Twentieth Special Session of the General Assembly Devoted
to the Fight Against Illicit Production, Sale, Demand,
Traffic and Distribution of Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances and Related Activities
President Fernando Henrique Cardoso
New York, 8 June 1998

Mr. President,

Brazil will not remain passive in the face of the world drug problem, as the insidious harm created by narcotic drugs threatens our families, our youth, our societies.

The world drug problem is one that must be approached with clarity and frankness. Clarity is a requisite for a full grasp of the factors at play. Frankness is an imperative if we are to overcome hesitations and take the necessary decisions to defeat this scourge.

We live in a world which is becoming smaller. Distances and geographical circumstances have ceased to represent obstacles to the free circulation of individuals, goods or ideas.

This situation should be looked at as a positive development, in terms of its favourable impact on growth and prosperity.

It is essential, however, that the increasingly permeable nature of international borders not become an incentive for the dissemination of criminal activity or for tolerance towards impunity.

People, goods, services, technology and information should be allowed to circulate freely. Not crime; not narcotic drugs.

With the opening for signature, in Vienna, of the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances we have reached a higher level in international cooperation in this field.

This old problem is now being tackled from a fresh perspective. Few countries, however, will have been spared from unpleasant surprises as regards the extension and intensity of the impact of the illicit traffic in narcotics drugs and related crimes on their populations.

Through experience we have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to deal with this question in a comprehensive manner. To circumscribe the scope for Governmental initiative to the realm of measures of a repressive nature has proved insufficient. It is now clear that prevention campaigns along with efforts towards the rehabilitation of drug addicts and the fight against related crimes are equally fundamental.

Drugs undermine the very dignity and freedom of human beings, their most precious attributes.

If we are to redouble our efforts in prevention and be relentless in combatting crime, we must also give priority to the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts, who are the victims of this most vicious social disease of our times.

Prevention cannot be promoted through the dissemination of fear alone, but should aim at presenting alternative paths capable of generating self-assurance among the young, as they confront an often difficult reality.

The war against narcotic drugs will only be won if it is waged on several fronts simultaneously. Success will depend, above all else, on our capacity to safeguard a drug free environment for our children.

We know today that international cooperation is vital in the fight against transborder crimes. In many ways, all our countries are affected by the various dimensions of the drug problem: production, traffic, trade and consumption.

We have succeeded in developing a common language, based on the concept of shared responsibility. The international community can thus enhance the cohesiveness of its strategies.

I am here to assure you that Brazil will continue to honour its responsibilities in this joint undertaking. We have been an active participant in regional and multilateral initiatives dealing with the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs. We have concluded bilateral agreements with all countries in South America and are establishing partnerships with several other nations as well.

The intense cooperation carried out with our associates in MERCOSUL is of paramount importance.

Internally, the fight against drugs has brought together all the political forces in the Nation, to the benefit of the ongoing process of updating legislation to combat organized crime.

Legislation has recently been approved on money laundering, chemical precursors control, the protection of the national airspace through "shoot-down policy", small arms registration and possession, the obtention of additional financial resources to reequip the police, increased aerial surveilance for the Amazon and the fight against organized crime in general. In addition, we are dedicating more resources to the rehabilitation of addicts and prevention campaigns.

We are fully aware that much remains to be done, but important steps have been taken. We are sending a clear message to our youth: addiction to drugs amounts to slavery, self-destruction and death. Attempts to suggest the contrary - by depicting drugs as glamourous - are dangerous and misleading. Such attempts are nothing but a lie.

We are also sending a clear message to those who profit from the perverse trade in drugs: they will not find the slightest tolerance in Brazil for their illicit activity.

It is in this context that I hereby announce the creation of a "National Anti-drug Secretariat" in Brazil whose mission will be to define a national policy regarding drug related problems so as to promote the coordination of all governmental activity directed at prevention, repression and rehabilitation.

Mr. President,

What we expect from this Special Session is a consensus pointing to solutions that will assist our countries in their common struggle. We are convinced that it is at the multilateral level, rather than through isolated or unilateral action, that we will find the answers capable of orienting our international cooperation in this area.

The vision we are forging here and now gives rise to renewed hopes. This is an occasion full of promise, which represents an encounter with the destiny we wish to build for our societies. Posterity will not spare its judgement on our generation if we do not rise to this challenge.

Thank You