US urges stronger control of chemical compounds in anti-drug fight

Jun 3, 2008, 21:14 GMT

New York - The United States called Tuesday for strengthening the control of the manufacture and trade of chemical precursors, compounds used to refine heroin and other dangerous drugs.

US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad submitted a draft resolution to the 15-nation council, aiming at the drug problems in Afghanistan, whose widespread poppy cultivation provide the world with the largest export of heroin.

Khalilzad holds the rotating presidency of the council in June, taking over from Britain.

The draft urges producing countries, particularly Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, and others on the trafficking routes, to adopt national legislation to regulate and monitor the illicit manufacture and trade of chemical precursors with a view of controlling their final destination.

It urges 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 calls for closing loopholes in international conventions, which are used by criminal organizations to divert acetic anhydride and other chemical compounds from the legal market for the purposes of making dangerous drugs.

The draft says there is a 'close connection' between international terrorism and transnational organized crime, money-laundering, trafficking in illicit drugs and illegal arms.

It calls 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 on June 12, at which governments will be called to make concrete proposals to curb the illicit diversion of chemicals used to make drugs.