26 March 2014- The Philippines’ five-pillar approach comprising of drug supply reduction, drug demand reduction, alternative development, civic awareness and response, and regional and international cooperation, has proven to be relevant and effective in addressing the drug menace via a holistic, integrated, and strategic approach.
Delivering the Philippine statement at the High-Level Segment of the 57th Commission on Narcotic Drugs on March 13 in Vienna, Executive Director Jose Marlowe Pedregosa of the Dangerous Drugs Board highlighted the progress achieved in the collaboration of relevant government agencies and non-government organizations in the anti-drug advocacy.
On drug-demand reduction, the Philippines aims to put individuals at the heart of the anti-drug abuse campaign and transform them into catalysts of positive value formation in their circles. On the other hand, drug supply reduction efforts resulted in the seizure of controlled substances and their precursors, arrests of drug syndicates, dismantling of clandestine laboratories, and eradication of cannabis plantation sites. The country has also strengthened its airport interdiction operations and detection of modus operandi and routes of illicit drug trafficking.
The Philippines also called for international cooperation measures to address the use of drug couriers. This is a special Philippine concern because of the large number of Filipino migrant workers, especially women, who are increasingly being victimized by such modus operandi. Their plight deserves careful attention by criminal justice systems. We urge States to take into account mitigating circumstances, to uphold their human rights, and to adhere to United Nations (UN) standards and norms relating to the treatment of offenders and prisoners, especially in the case of women migrant workers.”
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was established by the Untied Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1946 to assist the ECOSOC in supervising the application of the international drug control treaties. The CND meets annually at the UN Office in Vienna when it considers and adopts a range of decisions and resolutions.
The 57th session of the CND began last March 13 with the High-Level Review of the implementation of the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation Towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem. The High-level Review ended with an agreement on a Joint Ministerial Statement on the world drug problem.
The 57th Session brought together around 1,300 participants from 127 UN Member States, intergovernmental organizations, UN bodies, civil society, and media. END