Committee: Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)
Topic: International Drug Trade
Country: Cuba
Delegate Name: Grace Griemsman
Last year alone Cuba seized over 2.4 tons of drugs, yet this was the least amount taken by the government over the past three years. Although there have been conferences and agreements set to help stop this dire issue, the regulation of drug trade around the world has done anything but help prevent this illegal, international transportation and consumption of drugs. Not only is this international drug trade becoming a problem for individual countries but it is also threatening the safety of the international community.
Given the deep history of drugs in Cuba and the rapidly increasing consumption and production of drugs around the world, it is time to step up to this large-scale war on drugs. Looking at Cuba, over the past few years, many new efforts for the prevention and implementation have greatly increased as a way to reduce the effect of drugs on the citizens of Cuba, but Cuba is not just trying to help its own communities. With these new regulations, Cuba is using its geographical location as a stopping point for drug trade coming from other countries.
One main source of the illegal drug trade that many countries are oblivious to is the use of waterways and oceans as a means of transporting illegal drugs. Of the 2.4 tons of drugs seized by Cuban authorities, many came from the maritime routes. For Cuba, more than 90% of drug trafficking operations are carried out by oceans, but that doesn’t mean Cuba should be one of the only countries to seize drug trade at the sea. If more countries are able to seize drugs through maritime means this will help to prevent the wide-spread selling of drugs and get us one step closer to stopping the international drug trade. Therefore, Cuba believes that the UN must focus on minimizing the supply-side of the international drug trade and do this through higher regulation on the waters.
- Grace Griemsman
