NATO HQ, Brussels 10 June 2005

Speech by Dr. John Reid, UK Secretary of State for Defence To the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Counter Narcotics: Drug Trafficking in and Around Afghanistan The international community went into Afghanistan in 2001 to prevent the country from ever again being a base for international terrorism. It is clear thatdrugs are now the single greatest threat to Afghanistan’s long-term security and stability. The problem affects all neighbouring countries in the region. Despite the progress that Afghanistan has made in the last few years, opium production and trafficking dominates its economy. Despite the law enforcement efforts of some neighbouring countries, drugs flow relatively freely through them into Europe. Extent of Problem Afghanistan supplies almost 90% of the world’s heroin . It sustains increasingly large in-country and neighbouring addict communities. The annual UNODC Survey in 2004 reported a 64% leap in opium poppy cultivation. Production increased by 17%. 10% of the Afghan population is now enmeshed in the drugs trade, the export value of which amounts to around 60% of the country’s GDP. Internal Implications Drugs fuel insurgency and endemic corruption across Afghanistan , centrally and at provincial level.When tackling this, we must bear in mind the following:- the Afghan government capacity to deliver progress against drugs is extremely weak. the continuing uncertainties of the post-conflict situation, the influence of warlords, extreme poverty leading to opium dependency, the lack of the necessary skills to facilitate a move away from a dependence on opium poppy cultivation, the simple fact is that a lack of good government fosters the drugs trade - and the drugs trade fosters the lack of good government . Of course, Afghanistan’s geography fuels trans-national trafficking of opiates . Its borders are long, remote and often porous. The primary trafficking routes from Afghanistan are via Pakistan, Iran and the Central Asian Republics. These supply illegal markets in Russia, the EU and all the countries along the way. But the regional capacity to tackle such trafficking is weak. There have been some CN successes in Iran and Pakistan but there is a daunting flow of drugs to stem. Drug addiction rates are also rising in the region, fuelling organised criminality. So, the scale of problem means that there are no quick fixes . Although there are early indications that overall opium poppy cultivation in 2005 should fall, expert opinion says this is likely to be cyclical. But the possible decrease this year gives us a crucial window of opportunity to do more. As G8 lead nation on Counter Narcotics in Afghanistan, the United Kingdom salutes the determination of President Karzai and his Government in implementing the 2005 Counter Narcotics Implementation Plan, signed in February. We are pleased to give him our support and to assist with the development of a long-term Afghan plan to update their National Drug Control Strategy. The2005 Plan is a framework for action that sets out Counter Narcotics activity under eight pillars: Building institutions, Information campaigns, Alternative Livelihoods, Interdiction and law enforcement, Criminal Justice, Eradication, Demand Reduction and the treatment of addicts and Regional Cooperation. Perhaps I could say a bit on regional co-operation. It is essential to thwart the movement of narcotics out of Afghanistan, through her neighbouring countries and beyond. The April 2004 Berlin Declaration on CN within the framework of the Kabul Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration sets out an action plan. The aim is to increase regional cooperation to disrupt the drugs trade across Afghanistan’s borders, principally those with Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan . The UK and others have increased CN assistance to these countries. But we need to do much more, collectively, to stem the flow. The Afghans and the international community also need to develop a better understanding of the criminal money flows from Afghan heroin and how best to combat the supply of precursor chemicals – vital for the processing of opium into heroin – from neighbouring countries into Afghanistan. The Afghans need our help as they build the capacity to tackle the drug trade . But this problem will not be solved by military means alone. International military forces have a role to play but it is clear from the strands of activity I have mentioned that it is not the only effort. ISAF cannot provide all the answers but it can support key areas of CN work in our attempts to accelerate the delivery of that capacity. Delivering a secure environment without bringing the drugs trade under control is not possible. The CN annex to ISAF’s operational plan sets out the scope of Counter Narcotics work that ISAF should do. We must implement it fully and consistently. Notes to Editors UK Defence Secretary John Reid was attending the NATO Defence Ministers meetings, Brussels 9-10 June 2005. For media enquiries please call MOD Press Office on 07747 565017 or 020 7218 7924.