DATE: NOVEMBER 14, 2019
SUBMITTED TO: SPECIAL POLITICAL
FROM: SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRADE
It is no surprise to anyone that the international drug trade has been on the agenda of international policy makers for quite some time. To be more specific, it has again and again found a spot for itself on the U.N table with a multitude of policies attempting to tackle it once and for all. Unfortunately, currently implemented solutions have not produced the results the international community is looking for. The international drug trade has created a massive global network of traffickers, producers, consumers, criminals, and terrorists that seek to undermine and evade international law. It is this committee’s job to implement effective policy that addresses this elusive network.
Vietnam has dealt with the effects of the drug trade due to its close proximity to the Golden Triangle, an area covering 367,000 square miles in Southeast Asia where a large portion of the world’s opium is produced. The birth of this region can be attributed to European monopolization of the opium trade in the 1800’s. Europeans hoped to gain access to Asian markets since there was little demand from the Chinese and neighboring provinces for European goods. The illicit narcotics trade was further cultivated in the 1950’s and 1960’s with U.S intelligence efforts that attempted to support anti-communist insurgents in the region by supplying arms, ammunition, and air transport aid insurgents in the trafficking and production of opium and other narcotics. This area is created by the borders that separate Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand. The mountainous terrain and distance from major urban centers creates an ideal place for illicit poppy cultivation and opium smuggling. An impactful resolution must be able to address major regions of cultivation such as the Golden Triangle.
Vietnam proposes a framework that answers specific policy questions in hopes of molding effective responses. The issue of how to deal with the diversification of local, regional, state, and international policies is a crucial one since conformity is needed to objectionalize the problem at hand. Another crucial issue is how to effectively prioritize the international drug problem while preventing it from being used to push broader developmental affairs and state-run interests. If these questions are successfully answered, this committee will move in the right direction to create impactful international policy.
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam strongly affirms that the drug trade problem must be an international effort in order for solvency to be reached. An effective resolution should focus on three aspects:
1. Using effective supply and demand reduction policies
2.Balancing regional and international cooperation
3. Full conformity with the UN charter and respecting the sovereignty of each nation
To highlight the impact of this approach, Vietnam has successfully eradicated the cultivation of illicit narcotics following a 10 year plan as outlined by the 2009 Political Declaration and Action Plan that adheres to the three aspects previously mentioned. In addition, we have also diversified our treatment options for those who are addicted since harm reduction is a major step towards eliminating a prominent illicit drug network. Viet Nam is committed to working closely with other states, international organizations and UN agencies in addressing and countering drug problem in the region and around the globe. This holistic scope, supported by international cooperation, will bring solvency to the issue at hand. Vietnam looks forward to creating a comprehensive resolution with effective mechanisms that guarantees change.
- Connor Brezenski
