Delegation from Morocco

Represented by ESSEC Business School Position Paper for the Commission on Narcotic Drugs

The issues for the CND are: responding to the challenge of Narco-Traffic and organized crime in West Africa; drug trafficking and its role in fuelling conflict in central and south America; exploring the effects of decriminalization strategies within international drug policy. Morocco would prefer to discuss first narco-traffic in West Africa, then the decriminalization strategies and finally drug trafficking in central and south America. Responding to the Challenge of Narco-Traffic and Organized Crime in West Africa Morocco is concerned by the rise in narco traffic in West Africa and deeply involved in the fight against it. Indeed, a major part of the drugs produced in West Africa and entering Europe transit through Morocco, which is a major transshipment point. That is why the Government is aware of the problem and wants to put an end to it. This is all the more crucial than narco-traffic increase in big amounts organized crime and harm the safety of people, threatening international peace and security. It contributes to keeping the region unstable and prevents West Africa countries from having a democratic and legitimate government. The inhabitants suffer also in their daily life from the problem because it provocks human right violations, violence, and they cannot benefit from the healthcare and education they could have. Morocco understand the stakes of drug policy politics because it is also facing the challenge of the narco traffic. It is a major producer of drugs (cannabis, but also cocaine and heroin), especially in the northern or Rif region, or the Souss Valley of the south. 50 000 hectares of cannabis are cultivated illicitily says the ministry of interior. Morocco already implemented laws in order to decrease production, culture and trafficking of drugs. The UCLAD (Unite de Coordination de Lutte Anti-Drogue) is really involved in the fight, and Morocco ratified several international treaties. As a consequence, the drug trade declined as police broke up trafficking gangs and encouraged farmers to shift to alternative crops. So, Morocco wants to be involved in combating drug traffic in West Africa. It would recommend actions aiming at reducing production and demand and at encouraging alternative activities, such as ecotourism projects. Morocco will support local initiatives, respecting the sovereignty of West African countries. It is also willing to assume mutual legal assistance to counter narco-traffic in coordination with other countries of the region and cooperate with other governments to make up an international effort. Collaborating with the international community about drug problems will be all the more easy for Morocco than it is used to cooperate with many of the countries involved to solve other problems.
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Drug Trafficking and its Role in Fuelling Conflict in Central and South America

Morocco is highly aware of the questions countries in Central and South America are facing nowadays regarding drug trafficking and its terrible consequences for human, political and economic security. Moreover, it recognises the strong links existing between the presence of transnational related-crime networks due to drug trafficking and the rise in violence and in conflicts, especially in those countries. It also takes into account the quick changes in narcotraffic in this region : new groups involved, more sophisticated methods... Those changes make the challenge even more complicated for those countries and for the international community. Although street crime in Morocco is generally estimated at a low rate, the drug trade deeply affects the crime situation in the country. Also, it is concerned as it is aware that a large proportion of hard drugs coming from those Central and South American countries goes throught Morocco before entering European markets. That is why fighting against drug trafficking in Central and South America is a key point for ensuring security in those countries but also in Morocco. Fighting against related-crime networks has been one of the main axis of our policy, as those networks constitute a serious problem and a security threat in Morocco. Morocco's commitment in those issues has been proved for several years: large scale operations in order to dismantle networks, cooperation with international institutions, application of international recommendations and treaties within its national policy, etc. In this context, Morocco strongly believes that a solution to those problems in Central and South America can be found in international cooperation : the international community has a strength countries individually dont have, and it can find a direct interest as this issue has had an impact on international security. International community should at least encourage powerful actors within drug trafficking world to invest in their own countrys licit economy and development rather than in fuelling conflicts, as criminalization has shown its limits. But such goals cannot be achieved in those regions without the involvement of international community. Exploring the Effects of Decriminalization Strategies Within International Drug Policy Morocco recognises the limits and the difficulties with drug war, meaning the official policy led by the bulk of countries for a long time. Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and fully aware of the fact that drugs are a matter of public health, Morocco also recognises that drug addicts deserve respect, and that decriminalization could help improving public health, by providing better help. But Morocco is looking forward to offer a consistent policy. Over the past decades the efforts have been concentrated on fighting drug production and consumption, and this solution seems adapted regarding its success (cannabis resin seizures declined over the 2005-2009 period). Morocco also would like to underline that as a developing country, it would not necessarily have the means to follow up drug consumers in terms of health. A depenalization policy could meet a real success like in the countries in which it has been conducted such as Portugal. However, it remains hard to drive. Moroccos environment, mentalities, and health care system let Morocco think that a war drug would be in this case more certainly effective and that decriminalization policies could hardly be implemented in Morocco.
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