Afghanistan will take strong measures this year to increase drug awareness amongst Afghan communities, including a national assessment of the nature and extent of drug use in the country to be undertaken by UNODC in 2005. The Government of Afghanistan calls upon other countries, especially those with high levels of drug consumption, to take necessary measures in order to reduce drug demand and consumption in their respective countries. REGIONAL CO-OPERATION 1.31 The problem of drugs is one that creates multi-sectoral and multi-national issues of concern. Afghanistan s problems are not its own many of the same or related problems are affecting other countries, both within this region and beyond. It is therefore essential that countries work together in a spirit of cooperation and dedication, for the good of each and every country (See Chapter 11 on regional cooperation below). To this end, the Afghan Government will co-operate fully with neighbouring countries within the framework of the Good Neighbourly Relations Regional Declaration on Counter Narcotics. 6 Theme 7
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