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How should nations approach growing illegal drug industries?
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Even after 45 years since Nixon declared ‘war on drugs,’ the drug industry is as big as ever. Reports link a number of other terrorist and insurgent groups to drug trade. Some sources suggest that transnational organized crime groups generate up to one third of their revenues from drug sales.
THE UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance provides “comprehensive measures against drug trafficking, including provisions against money laundering and the diversion of precursor chemicals. However, the Convention is merely a framework.” Furthermore, in 1997, the United Nations established the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. The UNODC has failed to adhere to international human rights
standards within its project in Iran . As such, it has been criticized by human rights
organizations, including Amnesty international .
THE UNITED STATES - Most of the funding has gone to interdiction. The interdiction efforts have, however, failed. The US drug policy has only had some significant changes over the last couple of years. In 2016, US dodged a bullet at a UNGA special session on drugs that “sought to declare the U.S.-backed focus on enforcement and criminalization a failure and to support more ‘humane solutions.’”
COLOMBIA - Plan Colombia successfully recaptured the most populated cities from the illegally armed groups. These groups, however, had simply relocated to the less populated areas. According to the UNODC, an estimated 866 tonnes of cocaine were produced across the country in 2016. The Colombian government aimed to eradicate 100,000 hectares of coca . The forced eradication of coca has, however, proven ineffective, according to the UNODC.
MEXICO - In the Americas, the 1988 convention may have prompted organized crime groups to adjust their strategies. This changed the power structures of organized crime groups. For instance, Colombian groups, may have enabled Mexican organized crime groups to develop into powerful drug cartels. Mexico has been fighting a war with drug traffickers since 2006. In August 2009, Mexico enacted the Law Against Small Drug Traffickers as a step in the right direction. On the other hand, drug cartels have continued to fight each other for territory. It is estimated that Mexican drug cartels generate between $19 billion and $29 billion annually from drug sales in the US alone.