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Illegal Drugs

Answer

Afghanistan currently accounts for 90 per cent. of heroin production worldwide. Our primary contribution to counter-narcotics is through promoting alternative livelihoods to drug cultivation, for which we will contribute £45 million in 2005–06. DFID's livelihoods programme addresses a range of issues including the development of alternative crops, access to agricultural services, as well as broader rural development issues such as market access, access to credit, skills development and improving Government planning at the provincial level. DFID is also working to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Afghanistan's counter-narcotics institutions which are essential for sustaining progress with counter-narcotics objectives and for long-term poverty reduction.Our principal contribution to counter-narcotics in coca-growing countries in Latin America is through European Commission assistance, of which the United Kingdom share is 18 per cent. The Commission provides assistance to tackle drug production to a number of Andean countries, including Bolivia, Peru and Colombia. For example, the Commission is providing €45 million in support to the Government of Bolivia to promote alternatives to coca production, including in economically depressed areas, from where unemployed Bolivians migrate to coca-growing regions. EC work is in addition to major US efforts to tackle drugs production in the region.Experience has shown that, to tackle illicit drug production effectively, developing countries need to reduce poverty and provide alternative economic opportunities, establish effective and accountable state mechanisms which provide adequate services to the poor, as well as develop the capacity to disrupt drugs production and trafficking networks. DFID's work to reduce poverty and build state capacity in drug-producing countries, even when not explicitly targeted at drug production, helps to provide the environment in which incentives to produce drugs are reduced.DFID's activities to address illicit drugs production are not dependent on whether the ultimate destination of the drug is the United Kingdom.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

30537; 440 c61W;440 c61W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Developing countries Drugs Production Afghanistan Heroin Cocaine Latin America

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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