Thank you. Ms Norine MacDonald, Mr Emmanuel Reinert, distinguished guests. First of all, I would like to sincerely thank ICOS for organizing this panel and for raising important issues concerning the drug problem.

Since this is International Women’s Day, I would like to express my thanks and respect for all of the women in the room today.

Two decades of civil conflict, the reign of Taliban, the destruction of the entire country, and the transformation of Afghanistan into a network of drug barons and warlords has had a deep effect on the country. This unfortunate situation has resulted in a huge increase of poppy cultivation, as well as expansion to new areas.

We’ve experienced open cultivation, and the exposure of more people to heroin and drugs, and higher rates of addiction. The response of HE Hamid Karzai’s government has been to implement an 8 pillars counter narcotics implementation plan, which includes building institutions, information campaigns, Alternative Livelihoods for farmers, interdiction and law enforcement, criminal justice, poppy eradication and preventing cultivation, drug demand reduction and treatment of addicts, and regional cooperation.

I will now summarize the challenges we face.

Since the beginning of 2002, Afghan authorities have given priority to building our drug control capacity. In October 2002, with UNODC and other international organizations, the interim government of Afghanistan created the Counter Narcotics Directorate, which was part of the National Security Council, and in 2004, HE Hamid Karzai upgraded the Directorate to the Ministry of Counter Narcotics, showing how important it was to the government and the future of Afghanistan.

In August 2004, a drug law enforcement division was created within the Ministry of Interior, and the government also established a counter narcotic trust fund.

Religious scholars were also mobilized to participate in the war on drugs in Afghanistan. In august 2004, a fatwa was decreed against the cultivation, production, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs. Since April 2003, the counter narcotics forces have eradicated 100 hectares of hashish and opium, arrested 50 suspects, and have dismantled two opium markets. A number of police and prosecutors have been especially trained for this purpose.

Too often we lose sight of the damage that is being done to the younger generation. The UNODC has done reports showing that the rates of drug abuse in Kabul, Samangan, Kandahar, and in many other provinces have been rising in Afghanistan. In Kabul alone, there are more than 7000 drug addicts.

On December 10th, 2004, HE Hamid Karzai held a National Conference on Counter Narcotics in Afghanistan where he proclaimed a jihad against narcotic drugs. We believe that HE Karzai’s commitment has contributed to a reduction in opium cultivation. However, we have information that farmers have ignored government warnings, and their fields will be eradicated.

Eradication efforts can only be successful if farmers are supported and offered alternatives. The government has started a trust fund for farmers along with international organizations and the support of the international community which offers alternative livelihood programs. But if it is to be successful, four items must be dealt with:

First, the international community must understand the farmers’ difficult situation. Secondly, the Counter Narcotics Ministry needs training, money, expertise, experience, especially in alternative livelihood programmes.

Thirdly, we must not lose sight of the effect of narcotics on our own people, and the government needs to expand drug treatment centres and reintegration programmes. Fourthly, corruption is a serious problem and must be dealt with. The government has instituted a number of measures to this effect, and we welcome the international community’s continuing support.

In conclusion, there is one important point that I would like to stress: two decades of war and massive drought have damaged the infrastructure of Afghanistan. We are in need of efficient water management and farmer subsidies. If farmers don’t get assistance, it’ll be hard to convince them not to grow poppies next year. The Afghan government at this moment of time would not comment on the ICOS research work about the conversion of opium to Morphine and Codeine but would rather wait for its result.

I would also like to thank GTZ for their farmer assistance programmes. With the initiation of such programmes, it will be possible to find solutions to the problems faced by afghan farmers and – I should mention, especially today – afghan women.