SIS Pantai Indah Kapuk

Model United Nations III

UNSC Study guide
Chairs: Troy Yang & Russell Umboh

Crime and drugs in West and Central 

Africa 
 

Explanation of the Issue:

In the year 2016, it was found that there was a grand total of more than 34 million
cannabis users and 1.8 million cocaine users in West and Central Africa. In
addition to these numbers, only one out of 18 addicted users have access to
medical treatments.

In recent years, however, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime have
noted that the situation in the region has been worsening. It was reported that
methamphetamine seizures have almost reached the same levels as cocaine
seizures. As for heroin trafficking, it is also on the rise with seizures across the
region, especially in the airports of Lagos in Nigeria, Accra in Ghana and Cotonou
in Benin, closely followed by Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, Lome in Togo and
Bamako in Mali. The increase in the production and sales of illegal drugs
obviously poses a major threat to public health, as many of these drugs are highly
addictive and harmful to their health. The shift to consumer pattern has also
stunted and slowed the economic development of the region.

The profits made by the selling of such harmful and addictive drugs often go to
funding more illegal activities such as human trafficking, arms trafficking, money
laundering. Thus, the crime rate in these regions has also increased considerably,
further threatening the security and lives of many citizens. Terrorist organizations
have also gained from these recent developments as their new and increasing
source of funding has enabled them to better organize and better fund
themselves, leading to an increase in terrorist threats. If this continues, they may
pose a serious threat to the stability and governance of the region.

Historical Background:
For centuries, Africa has been a hotbed for the trade and distribution of narcotic
substances. Psychedelics such as kola and opium have been present in the
Western and Central African regions since the early 13th century, viewed as an
important trading commodity by local tribes and foreign merchants. Even back
then, Africa was seen as a lucrative trading hub for the production and
consumption of drugs.

This culture of drugs escalated in the 18th century with the introduction of colonial
powers, who sought to generate revenue through the sales of such substances.
For example, the British Empire discreetly encouraged the sale and production of
opium in colonies such as South Africa, Nigeria, and Zambia so as to profit from
drug exports abroad as well as within the colonies themselves.

In the modern era, drugs have continued to play a large role in the incomes of
many West and Central Africans. Due to drastically low living standards, many
such Africans have been forced into the drug trade, taking up jobs as smugglers
and traffickers in order to earn a living for themselves and their families. Some
have even risen up to become drug lords, monopolizing the supply of narcotics
within the region. These drug lords often have the money and power necessary to
hire their own private armies, frequently engaging in gang wars against one
another for control of their drug supply.
Previous UN Action:

The United Nations have taken the issue of worldwide drug abuse very seriously.
In 1997, they established the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
whose general mandate include:

● Field-based technical cooperation projects to enhance the capacity of

Member States to counteract illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism
● Research and analytical work to increase knowledge and understanding of
drugs and crime issues and expand the evidence base for policy and
operational decisions
● Normative work to assist States in the ratification and implementation of the
relevant international treaties, the development of domestic legislation on
drugs, crime and terrorism, and the provision of secretariat and substantive
services to the treaty-based and governing bodies

The UNODC has conducted multiple seizures of drug caches within the West &
Central African subcontinent. They have also attempted to approve infrastructure
within West and Central African nations such that they are better able to combat
the rise of drug trafficking within the region. For example, they have given support
to the Senegalese government for the formation of a dedicated drug information
system which will aim to collect pertinent information on drug users and criminal
activity within the country. Such a system will allow the government to plan their
course of action in tackling the drug problem, leading to the implementation of
more comprehensive drug reform.

Whilst the UNODC has delivered on some parts of their anti-narcotic platform,
delegates must keep in mind that the organization heavily relies on voluntary
donations from member states. As such, it may not be able to concretely execute
the solutions outlined in its mission statement.

QARMAs - Questions A Resolution Must Answer

1. What actions should be taken immediately to stop the increase in the usage
and production of drugs in West and Central Africa?
2. What actions should be taken to treat and help people addicted to drugs in
West and Central Africa?
 3. What actions should be taken to face the increasing number of crimes and
threats by terrorism related to drugs?
4. What role will the international community play in the war on drugs in West
and Central Africa?
5. What long term solutions should be implemented to prevent such an
increase in drugs and crime to happen again?
6. What are the shortcomings of previous UN actions? What improvements
can be implemented into any current or past UN action?

Guide to Further Research:

Delegates must keep in mind ongoing developments in the West and Central
African regions. Reading news articles from credible sources such as CNN, BBC,
and the Guardian are great ways to catch up on the latest developments in those
areas. Additionally, delegates are recommended to do research into UN
organizations that combat these issues such as the UNODC. Their websites
contain relevant articles from which delegates can glean information regarding the
organization’s activities within the aforementioned regions.

Bibliography:
https://africanarguments.org/2012/10/18/africa-and-the-war-on-drugs-fighting-a-his
torical-analysis-of-the-west-african-trade-by-gernot-klantschnig/
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/about-unodc/index.html?ref=menutop
http://www.unodc.org/westandcentralafrica/en/2018-11-30-senegal-drug-info-syste
m.html