Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by the Trade in Illicit

Drugs
The People’s Republic of China
Li Po Chun United World College

The People’s Republic of China is committed to the betterment of

society through a decrease in the international drug trade. China recognizes
the multi-layered and international dimension to drug trafficking. China is
also a member of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the East Asia Sub-
regional Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control, and is a part of the
Paris Pact Process.

China would like to recognize the inability of the existing programs to

effectively curb drug trafficking. China accounted for 6.09 tons of the global
methamphetamine seizures in 2007, the most of any nation in that year.
While this is a drop from previous years, and indeed the total drug usage has
decreased, drug production and trafficking has increased. China commends
the efforts of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) so far,
and would like to champion efforts to expand it’s existing programs.

China would encourage expansion of the UNODC’s efforts to facilitate

international discussion and capacity building. China believes that what is
needed now are programs that focus on alternative development strategies.
China currently is involved with Laos and Myanmar in building alternative
farming strategies along their Chinese border[2] and encourages other
nations to engage in similar infrastructure building programs with
surrounding nations.

China recognizes the extent to which international terrorism, and

trafficking groups are interwoven into their communities and the challenges
that accompany eradication of such hidden organizations. China believes
that the only effective way to eliminate the illicit drug trade is to build
international cooperation that is based on mutual respect and recognition of
each nation’s sovereignty. China champions the use of bilateral and
multilateral agreements in conjunction with other international efforts in
helping eliminate the problem.
 As Ambassador Liu Zhenmin, Deputy Permanent Representative of
China to the United Nations said, China believes that “particular attention to
drug prevention education for youth and teenagers, taking such education
for middle and primary school students as a fundamental project in the drug
control endeavor”[3]. China would encourage the UNODC to begin helping
countries create such tailored education programs for countries

1: United Nations Economic and Social Council Commission on Narcotic

Drugs; Fifty-third session, Vienna, 8-12 March 2010. Item 7 (a) of the
provisional agenda *Illicit drug traffic and supply and related measures:
world situation with regard to drug trafficking and recommendations of the
subsidiary bodies of the Commission

2: Statement by Counsellor of the Chinese Delegation Mr. JIA Guide at the

3rd Committee of the UNGA 61st Session on the Agenda Item of International
Drug Control (Item 98).

3: Statement by H.E. Ambassador Liu Zhenmin at the Third Committee of the

64th Session of UNGA on Crime prevention, criminal justice and International
drug control (Item 105).