Transcript The 2002 G8 Kananaskis Summit

International dimensions
of drug policy
Senate Special Committee
on Illegal Drugs
March 18, 2001
Terry Cormier
Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Overview
Context
Challenges
International legal architecture
International developments
Policy challenges
2
International dimensions
Multi-dimensional aspects: diplomatic, policy,
financial, humanitarian, legal, law enforcement
In many multilateral and regional fora
Different countries have particular
preoccupations
3
Public Safety:
International dimensions
Integration results in new threats to the
safety and security of Canadians
Global challenges require global
responses
Coherence, coordination, leadership
Horizontal issue management
Growing agenda of public safety issues
4
Problems of international
drug trade
Corruption
Violence
Undermines state and rule of law
Afghanistan
Economic dislocation
Health issues
Money laundering
Trafficking in firearms
5
International Institutional
Structure
UN
Economic and Social Council
Commission on Narcotic Drugs
UNDCP
International Narcotics Control Board
World Health Organization
OAS
6
Single Convention on Narcotic
Drugs, 1961
Objective: limit the production and trade in
prohibited substances
Establishes UN architecture
Deals with control largely by criminal
penalties
4 Schedules
Cannabis is in Schedule 4, subject to highest
level of control
7
Convention on Psychotropic
Substances, 1971
Deals with pervasive use and availability
of synthetic, psychotropic substances
Follows template of Single Convention
Recognizes the medical necessity
4 Schedules of control
Requires drugs to be specifically listed
8
Convention against Illicit Traffick in
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances, 1988
Instrument of international criminal law
Intent is to harmonize national, drugrelated criminal laws and enforcement
actions
Obligations to create and implement very
specific criminal laws
Specifically obligates Parties “to respect
fundamental human rights”
9
International Conventions:
Cannabis possession
Consensus view is that it is not possible to
decriminalize cannabis and be in
conformity with the three Conventions
Parties have latitude with respect to
penalties and sanctions
Conventions recognize explicitly domestic
law
10
Multilateral Evaluation
Mechanism
Under Canadian chairmanship and
leadership MEM was developed by the
OAS Inter-American Drug Abuse Control
Commission (CICAD)
Peer group evaluation mechanism
Supply and demand
Broadening the understanding of the
impact of drugs in our societies
11
CHALLENGES
Anticipation of future threats
chemical drugs, ATS
nano technologies
Keeping international and domestic
contexts in some relative equilibrium
12
International environment
International environment is changing
Substance abuse issues are now
considered in broader context -- demand
and supply
Growing recognition that we should
differentiate among classes of drugs
Greater appreciation for the broader
social, political, economic impacts
13
Conclusion
Canada promotes multilateralization of
international rules
Substance abuse issues are critical social
policy issues which engage many different
actors
Essentially a political issue
14