Topic: Preventing the Smuggling of Illegal Drugs
Country: Rwanda
Delegate Name: Kelsi Conroy
School: Kalamazoo Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Rwanda position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
It is the Republic of Rwanda’s opinion that the illegal use of drugs is an international health problem, however the smuggling and intent to distribute the drugs is a crime. The illicit drug trade is a profitable endeavor, second only to the illicit trade of arms.
Rwanda is trying to stop the illicit drugs trade for many reasons. There are two main types of drugs being smuggled into the country. The psychoactive drugs being smuggled into the country are mostly cocaine, opium, morphine, inhalants, cannabis (marijuana), and hashish. The prescription drugs are MDMA (Ecstasy), hydrocodone, methamphetamine, amphetamine, Oxy Contin, Viagra, and sleeping pills. These are the drugs that are get smuggled and abused the most.
The Anti-Narcotics Unit was founded after a tremendous increase in drug related crimes. There are a lot of drug related crimes being committed in Rwanda. There is not one crime being committed more than the rest involving drugs. Many of the crimes include: possession, sale, purchase, concealment, use and consumption, exporting to others, and importing into the country.
There are some plans and conventions in order, but not many. One plan, The Regional Program, includes mutually reinforcing initiatives at the regional and national levels and com-promises of for Sub-Programs: organized crime and illicit trafficking, justice and integrity, drug prevention and health, and awareness and research. Rwandan police should add, a national narcotics database to keep track of what drugs an how much of it is being trafficked.
The government should definitely target drug shipments. If you can stop the shipments from getting in, people won’t be getting and drugs, and the producers will get mad at all the drugs being wasted. The goal would be to get the producers to stop sending the drugs to Rwanda. One step that would make this effective would be to strengthen the government. Right now they have a very weak criminal justice system. If they strengthen it, then they could have the ability to find and stop the illicit drug trade.
