Illicit Drugs
Overview
Drug trafficking is an international problem with growing links to other forms
of criminal activities. Canada places a high priority on the need for a coordinated
international response to assist other countries and meet international standards.
As such, Canada has made a commitment to work multilaterally, regionally, and
bilaterally on drug issues.
Domestic Initiatives
Canada promotes a balanced approach that addresses both the supply and demand
of illicit drugs, an approach affirmed by governments from around the world
at the 2003 United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. The domestic foundation
for Canada’s international approach is Canada’s
Drug Strategy, which is committed to dealing with the root causes of substance
abuse through a balanced approach comprising four pillars: namely, prevention,
education, treatment and enforcement.
International Initiatives
As part of our commitment to international anti-drug efforts, Canada is party
to many formal agreements. These include the three United Nations Conventions
related to drugs: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and
its 1972 Protocol; the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances;
and the 1988 Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances. Canada also signed the European Anti-Doping Convention
in 1996. Canada has fifteen bilateral mutual legal assistance treaties in place
with provisions relating to drug offences that enable Canada to provide and
obtain mutual assistance with its treaty partners. (In addition) Canada has
also concluded extradition treaties to prevent drug traffickers from using international
borders to avoid prosecution.
Multilateral Fora:
The primary fora for Canada’s international drug control cooperation
at the multilateral level are
- the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
where we actively participate in the central policy-making bodies of the Commission
on Narcotic Drugs (CND)
and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ);
- the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD,
the drug-fighting body of the Organization of American States).
Canada is a major donor to both the UNODC and CICAD, and was elected as Chair
of CICAD for the year November 2003-November 2004.
Canada participates in several drug-related fora outside the formal UN context:
the Dublin Group, a local regional, and global consultative forum that discusses
drug issues in over 40 capitals; the Paris Pact, a partnership of countries
affected by opium from Afghanistan; the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
and its sister organization, the Caribbean FATF,
which conducts peer reviews and provides information for consultation and coordination
on money laundering issues; regional fora such as the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Asia
or the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in
the Caribbean; and a number of international fora related to anti-doping in
sport.
In addition to Canada’s active involvement in CICAD, we participate in
other hemispheric bodies including the Summit of the Americas process, which
includes government commitments to a wide range of initiatives directed at drug
abuse and production. Canada continues to be an active partner with the Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO), and
it is now involved in regional and specialized groups dealing with issues such
as customs, law enforcement and money-laundering, such as the Caribbean Customs
Law Enforcement Council.
Bilateral Efforts:
Bilaterally, Canadian law enforcement and policy agencies maintain close contacts
with their counterparts around the world. This is particularly so with the United
States, where cross-border drug trafficking is a key concern for both our countries.
The Canada-U.S.
Border Drug Threat Assessment is a report prepared jointly by Canadian and
American officials that assesses this common threat. With many other countries
around the world, Canada provides police assistance in drug control or related
areas through bilateral programs of the RCMP, Customs Canada, Health Canada,
Foreign Affairs Canada, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),
and the Department of Justice. This includes police training and technical assistance
provided on a bilateral and regional basis through CICAD and the UNODC, working
to decrease the availability and harm of illicit drugs.
Additional Links
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police website includes information on the RCMP
Drug Enforcement Branch activities, as well as the RCMP
Drug Awareness Program.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA)
is an arms-length, national agency which promotes informed debate on substance
abuse issues and assists organizations involved in substance abuse treatment,
prevention and educational programming.
The Department
of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada’s Policing and Law
Enforcement Directorate works with officials from other departments and
with police organizations and non-governmental organizations in the development
and implementation of drug policy and regulations. It also supports work in
international fora, including the United Nations, the Organization of American
States, and the G8.
The Department of Justice helps
the Federal Government develop policy and to make and reform laws as needed.
The Parliamentary website provides access
to Parliament’s consideration of drug-related legislation and issues,
including the work in 2003 of the House Special Committee on the Non-Medical
Use of Drugs and the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs.
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