General Alexander Sergeev:
“We Must Fight Drugs Through Worldwide Cooperation”

Lieutenant-General Alexander Sergeev, Head of the Interior Ministry Drug Control Department, answers questions of the newsletter “UN in Russia”.

Mr. Sergeev, what do you think about the drug situation in Russia?

During the past five years, the number of drug users in Russia has increased almost 3.6-fold, and, by our estimates, amounts to approximately 500,000 addicts and 2.5 million users. Specialists say that if this trend continues the number of drug abusers could exceed 3 million during the first decade of the 21st century.

What do you think are the reasons for the increase in drug addiction in Russia over the past 10-15 years?

On my opinion, the reasons of drug expansion are the same in all the countries. There are rich countries where drug abuse flourishes at high level. And there are some where drug addiction does not represent a serious problem. The same situation exists in the poor countries. The reason for this situation lies in human soul and spirituality of the society. There are some factors and conditions that differ from country to country. And this factors and conditions accelerate or brake the problem of drug addiction.

To my mind, since the mid-1980s the spirituality of Russian society has begun to drop, and this is the main reason for the increase in drug abuse. The rise in unemployment, impoverishment of most citizens, lack of leisure choice, the growing popularity of drugs among young people as the “in” thing, and the growth in international drug trafficking have all influenced the spread of drugs. Of course, this has also been helped by the opening up of borders and the development of political, economic and other ties.

We welcome cooperation with other countries and openness. But the good always goes with the bad. Unfortunately, criminals, too, are finding ways to establish contacts and cooperate, dividing up the markets.

How have the events of recent years in Central Asia influenced the situation in Russia?

In recent years, Russia has become a target of expansion on the part of international drug trafficking. More than half of all confiscated drugs come from abroad, with the Central Asian countries playing a major role in the penetration of drugs into Russia, and then on into Europe. Afghan opium and heroine account for over half of the opium confiscated in Russia, and, probably, in the world.

The Taliban live off drugs, since the net cost of their production is minuscule compared with the price at which drugs are sold. And then the law that Karl Marx wrote about comes into force.

Central Asia has also been affected by the drug business, which also gets its drugs from Afghanistan. Therefore, the penetration of drugs from Central Asia has become the most urgent problem for us today.

What can be done to reverse this situation?

In my opinion, we need to create a second “security ring” which, in addition to the Tajik-Afghan border, could help to filter drugs coming first into Russia, and then going on to Europe.

It could be created on the Russian-Kazakhstan border, which would enormously increase the efficiency of the fight against drug trafficking. But the problem still needs to be resolved jointly with the rest of the world.

How are your contacts developing in this respect at the international level?

We have long been cooperating with various international organisations, including the UN. Russia is fulfilling all its international obligations. Our legislation has been reviewed by UN experts who found it to fully meet international standards.

There are no human rights violations in Russia with respect to opposing the illegal increase in drug trafficking. Russia has ratified all the international conventions and is unwaveringly abiding by them. Control over legal uses of drugs in Russia is among the strictest in the world and corresponds to UN norms and standards. Russian representatives take part in annual sessions of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).

In addition, cooperation is expanding within the UN Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and other specialised UN agencies. By joining the Council of Europe, Russia has become party to the Agreement on Illegal Maritime Trafficking in executing Article 17 of the UN Con-vention on the Fight against Illegal Trafficking of Drugs and Psychotropic Agents of 1995.

What new things have happened since the UN Department of Drug Control and Crime Prevention office opened in Moscow?

The Russian government praised highly the opening of the Regional UNODCCP Office for Russia and Belarus headed by Mr. Bruno Dato in the summer of 1999.

As the result of joint efforts, we were able to draw up documents and plans faster, and also develop and implement them much faster. This was greatly assisted by the visit to Russia of Mr.Pino Arlachi, Under-Secretary of UN and UNODCCP Executive Director in Vienna. Development of a programme to build a single drug controle database for Russia and other CIS countries is almost complete.

Several seminars have been held for our officers, and a programme is being drawn up for setting up an international inter-agency centre. Several other questions are being worked on, including those concerning the Russian-Kazakhstan border.

What is your forecast for the development of the drug situation in the near future?

According to experts, the drug situation will remain difficult, and the main negative trends will continue.

It must be said that in recent years Russia has done a great deal from the legislative point of view by drawing up, in particular, a concept of state policy regarding drug control, which was approved by the President and former Supreme Soviet. Most countries of the world do not have such a conception. We have a special law on drugs.

For the 20th session of the UN General Assembly, guidelines were developed in Russia and approved by the Russian President for the period until 2008. However, these problems cannot be solved by legislative, let alone law enforcement, measures.

We must not forget the spiritual factor. A negative attitude toward drugs must be fostered among the population. Whereas in the 1980s, almost 90% of the population took a negative attitude toward drugs, now less than half those surveyed do so.

We are actively cooperating with non-governmental organisations and with the Russian Orthodox Church. Rehabilitation centres are being established in Russia, where patients renounce their addiction to drugs. The whole world needs to come down on drugs. And to achieve this we are also counting on collaboration with the UN.

(foto: The Taliban live off drugs. Afghan opium and heroine account for over half of the opium confiscated in Russia)

The Tenth Moscow UN International Model

The Tenth Moscow UN International Model was held from February 8 to 10, 1999. It was organised by the UN Association of Russia, Moscow’s English High School No. 1509 and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Fourteen high schools and lyceums, the Young Journalists School under Moscow State University, and four Moscow institutes, MGIMO, Russia State Tax Academy, Russian Customs Academy and Finance Academy under the Russian Government, participated in the Model.

This UN Model, according to which the UN General Assembly and Security Council meetings were held, was devoted to the most important current issues: the UN’s role in the 21st century and settlement of Indian-Pakistani relations.

UN Association of Russia and Institute of International Relations, under the auspices of the World Federation of UN Associations, hold the International Student UN Model 2000 in Moscow on April 10-13, 2000.

During the Model, the work of the following three main UN agencies will be simulated to discuss the following issues:

General Assembly: (1) Cooperation between the UN and regional organisations in ensuring peace and security; (2) UN Reform;

Security Council: The situation in Kosovo;

Economic and Social Council: Reinforcing the international law system for protecting refugees during armed conflicts.

The Model will be held in English and Russian with simultaneous translation.

For many years, the UN Association of Russia and the American UN Association have traditionally held youth competitions among writers of the best reports on the most urgent world problems, such as human rights, environmental protection, sustainable development, drug prevention, etc.

Since 2000 has been declared the Year of World Culture by the UN General Assembly and UNESCO, the competition theme this year, in both Russia and the US, will be World Culture.

Participants in the competition are required to write a report of no more than seven type written pages in Russian. The competitors are to be under the age of 20 by August 1, 2000.

Reports are to be sent to the UN Association of Russia before or on March 30, 2000 at the following address: Moscow 129101, Prospekt Mira 36, UN RA. The authors of the best reports will be invited to Moscow to discuss their work. The three winners will travel to the award ceremony in, Washington, in the middle of July, at which the American winners will be given their awards as well.

Good Luck!

In December 1999, the UN Association of Russia organised a meeting between students of Moscow institutions of higher learning and Oleg Mironov, Human Rights Ombudsman in Russia, and Vladimir Kartashkin, Chairman of the Human Rights Commission under the Russian President.

The meeting was held in a very relaxed atmosphere and was not limited to official speeches. The students asked many “touchy” questions, to which they received serious answers. The subject of the Union between Russia and Belarus aroused particular interest.