UN DRUG PARLEY ENDS WITH PLEDGES BUT NO CASH

UNITED NATIONS, June 11 (Reuters) - More than 150 nations have promised to
curb heroin and cocaine production worldwide within 10 years, reduce the
demand for drugs, cooperate on trafficking and money-laundering and
rehabilitate addicts.

But the marathon speeches throughout the three-day conference that ended
late on Wednesday revealed broad differences among wealthy and poor nations,
the major drug producing and consuming nations and approaches to punishment
and prevention.

Singapore's Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Sen defended policies of
arresting addicts and executing traffickers while Swiss Vice President Ruth
Dreifuss explained her country's programme of heroin prescriptions for
certain groups of users.

In Russia addicts can be arrested and forced into treatment that is rarely
available while in the Netherlands treatment is the norm and punishment the
exception.

Nevertheless Pino Arlacchi, head of the Vienna-based U.N. drug control
programme told delegates at the closing session, ``No one has a monopoly on
truth.''

``The end of this meeting marks the start of a new chapter in in global drug
control,'' he said.

The delegates set 2003 as a target date for the establishment of ``new or
enhanced drug demand reduction strategies and programmes,'' in collaboration
with public health, social welfare and law enforcement authorities.

On the supply side, countries set a 10-year deadline to ``develop strategies
with a view to eliminating or significantly reducing the illicit cultivation
of the coca bush, the cannabis or marijuana plant and the opium poppy.''

The United Nations estimates the number of drug users worldwide at 190 million.

Arlacchi contended the conference had elevated the drug issue to the ``top
of the U.N's agenda,'' alongside conferences the environment, women's
issues, population and social development. But in contrast to the other U.N.
conferences nongovernmental advocacy groups were kept out of the conference,
with organisers saying space was scarce.

Arlacchi has gone to Afghanistan, the world's leader in opium production, to
persuade the Islamic purist Taliban to stop future planting of the crop in
exchange for helping farmers farm legally or find other jobs. The Taliban
has responded by burning two tons of opium, the equivalent of 400 pounds of
heroin.

The concept of alternative crops to opium or coca was supported by leaders
from Colombia and other countries. Similar plans are being tried or have
been tried in coca growing areas in Peru and Bolivia, with varying success.

Some wealthier countries applauded the plan but few came up with any
financial commitments, particularly when the recipients are as unpalatable
as the rulers of Afghanistan and Myanmar, formerly Burma.

The United States was cool to the idea with U.S. drug czar General Barry
McCaffrey, saying ``it's a problem for regional community solutions, not
just funding for alternative economic development.''

Critics of the programme, such as Ken Bluestone of the Catholic Institute
for International Relations, fear that in practice heavy military
involvement ``undermines the confidence of the peasants that are involved in
these programmes.''

The lack of money and technical resources was a constant theme from
developing countries around the world.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, speakers from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan said their territories were being used as the main
drug route from Afghanistan to markets in Russia and Europe without the
resources to combat it.

Kyrgyzstan's prime minister, Kubanychbek Jumaliev, said ``Two or three years
ago people in Kyrgyzstan had only a theoretical idea of what heroin is.
Nowadays it has become one of the main drugs on the illegal market.''

Hamid Ghodse, president of the International Narcotics Control Board, which
monitors anti-drug treaties, said poor nations needed financial help and
technical advice ``or all what has happened will be words on paper.''

``Regrettably I did not hear any of the countries openly and frankly commit
themselves to any cash,'' he said.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett