DPA
New York, June 11 (DPA) The UN Security Council adopted Wednesday a resolution calling on the world community to strengthen the control of the manufacture and trade of chemical compounds used to refine heroin and other dangerous drugs. The move was aimed at stopping the illicit use of chemical agents used to refine poppies into heroin, opium and other dangerous drugs in Afghanistan, which is the world’s largest exporter of drugs derived from its widespread poppy cultivation.

The resolution called on Afghanistan, its neighbouring countries, and others on the trafficking routes to adopt national legislation to regulate the illicit manufacture and trade of the chemicals in question and monitor their final destination.

It called on the UN to provide technical assistance and support to Afghanistan and to contribute to international bodies that are fighting the global traffic on drugs.

It called for closing loopholes in international conventions, which are used by criminal organisations to divert acetic anhydride and other chemicals from the legal market for the purposes of making dangerous drugs.

The council noted the “close connection” between international terrorism and transnational organised crime, money-laundering, trafficking in illicit drugs and illegal arms.

It called for supporting Afghanistan’s fight against the illicit trafficking of drugs and chemical precursors.

An international conference to support Afghanistan will be held in Paris Thursday, at which governments will be called on to make concrete proposals to curb the illicit diversion of chemicals used to make drugs.
DPA