September 16, 2019
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Country: Morocco
Committee: SPECPOL
Topic: Illegal Drug Trade
Delegate: Caleb Barker
School: Williamston High School

 

The international drug trade is a huge problem across all parts of the globe. This illegal drug trade is defined as the illegal production, distribution, and sale of substances subject to countries drug prohibition laws. This is a complex problem to take down, because the producers, cartels, smugglers, consumers, gangs, and organizations are so spread out and diverse, it’s hard to see where to even start trying to tackle this. The first conferences discussing this issue, such as the Ten Year Agreement, and the Hague Opium Conference were held in the early 1900’s, but since then the production, and consumption of illegal substances has grown to a much larger scale. Over 95% of countries in the united nations are members of one of  3 conferences regarding the international drug trade, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. It’s Clear that drastic action must be taken to shut down this movement of illegal drugs across national borders. 

 

Morocco’s FBI and law enforcement has made great strides in protecting its citizens from the danger of illegal drugs. In October 2017, they seized 2.5 tons of cocaine, and in august 2016 they foiled an attempt to smuggle 198 tons of marijuana into the country. Despite this, Morocco remains the world’s largest producer of marijuana, and is responsible for 60-70% of cannabis seized in Europe.In fact, over 50% of the countries economy relies on the black market, and ⅔ of that specifically is the drug trade. Government officials seem to be complacent about the countries export of illegal drugs to surrounding areas and European countries. 

 

Because my country relies so heavily on marijuana for its economy, cracking down on the production and transport of it would cause huge economic repercussions. Cannabis cultivation and exportation provides income to 800,000 citizens, so it’s easy to see why eliminating this aspect of our economy could pose a problem. However, drug trafficking is often linked to corruption, as well as other crimes, such as money laundering, human trafficking, and organized crime circles. Our government is working hard to find alternative solutions to support our economy, such as rural tourism. It is clear that this international drug trade poses a threat not only to my country, but to the entire world, and our country plays a huge role in the distribution of illegal substances to Europe and other surrounding areas. Because our citizens rely on the income provided by this drug trade however, it is difficult to find a solution that does good for the world as a whole, but doesn’t harm our country’s citizens and economy beyond the point of repair. This is why we need help from the United Nations. If we can get economic support to provide for our citizens until an alternative source of income can be found, this will allow us to crack down heavily on the production and exportation of illegal drugs in our country. Because our country is the leading producer of marijuana, this would be a huge step in eliminating this problem once and for all.

  • Caleb Barker

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