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Afghanistan

Answer

The UK, as lead nation on counter narcotics (CN), remains committed to supporting the Afghan Government in the implementation of their comprehensive 2005 CN Implementation Plan. A UK advisor is also currently working with the Ministry of Counter Narcotics Strategy Unit to update the National Drugs Control Strategy for the new five-year period. We continue to work with the Afghan Government and others to increase activity in all areas of their strategy. As well as co-ordinating the activity of international partners, we are providing substantial financial and practical support, spending over £270 million over the three financial years 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08 on CN activity.Significant steps have already been taken to build Afghan capacity to tackle the drugs problem. At the end of last year, the Government of Afghanistan established the Ministry of Counter Narcotics charged with co-ordinating the fight against drugs. This year, the Ministry has organised on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan a series of high profile provincial CN ““jirgas””—meetings of local leaders, to persuade local communities to not plant poppy this year, these meetings have taken place with the support of our ambassador in Kabul. The UK is funding a £12.5 million Institution Development project to further strengthen the Ministry of Counter Narcotics and other institutions in Afghanistan. On 29 October, a CN Trust Fund was officially launched at the Afghan Ministry of Finance. The Fund will give the Government of Afghanistan more money for CN activities and greater say over how this money is spent.The UK has helped to establish and provide training for the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA)—the lead drugs law enforcement agency, headquartered in Kabul with seven provincial offices. The CNPA is currently around 500 strong, but will be expanded further to give it the capacity to operate nation-wide. The UK is also providing training for the Afghan Special Narcotics Force (ASNF), an elite and highly trained force equipped to tackle high value targets across the country. Since January 2004, the CNPA and ASNF have seized approximately 150 tonnes of opiates, destroyed over 264 drugs labs and made a significant number of arrests.We are also working with the international community to recruit and train a counter narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force of Afghan investigators, prosecutors and judges to work with the Counter Narcotics Police, to be able to push through successful drugs investigations and prosecutions. The Criminal Justice Task Force is currently around 80 strong and made its first convictions in May this year for drug trafficking in Kabul. President Karzai also signed off a decree on 25 July, to establish Counter Narcotics divisions in Kabul's primary and appeals courts with jurisdiction over the whole of Afghanistan.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

29597; 439 c2128-9W;439 c2128W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Drugs International assistance Production Afghanistan Opium

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk