Crisis Update Paper

NHSMUN 2015
UNODC: The South Asia Methamphetamine Crisis
Update Paper
NHSMUN
National High School Model United Nations
New York City | March 04-07, 2015
IMUNA
International Model United Nations Association
N ATIONAL H IGH S CHOOL M ODEL U NITED N ATIONS
The 41st Annual Conference • March 4 – March 7, 2015
February 2015
Shirley Wu
Dear Delegates,
Secretary-General
Princeton University
Lily O’Connell
Director-General
University of Pennsylvania
Brody Duncan
Conference Director
McGill University
Alec Guertin
Welcome to NHSMUN! My name is Diego Fernandez-Pages, and I will be the Assistant
Director for this year’s Crisis. You are about to embark upon quite an adventure as you
participate in this committee—its twists and turns are enough to make even an experienced
delegate’s head spin. Within all this excitement, however, you will also have the opportunity to
interpret and tackle issues that are relevant in today’s world. That was always my favorite part
about crisis committees: the uncertainty, the excitement, and that accomplished feeling after
dealing with one crisis after another.
Director of Security
University of California,
Berkeley
Jason Toney
Chief of External Relations
Bard College
Laura Beltran-Rubio
Chief of Staff
Parsons The New School for
Design
Jinny Jung
Under-Secretary General of
Administrative Affairs
University of Michigan
Helen Robertson
Under-Secretary General
University of Virginia
Joe Sherlock
Under-Secretary General
Bowdoin College
Erin Corcoran
Under-Secretary General
My experience with NHSMUN is, unfortunately, minimal: I never went to the conference as a
delegate. This will be my first time working for the organization, but I’m incredibly excited to
participate in such an incredible event. While I went to high school in Brookline,
Massachusetts, however, I actively participated in Model UN, eventually becoming SecretaryGeneral my junior year. Now, I’m a freshman at Yale University, and I intend to major in
Ethics, Politics, and Economics—although I’m also interested in Art History, Literature, and
History. I’m directing the crisis committee at the Yale MUN in Taiwan this May, and I write
for the Politic, one of the publications on campus. I also work at the Yale Center for British
Art—a lovely institution that all of you should visit if you’re ever in the area. Finally, my
favorite activity is travel: I can’t get enough of going to new places, and I’m looking forward to
hearing about all of the adventures that you’ve embarked on around the world.
I’m incredibly excited to get to know you over the course of the conference. As your AD, I’m
responsible for helping you out with whatever you need and to make your experience at
NHSMUN as comfortable, as engaging, and as fun as possible. Whether it is to introduce
yourself, ask me questions, send me love letters, or just out of curiosity, please feel free to
contact me. Have a great next couple of months and I’ll see you in New York!
Harvard University
Costanza Cicero
Best,
Under-Secretary General
University of Bologna
Alyssa Greenhouse
Under-Secretary General
Duke University
Paula Kates
Under-Secretary General
Tufts University
NHSMUN is a project of the International Model
United Nations Association, Incorporated
(IMUNA). IMUNA, a not-for-profit, all
volunteer organization, is dedicated to furthering
global issues education at the secondary school level.
Diego Fernández-Pagés
Assistant Director, Crisis: UNODC
National High School Model United Nations 2015
Crisis: UNODC
TOPIC: THE SOUTH ASIA METHAMPHETAMINE CRISIS
UPDATE PAPER
Over the course of the last few months, the progress, the methods, and the politics of drug
trafficking have changed very little. What has changed is the response to drug trafficking, and the
action that states or groups of states decide to embark upon to handle the illicit trade of illegal
substances. In Southeast Asia the problems around drug trafficking are compounded by porous
borders, corruption, and well-organized syndicates that work on an international level.1 Although the
nations of the region have been working to limit the drug trade, synthetic drug production has
increased by a factor of at least five in Southeast Asia, and drug seizures are at their highest levels in
history—indicative of both greater efficiency in arrests and greater proliferation of goods.2 As a
result of increasing threats posed by the illicit drug trade, especially around synthetic drugs like
methamphetamines, bodies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the
United Nations (UN) have worked to develop an international approach to mitigate trafficking.3
Finally, considering the globalized nature of trade and trafficking, the problem is not limited to
Southeast Asia, and involves players from around the world. Thus, drug trafficking evolves on both
a regional and a global basis, and Southeast Asian action against the illicit trade has been changing in
response to increases in production and distribution around the region.
Over the last six months, drug trafficking originating in and throughout Southeast Asia has increased
predictably as the market expands and new syndicates arise. Analysts from the United Nations
calculate at least a five-fold increase in production and have tracked a seven-fold increase in drug
seizures over the last five years. This is largely due to borders that are difficult to patrol in full, as
well as regional integration agreements that facilitate movement and trade between countries with
minimal supervision in Southeast Asia.4 These integration agreements are meant to facilitate free
trade between nations like Thailand, Malaysia, and notably (due to its recent economic reopening)
Myanmar. This is particularly carried out through ASEAN, and has formulated bilateral trade
agreements in the region. An unintended consequence of the deregulation of cross-border trade has
been the proliferation of illicit drug trafficking, the increase of which has been acknowledged by the
nations of the region.5
One of the most important developments of the last few months has been the solidification of trade
routes from origins to destinations. The Golden Triangle constitutes one of the most important
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Illicit Drugs in East Asia and the Pacific: ‘Recent Developments and Looking Over the Horizon’” United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime, 20 Oct 2014, accessed 1 Jan 2015,
https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/Presentation%20-%20Jeremy%20Douglas%20%20Illicit%20drugs%20in%20East%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific%202014.pdf.
2 Ibid.
3 “Jakarta to host conference on Southeast Asia drug trafficking,” Thai Public Broadcasting Service, 3 Dec 2014, accessed 1
Jan 2015, http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/jakarta-host-conference-southeast-asia-drug-trafficking.
4 “Synthetic drugs a major drag on development and the rule of law in East and Southeast Asia,” UNODC, 20 Aug 2014,
accessed 1 Jan 2015, https://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/2014/08/smart-regionalworkshop/story.html.
5 Ibid.
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drug producing regions in the world, and this is made up by parts of northern Myanmar, Laos, and
Vietnam. Research conducted in November of 2014 suggests that the areas that see the most
widespread illicit trading in drugs are around the borders of Myanmar with Laos, and Laos with
Vietnam.6 Several high-profile busts were conducted here between 2012 and 2014, but consumption
of illegal drugs in all three nations continues to remain high, suggesting that production in parts of
southern China and in other Southeast Asian nations remains an important source of drugs.7
Furthermore, reports indicate that the worth of illegal drug production in opiates alone exceeded 16
billion US dollars in 2014.8 According to government sources in Myanmar, “the problem is bigger
than ever before because there are no laws in these areas.”9 The national response to this increase in
drug trafficking mostly consist in drug busts, and targets the process of trade or consumption, rather
than production.
Perhaps the most significant recent development of drug policy in Southeast Asia is in the meetings
and conferences that have been organized over the past four months in order to address the issues
at hand. Among these was a summit held in Yangon in August and an ASEAN gathering in Jakarta
in December, both of which contributed to the outline of future action around drug trafficking.10
The meeting in Jakarta particularly helped solidify preexisting laws and organizations that combat
drug trafficking under the banner of ASEAN. Among other objectives, the conference set goals for
“implementing a new paradigm to manage the risk of drugs,” increased budget allocations, and
assigned committees like the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters (ASOD) to develop
better practices around dealing with drugs past 2015.11
International cooperation against drug traffickers has increased as these meetings are held across the
member states of ASEAN. Operations in Thailand and Myanmar in August targeted drug trafficking
rings and mobilized various sectors of the government—namely the police and the army—to bust
significant stashes of substances in regional hotspots of trafficking activity.12 Cooperation between
governments and various sectors of government branches suggests efforts on the parts of
governments to comply with the standards set by ASEAN and ASOD in recent months—although
the problem is far from the top priority of many governments in the region. Nations like Myanmar
invest more in putting down insurgencies and violent groups, like the United Wa State Army, an
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Drug trafficking trends & border management in South-East Asia: ‘Responding to an evolving context of regional
integration,’” UNODC, 19 Nov 2014, accessed 1 Jan 2015,
http://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/CND_Preparations/Brown_bag_lunch/Asia/2014.11.19_CND_prepa
ration_for_UNGASS_2016_final.pdf.
7 “Synthetic drugs a major drag on development and the rule of law in East and Southeast Asia.”
8 Philip Heijmans, “UN: Opium harvests soaring in Southeast Asia,” Al Jazeera, 08 Dec 2014, accessed 1 Jan 2015,
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/12/un-opium-harvests-soaring-southeast-asia201412784951830740.html.
9 Ibid.
10 “Synthetic drugs a major drag on development and the rule of law in East and Southeast Asia.”; “Jakarta to host
conference on Southeast Asia drug trafficking.”
11 “Chairman’s Statement, The 3rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters,” ASEAN, 3 Dec 2014, accessed 1 Jan
2015,
http://www.asean.org/images/pdf/2014_upload/Chairmans%20Statement%20of%20the%20Third%20ASEAN%20M
inisterial%20Meeting%20on%20Drug%20Matters5.pdf.
12 Rohit Wadhwaney, “Burma, Thailand authorities find meth, heroin and opium stashes,” Asia Pacific Defense Forum, 2
Sep 2014, accessed 2 Jan 2015,
http://apdforum.com/en_GB/article/rmiap/articles/online/features/2014/09/02/burma-drug-stash.
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ethnic rebel group that controls large parts of the Shan State in the east of the country.13 Often,
however, these rebel groups are involved in drug trade and production—the Shan State in Myanmar
also happens to be the source of production of most of the nation’s synthetic drugs.14
The spread of drug trafficking is not limited to Myanmar, or to Southeast Asia and China. Most of
the world’s opiates come from Afghanistan, for instance, and more is being produced in places like
Mexico and throughout South America.15 Cities like Mombassa, on the Kenyan coast, have been
designated “havens” for drug traffickers and have become key points in the international drug
trade.16 Latin American cartels have been exporting drugs, including methamphetamines, into Asia
for several years now as well.17 The same patterns can be seen in places as diverse as West Africa,
Europe, and the Middle East, and the expansion of the drug trade has brought with it instability and
political uncertainty in an increasingly interconnected world. As human migration across borders is
made easier, so is the movement and trafficking of drugs.
Splinter rebel groups and violence are not only the cause but also sometimes the result of drug
trafficking, as delineated by a statement that China made in November against drug trafficking.18
This destabilization of government control over drug smuggling regions has forced many countries
to adopt stricter methods and deploy more armed forces to curb destructive activities. China has
“stepped up cooperation” with the nations of Southeast Asia (notably Laos, Myanmar, and
Thailand) in order to help solidify its presence in border regions and, speculatively, to enhance
influence among its southern neighbors.19 “Stepping up cooperation” likely means that the People’s
Republic is interested in maintaining positive relations with its neighbors in the face of a crisis like
drug trafficking, but not much more is known about China’s intentions at this time.
Finally, in the last few months, the spread of Southeast Asian drugs to other regions of the world
(namely Oceania, although this also includes parts of the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe)
shows the growth and proliferation of trafficking groups.20 Drug busts in Australia carried out as
recently as December have revealed the source of large stashes of methamphetamine to be Laos,
Vietnam, Myanmar, and China. In response to this discovery, in one case of up to three tons of illicit
substances, Australian authorities have proceeded to issue warnings and shut down cooperative
programs with the states in question, turning the drug control problem into an issue of international
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ibid.
Ibid.
15 Nick Miroff, “Tracing the US heroin surge back south of the border as Mexican cannabis output falls,” Washington
Post, 6 Apr 2014, accessed 13 Jan 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/tracing-the-us-heroin-surge-backsouth-of-the-border-as-mexican-cannabis-output-falls/2014/04/06/58dfc590-2123-4cc6-b6641e5948960576_story.html
16 Karen Allen, “Traffickers’ drug havens in Kenya,” BBC News, 9 May 2006, accessed 13 Jan 2015,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4753377.stm.
17 AFP, “Carteles de Colombia y Latinoamérica exportan cada vez mas hacia Asia,” El Expectador, 4 Sep 2013, accessed
27 Jan 2015, http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/elmundo/carteles-de-colombia-y-latinoamerica-exportan-cada-vezarticulo-444299.
18 “China blames rise in violence on drug smuggling from Southeast Asia,” Reuters, 18 Nov 2014, accessed 2 Jan 2015,
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/19/us-china-drugs-idUSKCN0J304I20141119.
19 Ibid.
20 “Drug trafficking trends and border management in Southeast Asia.”
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relations.21 Thus, if Southeast Asia is to escape from dangerous diplomatic tangles and the
deterioration of relations with otherwise friendly neighbors, it has to address the drug problem as
effectively as possible.
The last few months have both revealed a perilous proliferation of drug smuggling and a conscious
effort on the part of Southeast Asian nations to mitigate it. Governments in the region have been
mobilizing somewhat effectively against rings of traffickers and along border regions, but what this
has revealed is that, in order to shut down the illicit drug trade, countries also need to target
underlying structural issues in the areas that this trade is operating in. Violence, rebellion, lack of
infrastructure and poverty are all issues associated with the drug trade, and in order to fully ensure
its end, it is necessary to address these problems as well as ascribing to traditional methods.
!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Australia target for ice from China,” Australian Associated Press, 9 Dec 2014, accessed 2 Jan 2015,
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2014/12/09/australia-target-for-ice-from-china.html.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
AFP, “Carteles de Colombia y Latinoamérica exportan cada vez mas hacia Asia.” El Expectador, 4
Sep 2013, accessed 27 Jan 2015, http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/elmundo/cartelesde-colombia-y-latinoamerica-exportan-cada-vez-articulo-444299.
A discussion of the recent trend in exporting illegal drugs to Asia.
“Drug trafficking trends & border management in South-East Asia: ‘Responding to an evolving
context of regional integration.’” UNODC, 19 Nov 2014, accessed 1 Jan 2015,
http://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/CND_Preparations/Brown_bag_lunch/As
ia/2014.11.19_CND_preparation_for_UNGASS_2016_final.pdf.
A report sponsored by the UNODC that discusses the evolving importance of a unified regional response to the drug
trafficking crisis.
“Illicit Drugs in East Asia and the Pacific: ‘Recent Developments and Looking Over the Horizon.’”
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 20 Oct 2014, accessed 1 Jan 2015,
https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/Presentation%20%20Jeremy%20Douglas%20%20Illicit%20drugs%20in%20East%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific%202014.pdf.
A discussion of the recent trends in drug trafficking and the use of other elicit drugs in East Asia.
“Synthetic drugs a major drag on development and the rule of law in East and Southeast Asia.”
UNODC, 20 Aug 2014, accessed 1 Jan 2015,
https://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/2014/08/smart-regionalworkshop/story.html.
Discusses the negative impact that the elicit drug trade has had on development in East and Southeast Asia as whole.
“Australia target for ice from China.” Australian Associated Press, 9 Dec 2014, accessed 2 Jan 2015,
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2014/12/09/australia-target-for-ice-fromchina.html.
An article published by the Australian Associated Press, which focuses on the issues of the illegal trade in Australia
and China.
Wadhwaney, Rohit, “Burma, Thailand authorities find meth, heroin and opium stashes.” Asia Pacific
Defense Forum, 2 Sep 2014, accessed 2 Jan 2015,
http://apdforum.com/en_GB/article/rmiap/articles/online/features/2014/09/02/burmadrug-stash.
An articles the details the discovery of meth, heroin, and opium stashes in Thailand and Burma.
“Chairman’s Statement, The 3rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters.” ASEAN, 3 Dec
2014, accessed 1 Jan 2015.
http://www.asean.org/images/pdf/2014_upload/Chairmans%20Statement%20of%20the%
20Third%20ASEAN%20Ministerial%20Meeting%20on%20Drug%20Matters5.pdf.
A write-up of the Chairman’s statement regarding drug trafficking and use at the third ASEAN meeting.
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“China blames rise in violence on drug smuggling from Southeast Asia.” Reuters, 18 Nov 2014,
accessed 2 Jan 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/19/us-china-drugsidUSKCN0J304I20141119.
An article that links the rise in violence within China to the rising issue of drug smuggling from Southeast Asia.
“Jakarta to host conference on Southeast Asia drug trafficking.” Thai Public Broadcasting Service. 3 Dec
2014, accessed 1 Jan 2015, http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/jakarta-host-conferencesoutheast-asia-drug-trafficking.
A discussion of a possible conference hosted by Jakarta that will focus on the rising issue of drug
trafficking within Southeast Asia.
Heijmans, Philip, “UN: Opium harvests soaring in Southeast Asia.” Al Jazeera, 08 Dec 2014,
accessed 1 Jan 2015, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/12/un-opiumharvests-soaring-southeast-asia-201412784951830740.html.
An article published by Al Jazeera that discussion UN findings of a significant rise in opium harvesting within
Southeast Asia.
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