Illegal Drug Trafficking in the US and the Role of the United Nations - Research Paper Example

Illegal Drug Trafficking in the US and the Role of the United Nations Illegal global drug trafficking has been one of the biggest international issues and it continues to be a hurdle in eliminating international crime. It is one of the problems that have been skipping the confinements of the law through loopholes. What makes this problem really serious is the extent of drug use throughout the globe and the impacts it has on the society as a whole. Even though the regulatory authorities and organizations are taking steps to reduce the drug production and trafficking, the results have not been quite convincing. The United Nations has been taking active steps in order to stop global drug trafficking and a separate department of the UN called ‘The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’ (UNODC) has been operating to help the UN achieve its purpose. UNODC has designed strategies to deal with the issue (UNODC, 2008). Since the issue is of an international nature, it cannot be controlled by one country or one organization therefore the strategy designed by UNODC includes collective efforts by a number of countries to control the situation and to eliminate the drug trafficking throughout the globe. It is not only the weaknesses inherent in the strategies designed to tackle the issue; there are a number of other hurdles as well such as the weak law and order situation in a number of countries that have been classified as the major producers of drugs. The regulatory authorities in such countries are unable to track down or eliminate the production facilities, therefore it is proving to be a significant issue to eliminate the production of drugs entirely. Thus, the steps that seem feasible are to control the trafficking of drugs into countries with reasonable law and order situation. According to the ‘World Drug Report’ issued by the UNODC in 2011, North America is the world’s largest drug market. Despite the reasonable law and order situation and the presence of Drug Enforcement Authorities, the US is ranked the highest in the list of drug markets. It is apparent from the scenario that the drug traffickers have mastered the loopholes in the law and they continue to traffic drugs into the US. One of the main loopholes is the weak security at the Mexican border. Significant quantity of drugs is trafficked into the US from Mexico and this is because of the influence of drug cartels in Mexico and the surrounding regions. This scenario needs to be tackled by the United Nations. Production of drugs within the US is linked to production of cannabis and methamphetamine. Despite the fact that the drug market in the US has shrunk due to dismantling of private labs that produced drugs, US still is the world’s largest drug market and the drugs continue to be trafficked and used in the US (Justice.org). The US is one of the biggest donors of the United Nations for the purpose of fight against the illegal global drug trafficking, but still the steps taken by the UN in order to stop the use of drugs in the US seem inadequate. The statistics shows that the drug use in the US remains unhindered regardless of the extent of strategies implemented upon by the United Nations and the regulatory authorities collectively. Since it is the US tax dollars that assist the United Nations in carrying out its operations in order to stop drug trafficking, it does not seem feasible if the US does not receive any effective returns. The following paper would evaluate the steps taken by the United Nations in order to control the global drug trafficking and the extent of benefit derived by the United States from such steps. The paper would consider the benefits and disadvantages of the UN support, the causes of the problem and possible solutions to the problem. United States has been contributing significant amounts of money to the United Nations budget but the efforts being done by the United Nations in order to control the illegal drug trafficking in the US are not sufficient and the strategies being applied by the United Nations are ineffective. Illegal Drug Production and Trafficking in the US According to the statistics, the US has been one of the biggest drug markets for a long time. Even though the reports suggest that the market has shrunk in economic terms but the issue is still far from reaching an acceptably low level. Production of drugs in North America is primarily linked to cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and opiates (NIDA). The US, Canada and Mexico collectively produce these drugs and these drugs enter the US mostly through Mexico. Specially, significant amount of methamphetamine is shipped into the US through Mexico (Cratty, 2010). Most of the production of drugs in the North America is destined for the US markets, therefore a significant proportion of the drugs being produced in Canada and Mexico is ultimately shipped to the US. According to the World Drug Report (2011) by UNODC, the drugs produced in Canada and Mexico are shipped to the US, and this is what makes the US the largest drug market. Therefore, the main problem is illegal drug trafficking into the US from Canada and Mexico. According to the statistics, the trafficking of drugs from the US to other regions exists but is very limited. However the trafficking of drugs into the US is highly significant. This is because US has the largest drug market and almost all the drugs that are trafficked into the US or that are produced locally are sold and consumed within the US. The cannabis herb produced in both Canada and Mexico is ultimately shipped into the US. Cannabis is also produced in the US locally therefore the collective quantity of the herb produced locally and trafficked into the US reaches an alarming number (UNODC, 2011). Similarly, most of the quantity of methamphetamine being marketed in the US is trafficked from Mexico. Methamphetamine is also produced domestically in the US and is trafficked domestically as well. The drugs that are marketed mostly in the US are cannabis herb and ecstasy. From the data regarding the use of illicit drugs in the US, it has been found out that cannabis herb is consumed in alarmingly high quantities in the US. The North American region accounts for the one fifth of global cannibal users which is significantly higher than the global average and the average share of the region in accordance with its population which is around 7% of the global population. When the statistics regarding the use of cocaine is reviewed, it is found out that 37% of all cocaine users worldwide are in North America. Around 1.1% of the total population in the US uses amphetamines, which is above the global average. UN Funding by the US United Nations significantly depends upon the US in order to carry out its operations smoothly. Without the assistance from the US, UN would not be able to continue its global operations. The US provides the largest share in the budget for the UN because the US considers it as an investment that would help the US in strengthening international relations and because the UN advances its operations in the national interest of the US. The budget for the UN is determined through a process according to which the President asks for the payment to UN in his budget proposal which is refined by the Congress and allocated in an annual appropriations bill. The contribution of the US towards UN is more than any other country. The 22 percent of the regular UN budget and 27 percent of the peacekeeping budget is provided by the US. In the recent years, the US has been paying the full amount of the requested budget to the UN in order to ensure that the operations of the UN remain unhindered due to any lack in budgets. The overall budget of the UN is allocated to its different functions and departments, and one of those departments is UNODC which also receives a significant proportion of the overall budget in order to ensure unhindered fight against drugs and crime. There is a maximum and minimum proportion of the contribution that can be made by a country towards the UN. The maximum contribution that can be made by a country is 22% of the total UN budget while the minimum contribution, which is specifically set for the developing countries, is 0.001%. The US contributes the maximum proportion towards the UN budget that is 22% and in the year 2009, the amount contributed by the US towards the UN regular budget was $598 million. Apart from the allocated budget, the US recently forwarded a US $ 3 million donation directly to UNODC for the prevention of illicit drug use (UNODC, 2011). The total tax revenue of the United States in the financial year 2009 was $2.1 trillion and it is a known fact that the government spending of the US has been high in the recent years due to a number of new spending avenues. The federal budget has been in deficit and the US government has been touching the debt ceiling in order to compensate for the deficit in the budget. Even in such circumstances, the US contributes generous amounts from its tax revenue such as $598 million in the year 2009 to the UN. Thus, it can be inferred that a significant proportion of the US tax dollars is directed towards the funding of United Nations. However, the US is still the largest drug market despite making the most significant funding for the UN. Thus, prima facie the strategies being applied by the UN in order to stop illegal drug trafficking in the US are not effective enough. Effectiveness of United Nations in Stopping Illicit Drug Use The UNODC has developed strategies to deal with different issues. The department releases a document that indicates its strategies regarding its objectives. Following are some of the strategies that are highlighted in the UNODC Strategy for 2008 to 2011. Strategies by the UN Following are the strategies being followed by the United Nations and the analysis whether the strategies are effective: Strategy 1: According to the publication issued by the UNODC regarding its strategies, it was disclosed that one of the problems hindering the prevention of illegal drug trafficking is the unavailability of sufficient information which to base the actions on. Since drug trafficking has been finding its way through the loopholes, the data available regarding drug trafficking includes so much of estimation. The accuracy of the data cannot be promised. In this respect, the active strategy of the department is to carry out research and to gather reliable data to build up an accurate picture of world drugs and crime trends. The problem with this strategy is that it does not address the core problem. The accuracy of the data is a secondary task therefore it can be said that this strategy is ineffective in addressing the issue of global drug trafficking. Strategy 2: Another issue highlighted in the strategy document is the effectiveness of the treatment provided to the people with drug abuse problems. Each individual has different life experiences therefore according to the document, each patient should have specialized treatment in accordance with his experiences with life and social backgrounds. In order to deal with this issue, the active strategy of the department is to facilitate access to the latest evidence-based information on treatment of specific population so that the regulatory authorities would be able to design effective treatments tailored to the needs of the patients. The problem with this strategy is that the information regarding all the drug users cannot be acquired completely therefore this strategy is ineffective as well. Strategy 3: Another strategy includes general improvement in the overall operations of the department such as: reduction of opportunities and incentives for illicit activities and gains, and reduction of drug abuse. It also includes: initiation of effective prevention campaigns and strengthening of international cooperation regarding fight against illegal drug use. One of the main reasons behind the increasing drug trafficking is corruption, therefore the strategy of the department also includes prevention of corruption. The problem with this strategy is that it is of a general nature and it does not address the issue of drug trafficking specifically. It is apparent from the strategy designed by the United Nations that the efforts being done by the UN for the prevention of drug trafficking in the US are of a general nature. The steps being taken by the UN are not addressing the core issue but they are merely addressing the secondary issues such as problems in collection of data and corruption. Even though the strategies suggest that the UN would conduct procedures to reduce corruption in the fight against drugs, there have not been any convincing results in the recent past. Therefore it can be inferred that the general strategies designed by the UN are ineffective. Problems Apparent in Strategies The strategies designed by the UN for fight against drug abuse and drug trafficking have been heavily criticized for their ‘old school’ nature. Critics are of the view that the strategies designed by the UN are already obsolete and ineffective. UN is merely continuing the policies that were designed long ago and even thought the policies have not turned out any convincing results, they are being carried on (The Guardian). In order to control the global drug trafficking, and specifically in the United States, the United Nations should design revised policies that account for the ineffective policies that have already been tried. The main reason behind the ineffectiveness of the efforts being put by the UN to control the issue is that UN has not considered any change in the nature of its policies. The policies must be revised in order to rectify the parts of the policies that have been proved to be ineffective. The previous strategies designed by the UN have been of a more general nature. Therefore, the UN may try strategies that target specific areas, or that are of a specific nature. It has already been observed that the policies of the UN have been ineffective regarding controlling the trafficking of drugs into the US therefore the UN may consider a significant change in their main strategy. The focus may be shifted from drug trafficking towards reducing the drug use at the very grass root level. A significant factor that is being overlooked by the United Nations is the root of the issue i.e. the drug users. The focus is being set upon finding the figures and facts while the roots of the issue are strengthening with each passing day. With more and more people exposed to drugs, the drug market in the US is expanding continuously. Therefore, the UN may focus on prevention of drug use through creating awareness among the individuals who may be vulnerable to drug abuse. Drug addicts may be provided with proper education to make them realize the detrimental impacts drug abuse can have on their lives. Strategies regarding medical help to the drug users can also be developed by the UN in order to deal with the issue effectively. Global Drug Trafficking The following diagram presents an overview of the global trafficking of heroin: Diagram 1: Flow of Heroin (Source: UNODC) As it is apparent in the diagram, the most significant proportion of global production of heroin is done in Afghanistan. And through multiple routes, it reaches every corner of the world. In order to control the scenario, the United Nations should design strategies that can ensure the seizure of the drugs from the main routes. For this purpose, United Nations can initiate its plans in collaboration with countries that are used as the main routes for global drug trafficking. In accordance with the diagram, the neighboring countries of Afghanistan and Myanmar are the main doorways towards global heroin trafficking, therefore the UN can collaborate with such countries to ensure the reduction of drug trafficking. From the diagram showing the global flow of Heroin, it can be observed that there are a number of countries with reasonable level of law and order situation that lie amidst the route of drug trafficking. The UN can collaborate with countries like Turkey and the countries in Europe that are used as a route for drug trafficking in order to control the issue. Possible Solutions to the Issue The war on drugs has been declared as ineffective by the officials of the UN themselves (Gierarch, 2012). This has invited significant criticism. After the failed war on drugs and ineffective policies by the United Nations, critics have emphasized over controlling the drug use in the US by focusing on the healthcare of the drug users (Hakim, 2011). The extent of drug use can be controlled if proper healthcare is provided to the drug abusers and they are assisted by the regulatory authorities in losing their addiction (MSNBC). It has been suggested that in order to ensure that the drug addicts in the US come out and seek help from the regulatory authorities, the US should decriminalize the drug abuse. However, decriminalization of the drug abuse cannot be the solution of the problem but it may assist in provision of the health care services to the drug addicts. Summary and Conclusion Illegal global drug trafficking is one of the biggest international issues and it has been growing continuously. The US is the biggest drug market in the world and drugs and a significant proportion of the drugs being marketed in the US is illegally trafficked into the US through Canada and Mexico. United Nations runs a separate department that helps the US and other countries in the world in the fight against the drugs, however from the results it is apparent that the policies and procedures of the UN are not effective because the strategies designed by the UN are of a more general nature and they do not address the core issue specifically. A significant proportion of the UN budget is forwarded by the United States but the results being received are not satisfactory. It can be concluded that the United Nations has not been successful in controlling the drug trafficking in the US and the policies designed by the UN to deal with the issue are ineffective, therefore US is not benefiting from the United Nations’ fight against illegal global drug trafficking. References Cratty, C. (2010). Mexico drug cartels extend reach in U.S. Retrieved March 20, 2012 from http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-26/us/drug.trends_1_drug-cartels-mexican-border-drug-violence?_s=PM:US Gierach, J. (2012). U.N. Misses Opportunity to Address Failed Drug War. Retrieved March 22, 2012 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-gierach/commission-on-narcotic-drugs_b_1365434.html Hakim, P. (2011). Rethinking US Drug Policy. Retrieved March 22, 2012 from http://www.thedialogue.org/page.cfm?pageID=32&pubID=2790 Justice.gov (2012). Drug Trafficking in the United States. Retrieved March 22, 2012 from http://www.justice.gov/dea/concern/drug_trafficking.html NIDA (2012). Nationwide Trends. Retrieved March 22, 2012 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/infofacts/nationwide-trends MSNBC (2012). ‘Global war on drugs has failed,’ key panel says. Retrieved March 22, 2012 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43248071/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/global-war-drugs-has-failed-key-panel-says/ The Guardian (2012). War on drugs not working, says global commission. Retrieved March 22, 2012 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/02/war-on-drugs-not-working UNODC. (2011). World Drug Report 2011. 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