UNITED NATIONS TO HOST GLOBAL 'DRUG SUMMIT'

Member States to Take Unprecedented Actions on Reducing Illicit Drug Supply
and Demand at Major Gathering of World Leaders;

Program Sets Aggressive, Measurable Goals for Crop Eradication and Reducing
Drug Abuse; Calls for Tough New Laws Targeting Money Laundering, Traffickers
and Cartels

VIENNA, Austria, (PRNewswire)-- Stating that "a grand alliance of nations
can and will conquer the global plague of drugs," UN Undersecretary- General
Pino Arlacchi today announced that heads of state and government leaders
from 186 UN member states will participate in a General Assembly Special
Session on the world drug problem, to be held in New York on June 8-10,
1998. Dubbed the "Drug Summit," the event is expected to be the largest
multilateral gathering ever held on combating illegal drug trafficking and
abuse.

The Drug Summit marks a critical new juncture in the global fight against
drug supply and demand. For the first time, national leaders from
throughout the world will gather together to agree to:

- -- The first truly global strategy to control drugs;

- -- The first international agreement on demand reduction;

- -- The goal of substantially reducing and eventually eradicating the
illicit cultivation of opium, coca and other narcotic crops in the
next ten years;

- -- Find solutions to the problems posed by amphetamines and "designer"
drugs; and

- -- Identify specific timetables to strengthen and harmonize member states'
laws on money laundering, extradition of drug traffickers, and sharing
information on drug cartels.

Uniting Against the World's Leading 21st Century Threats

The UN announced that leaders who have expressed interest in attending the
Drug Summit include the heads of state or government from the United States,
France, Mexico, Colombia, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Sweden, Peru, Spain,
Ukraine, among others.

According to Mr. Arlacchi, who also serves as Executive Director of the UN
International Drug Control Program and the UN's Office of Drug Control and
Crime Prevention, "Narcotics and organized crime are the major threats to
the world in the next century. With the involvement of so many world
leaders, we now have an opportunity for the first time to meet a global
threat with a global response."

UN leaders point to several reasons why the Drug Summit represents an
unprecedented historic opportunity, including:

- -- The erosion of East-West and North-South barriers to cooperation;

- -- The blurring of previous policy differences between "producing" nations
and "consuming" nations;

- -- A strong commitment on the part of UN members to attack the illicit
drug trade in a balanced way, striving to reduce supply and demand
simultaneously;

- -- Advances in enforcement technology, including satellite monitoring; and

- -- The willingness of member states to share the knowledge they have
gained from successful domestic campaigns against drug traffickers.

A Winnable Crusade

"This is a fight that can be won, given the political will illustrated by
the international community's participation in this Drug Summit," said Mr.
Arlacchi, who previously served as a leading strategist in the Italian
government's successful campaign against organized crime.

"Global coca leaf and opium poppy acreage totals an area less than half the
size of Puerto Rico. There is no reason it cannot be eliminated in little
more than a decade. The Drug Summit sets benchmarks for nations, and the
international community will hold each state accountable for its
commitments." The Drug Summit will feature Plenary Sessions for adopting
specific political declarations and operational resolutions, as well as six
symposia devoted to topics such as:

1. Attacking the Profits of Crime (Money Laundering);

2. Cutting the Supply Lines (Judicial Cooperation);

3. Children, Youth and Drug Abuse;

4. Drugs and Productivity;

5. Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS;

6. Drugs and Development; and

7. A Workshop on Media Coverage of the Global Drug Problem, featuring
leading journalists, academics and community activists.

The summit has been organized by the UN International Drug Control Program
(UNDCP), a Vienna-based agency that operates mostly through voluntary
contributions and serves as a catalyst and coordinator for national efforts
against illicit drug supply and demand. Headed by Undersecretary-General
Pino Arlacchi, UNDCP has been described as "a multilateral program that works."

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett