Topic: Drug Cartels and Organized Crime
Country: Jordan
Delegate Name: Isabel Ivanescu
School: Roeper School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Jordan position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
Jordan has been and continues to be deeply troubled by the rise of global crime syndicates funded by the drug trade; not only do these drug cartels sell dangerous and illegal products, they conduct their business with impunity, flagrantly disregarding both laws and human rights, and then use their revenues to fund further illegal activities (including acts of terror) and claim more victims.
Though there are many alarming examples of such groups, one of grave concern to Jordan is Daesh. Recent reports have indicated that the group now controls trafficking routes from abundant suppliers in Northern Afghanistan to the rest of the Middle East, regularly exploits them to traffic cocaine, heroin, and hashish, (1) and potentially accrues a profit of up to $1 billion per year, (2) or nearly half of its total funding, in doing so. Unfortunately we are all familiar with the results of that funding. This is to say that drug smugglers, cartels, and syndicates do not limit their activities to distribution of illegal substances; instead they promulgate radicalism, political instability, and violence, throughout the world. As such, Jordan believes that to the extent of setting policy, this issue falls firmly within the purview of the United Nations Security of Council; after all, it is security, and not merely society, that is under threat.
Jordan firmly believes that only a comprehensive package of both short-term and long-term measures will successfully quell the influx of drugs and the associated consequences they bring to various nations. Regarding the short-term, we must concentrate our efforts at arresting those currently involved in trafficking. Regarding the long-term, we must direct our focus at eliminating both suppliers and buyers.
In order to increase the fraction of smugglers who are caught, nations around the world will have to instate increased border security measures and agree to greater intelligence sharing and cooperation on this topic. Of course, as the principles of sovereignty dictate, whether a nation chooses to adopt these measures and take these precautions is the decision of that nation alone, but it is the purpose of the Security Council to propose the appropriate measures, foster the appropriate willingness, and urge its members to take the appropriate action. Ultimately, however, it is perhaps the destabilizing effects of drug-sponsored crime that pose a larger threat to governmental jurisdiction and territorial integrity than could any actions taken by the United Nations conceivably be seen to violate national sovereignty.
Concerning reducing the supply of drug precursors and products as well as decreasing the clientele, more direct United Nations action is desirable and even necessary. A set of initiatives seeking to provide for farmers who are willing to switch from raising drug related crops to the cultivation of regular produce, if properly funded, could be quite successful. Jordan, for one, does not believe that the length of time requisite for such a switch is insurmountable. It seems that if economic security is guaranteed, farmers who, by large majority, do not otherwise involve themselves in international crime would be favor escaping the danger and stigma of their illicit dealings.
Meanwhile, another broad-based set of initiatives should be instituted to provide education on the effects of drug use, treatment for substance abuse, and overall economic and societal improvement, which is generally a marker of less drug consumption. The Security Council should define the bounds and procedures of all the above initiatives and attempt to provide for their funding, then delegate their actual implementation to the various UN organs and bodies dealing with the specific issues mentioned.
Jordan is most pleased for the opportunity to address these issues systematically and globally, and hopes for the committee’s success.
Notes:
(1) Islamic State Use Drug Trade to Bankroll Their Jihad, Says Spanish Intelligence, Newsweek, 2014
(2) Islamic State Group Now Controls Key Drug Trafficking Routes, Global Research Center for Research on Globalization, 2015
