Security Council resolution 1817 (2008) [on production and trafficking of drugs in Afghanistan]
Symbol: S/RES/1817(2008)
Date: 2008-06-11
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/63 [46] AFGHANISTAN SITUATION
S/63 [25] NARCOTIC DRUGS
Subjects: Bin Laden, Usama|International Narcotics Control Board|UN Office on Drugs and Crime|Afghanistan National Drug Control Strategy|Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board in Afghanistan|Paris Pact Initiative|Targeted Anti-Trafficking Regional Communication, Expertise and Training (TARCET) Initiative|Interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy|Qaida (Organization)|Taliban (Afghanistan)|UN. Commission on Narcotic Drugs|Ministerial Conference on Drug Trafficking Routes from Afghanistan (2nd : 2006 : Moscow)|UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988)|Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961). Protocols, etc., 1972 Mar. 25|DRUG PRODUCTION|DRUG TRAFFIC|PRECURSOR CHEMICALS|AFGHANISTAN|DRUG CONTROL|INTERNATIONAL DRUG MONITORING|REGIONAL COOPERATION|TREATY COMPLIANCE|DRUG LEGISLATION|BORDER TRAFFIC|FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE|TECHNICAL COOPERATION|CAPACITY BUILDING|PARTNERSHIP|PRIVATE SECTOR|COUNTER-TERRORISM
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BELGIUM
vote: yes
country: BURKINA FASO
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: COSTA RICA
vote: yes
country: CROATIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: INDONESIA
vote: yes
country: ITALY
vote: yes
country: LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA
vote: yes
country: PANAMA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VIET NAM
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                      S/RES/1817 (2008)
               Security Council                                                  Distr.: General
                                                                                 11 June 2008




               Resolution 1817 (2008)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 5907th meeting, on
               11 June 2008

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling its previous resolutions on Afghanistan, in particular its resolutions
               1659 (2006), 1776 (2007) and 1806 (2008), and the statement of its President on
               17 June 2003 (S/PRST/2003/7),
                     Recalling its resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1735 (2006), and reiterating its
               support for international efforts to combat terrorism in accordance with international
               law, including the Charter of the United Nations,
                     Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial
               integrity and national unity of Afghanistan,
                    Reaffirming its continued support for the Government and people of
               Afghanistan as they rebuild their country, strengthen the foundations of sustainable
               peace and constitutional democracy and assume their rightful place in the
               community of nations,
                     Noting with concern the existing links between international security, terrorism
               and transnational organized crime, money-laundering, trafficking in illicit drugs and
               illegal arms, and in this regard emphasizing the need to enhance coordination of
               efforts on national, subregional, regional and international levels in order to
               strengthen a global response to this serious challenge,
                      Reiterating its concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, in particular
               the continued violent and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, illegal armed
               groups, criminals and those involved in the narcotics trade, and the links between
               illicit drugs trafficking and terrorism, and Calling upon the Afghan Government,
               with the assistance of the international community, including the International
               Security Assistance Force and Operation Enduring Freedom coalition, in accordance
               with their respective designated responsibilities as they evolve, to continue to
               address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan posed by the Taliban,
               Al-Qaida, illegally armed groups, criminals and those involved in the narcotics
               trade,
                    Welcoming the ongoing efforts of the Government of Afghanistan in the fight
               against narcotic drugs and also welcoming the efforts of neighbouring countries to


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               address the impact on the region of the production of illicit drugs in Afghanistan,
               including through interdiction activities, and encouraging the international and
               regional organizations to enhance their role in the fight against illicit trafficking in
               narcotics and precursors, Paying homage to the sacrifice of members of the security
               forces of Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries in the fight against drug
               traffickers,
                     Reiterating its support for the fight against illicit production and trafficking of
               drugs from and chemical precursors to Afghanistan, in neighbouring countries,
               countries on trafficking routes, drug destination countries and precursors producing
               countries, encouraging increased cooperation between those countries to strengthen
               anti-narcotics controls to curb the drug flow, including through border management
               cooperation, and expressing its support for the Paris Pact Initiative, for the outcome
               of the Second Ministerial Conference organized in Moscow in June 2006, and for
               the meeting organized in Kabul in October 2007 in the framework of the Paris Pact
               Initiative; Stressing the need for Member States to take measures, with the support
               of relevant international actors to combat the laundering of proceeds of criminal
               activity, corruption and illicit trafficking in narcotics and precursors in line with the
               outcome of the Moscow Conference,
                    Recalling that achieving a sustained and significant reduction in the production
               and trafficking of narcotics with a view to eliminating the narcotics industry has
               been identified as a cross-cutting priority by the “Afghanistan Compact” adopted in
               London in 2006, which provides the framework for the partnership between the
               Afghan Government and the international community, as well as the Government of
               Afghanistan’s National Drug Control Strategy,
                    Stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach to address the drug
               problem of Afghanistan, which, to be effective has to be integrated into the wider
               context of efforts carried out in the three areas of Security, Governance, Rule of
               Law and Human Rights, and Economic and Social Development, stressing that the
               development of alternative livelihood programmes is of key importance in the
               success of the efforts in counter-narcotics in Afghanistan, and reiterating that
               extensive efforts have also to be made to reduce the demand of drugs globally in
               order to contribute to the sustainability of the elimination of illicit cultivation in
               Afghanistan,
                     Expressing utmost concern at the increase of illegal smuggling, for illicit use,
               to and within Afghanistan of chemical precursors needed to produce heroin, in
               particular acetic anhydride, and also hydrochloric acid and acetone, linked to the
               high level of opium cultivation, production and trafficking, and noting that most of
               the opium produced in Afghanistan is now processed in the country,
                    Recalling the Political Declaration adopted by the General Assembly at its
               twentieth special session, in which Member States decided to establish the year
               2008 as a target date for States to eliminate or significantly reduce, inter alia, the
               diversion of precursors, and recognizing that action against the world drug problem
               is a common and shared responsibility requiring an integrated and balanced
               approach in full conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the
               United Nations and international law,
                   Acknowledging the role of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the
               Economic and Social Council as the central policymaking and coordinating body



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           within the United Nations system on international drug control issues, and
           welcoming its intention to consider the issue of precursors control as one of the
           central questions to be discussed during the high-level segment of the fifty-second
           session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
                 Acknowledging the mandate and the leading role played by the International
           Narcotics Control Board (INCB), as an independent treaty body, in the
           implementation of the United Nations international drug control conventions and the
           international control of precursors,
                 Stressing the central role played by the United Nations Office on Drugs and
           Crime (UNODC) in assisting Member States, notably by providing technical
           assistance, in the fight against illicit drugs,
                 1.   Expresses utmost concern at the high level of opium cultivation,
           production and trafficking, which involves in particular the diversion of chemical
           precursors, and stresses once again the serious harm that it causes to the security,
           development and governance of Afghanistan as well as to the region and
           internationally, and to the success of the international efforts;
                2.    Calls upon all Member States to increase international and regional
           cooperation in order to counter the illicit production and trafficking of drugs in
           Afghanistan, including by strengthening the monitoring of the international trade in
           chemical precursors, notably but not limited to acetic anhydride, and to prevent
           attempts to divert the substances from licit international trade for illicit use in
           Afghanistan;
                 3.    Invites all Member States, in particular chemical precursors producing
           countries, Afghanistan, neighbouring countries, and all countries on the trafficking
           routes to increase their cooperation with the INCB, notably by fully complying with
           the provisions of article 12 of United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in
           Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988, in order to eliminate loopholes
           utilized by criminal organizations to divert chemical precursors from licit
           international trade;
                 4.   Urges exporting States to ensure the systematic notification of all exports
           of relevant chemical precursors, upon request from importing States, in accordance
           with provisions of the 1988 Convention, and encourages importing States to request
           the systematic notification of such exports; also urges the Governments that have
           not yet done so to register with and utilize the online system for the exchange of
           pre-export notifications (PEN Online);
                 5.    Calls upon States that have not done so to consider ratifying or acceding
           to, and State parties to implement fully the multilateral treaties whose aim is to fight
           against the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, notably the United Nations Single
           Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, as amended by the Protocol of 25 March 1972
           and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
           Psychotropic Substances, 1988, underlines the importance for all States parties to
           these treaties to implement them fully, and stresses that nothing in this resolution
           will impose on State parties new obligations with regard to these treaties;
                 6.   Expresses its continued support to the commitment and efforts of
           Afghanistan to achieve a sustained and significant reduction in the production and
           trafficking of narcotics with a view to complete elimination, Expresses also its



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               support to the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy and calls on the Afghan
               Government, with the assistance of the international community, to accelerate its
               implementation, as discussed at the seventh meeting of the Joint Coordinating and
               Monitoring Board (JCMB) held in Tokyo in February 2008, and Calls for additional
               international support for the priorities identified in that Strategy;
                     7.    Calls upon all Member States, in particular chemical precursors
               producing countries, Afghanistan, neighbouring countries and all countries on the
               trafficking routes to adopt adequate national legislation, consistent with the
               requirements of relevant international conventions to which they are parties, where
               it has not yet been done, and to strengthen their national capacities in the areas of
               (i) regulation and monitoring of manufacture and trade of chemical precursors, with
               a view to controlling the final destination of such chemicals and (ii) specialized
               enforcement operations against the diversion of precursors, including for their
               detection and disposal in Afghanistan and the region, and for strengthening border
               controls;
                     8.   Invites the international community to provide financial and technical
               assistance and support, in building national capacity in the fields referred to in
               paragraph 7, to Afghanistan and, where appropriate and upon request, neighbouring
               countries, including through voluntary contributions to UNODC; stresses in
               particular the importance of training and equipping law enforcement agencies,
               including border police and customs officers, so as to allow them to deal efficiently
               with such tasks as detection, scanning, stockpiling, transportation and destruction of
               chemical precursors; and encourages Afghanistan and its neighbours to make full
               use of such assistance;
                     9.     Reiterates its support for the Paris Pact Initiative aimed at facilitating
               counter-narcotics cooperation and coordination among countries seriously affected
               by the trafficking of narcotic drugs produced in Afghanistan, for the outcome of the
               Second Ministerial Conference organized in Moscow in June 2006 (S/2006/598), in
               cooperation with UNODC, and for other international and/or regional relevant
               initiatives, such as Project Cohesion, and calls upon Paris Pact partners to further
               promote international and regional initiatives;
                     10. Welcomes the launch, under the guidance of UNODC and the Project
               Cohesion Task Force, of the Targeted Anti-Trafficking Regional Communication,
               Expertise and Training (TARCET) initiative, targeting precursors used in the
               manufacture of heroin in Afghanistan, and urges the Paris Pact partners to cooperate
               closely in a view to achieve its successful implementation;
                     11. Recognizes the legitimate need of industry to have access to precursors
               and its important role in preventing the diversion of precursors, and encourages all
               Member States, in particular producing countries, Afghanistan and its neighbours to
               develop partnerships with the private sector so as to prevent the diversion of
               precursors;
                     12. Looks forward to the outcome of the international conference in support
               of Afghanistan, which will be held in Paris on 12 June 2008, and encourages the
               participants to the Conference to make concrete proposals on the ways to address
               the problem of diversion of chemical precursors for illicit use, in the wider
               framework of the discussions on the strengthening of counter-narcotics activities in




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           the Afghanistan National Development Strategy and National Drug Control
           Strategy;
                  13. Encourages Member States to submit to the Committee established
           pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) for inclusion on the Consolidated List names of
           individuals and entities participating in the financing or support of acts or activities
           of Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden and the Taliban, and other individuals, groups,
           undertakings and entities associated with them, using proceeds derived from the
           illicit cultivation, production, and trafficking of narcotic drugs produced in
           Afghanistan and their precursors, in order to give full effect to the relevant
           provisions of resolution 1735 (2006);
                 14. Requests the Secretary-General to include, as appropriate, in his regular
           reports to the Security Council and the General Assembly on the situation in
           Afghanistan, in close consultation with UNODC and INCB, observations and
           recommendations on the fight against drug production and trafficking, notably on
           the issue of the illicit traffic of chemical precursors to and within Afghanistan;
                15. Invites the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to consider, in accordance
           with its mandate, ways to strengthen regional and international cooperation to
           prevent the diversion and smuggling of chemical precursors to and within
           Afghanistan, and further opportunities for Member States to support the Afghan
           Government in developing capacities to tackle precursors and trafficking;
                16.   Decides to remain seized of the matter.




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