Police Reform

Conference on Combatting the Threat of Illicit Drugs in Vienna

There was a conference on "Promoting partnership with non-law enforcement actors in combating the threat of illicit drugs and the diversion of chemical precursors" with the support of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) from 27 to 28 October 2014 in Vienna (Austria).

The conference was attended by representatives from the OSCE participating States and international organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Financial Action Task Force (combatting money laundering) (FATF) and others. The Republic of Tajikistan was represented by the following persons: Head of Unit on Drug Trafficking Control and Drug Prevention of the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Lieutenant Colonel Alisher Tashripov, Senior Advisor of the Executive Office of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Colonel Quzratullo Gulomov and Police Reform Project Assistant of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan Umed Aminov.

The conference participants have considered and discussed the issues of combating illicit drug trafficking and the diversion of chemical precursors within the framework of law enforcement cooperation with non-law enforcement actors, such as public health authorities and social services. The practical issues of cooperation, improving and elimination of obstacles in the process of controlling the narcotic substances and precursors trafficking in the chemical and transportation industries were also discussed at the event.

According to the experts estimate, there are more than 1 million consumers of opium drugs in Europe, more than 350 types of narcotic (drugs), out of which 80 are new types of psychoactive substances. It is all illegally used. Therefore, there is a need to improve a rapid exchange of information on both legitimate trade and illicit precursors trafficking, licensing of precursors trade, inspection, control over exports and imports and etc. to prevent the diversion of chemical precursors into illegal channels.During the session: Working with the transportation industry and border management in the fight against illicit drug trafficking, the responsibility of transport companies, which can be used by drug traffickers to move illicit drugs by land, sea and air, was discussed. Establishment of strict control of the precursor’s supply by manufacturers and trading companies was recommended.The law enforcement experts from the OSCE participating States have considered concrete patterns of trans-border cooperation between the border and customs services in the fight against illicit drug trafficking, in particular from Afghanistan to the OSCE region. Measures to strengthen international cooperation in controlled delivery and suppression of corruption at the borders were also discussed.At the session on maintaining public safety and security in co-operation with public health authorities and social services the new approaches and scientific research outcomes in the use of illicit drugs, their harm, as well as activities to prevent the use of these substances were studied. Participants were familiarized with the lessons learnt from the co-operation and joint activities of law enforcement agencies with public health authorities and social services aiming to prevent drug abuse, reduce illicit drug market. An overview of the law enforcement strategies and actions at the national and international levels, prioritizing in preventive actions against drug-related crime, the availability and accessibility of health care system, preventive measures aimed at reducing drug abuse and dependence on it was presented. And finally, the last session on the topic: “Training opportunities to combat illicit drugs and to prevent chemical precursors’ diversion” was dedicated to professional and specialized training. On this issue an experience and approach of several educational institutions was shared. The management of these institutions shared their experiences of training at the national and international levels. Also in this session the law enforcement and private sector training needs, interested in establishing control of illicit drugs and precursors, were discussed.