And Today...
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Bolivia is sending some interesting signals to the international community. The Bolivian Government has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to fight drugs. This determination is reflected in the Bolivian Strategy for the Fight Against Drug Trafficking 1998 - 2002 and has been evident at national and international forums and at bilateral and multilateral meetings.
The Bolivian position has echoed. At the end of the millennium, countries throughout the world are increasingly aware of the need to face the drug problem globally. The counterproductive discrimination displayed towards certain countries and groups of nations has been left behind. Responsibility for fighting drugs is being assumed collectively.
Drug trafficking is an evil that affects us all. Therefore we must respond accordingly, understanding the seriousness of the problem. The spirit of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem is to secure a world free of drugs for us and our children, through common effort. This important event will be held in New York from next June 8 to 10.
The challenge, according to Pino Arlacchi, Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, is to design an anti-drug strategy for the next century. His optimism is contagious. Arlacchi is convinced that the political will displayed by different nations will allow for a tremendous effort to be made, that in turn, after a ten year period will bring about a dramatic reduction in drug abuse, through stricter laws against money laundering, greater international co-operation regarding traffickers, a substantial reduction in illicit crops and the effective control of the controlled substances trade. We have the experience, said Arlacchi, and we have the technology. "A drug free world - we can do it" is the Special Session slogan.
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