Ausgabe . Issue 3 | 2007

Transcription

Nr. 3 | 2007
All photos by Alessandro Scotti except bottom right by Kay Chernush for the U.S. State Dept.
Courtesy of: http://www.unodc.org
ISSN 1617 – 5352 | JAHRGANG VIII - Ausgabe 87
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KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL
COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
INHALT | CONTENTS
EDITORIAL ...................................................... 4
DIE WELT ANDERS SEHEN ................................. 5
Rid The World Of Its Drug Problem,
Says INCB Chief
For many generations, attempts have been
made to combat the adverse effects of illicit
drug trafficking and abuse, and institutions
have been set up at the national and international level to address this issue. Significant
progress has been made in reducing illicit
UNITED NATIONS
drug trafficking and abuse and yet a lot more
Ban Urges Ambitious Action On Climate Change .. 10 remains to be done. g S. 15 h
The Way To Low-Carbon Future ..................... 12
UN Arms Embargo on Iran Hits Roadblock ........... 13
Romania's Past Steps In
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Romania's Past Steps In To Upset Russians .......... 7
Czech Republic Nuclear Plant Angers Austria ........ 8
Balkans Ruling Fails To Bring Reconciliation ........ 9
TITELTHEMA | COVER STORY
Rid The World Of Its Drug Problem .................... 15
Afghanistan On Road To Becoming
A Narco State ........................................... 16
SAFTA Could Increase Drug Trafficking .............. 18
Tough Times Await Drug Traffickers In Ghana ...... 19
Deep Concern About Africa And Europe ............. 20
Drugs Fuel Slimming Craze ............................. 22
Russia Losing One In Ten To Drugs.................... 23
The Tentacles Of Drugs Trade In
Central America ......................................... 24
PERSPEKTIVEN | PERSPECTIVES
Der argentinische Diktator kommt
vor Gericht ................................................... 26
Bildung gegen Ausbeutung ........................... 27
Landflucht endet in Ausbeutung ..................... 28
Solarstrom hält Einzug in die Dörfer ................. 29
NEWS .......................................................... 30
IMPRINT | IMPRESSUM ................................. 31
Grit Moskau-Porsch
Russia and neighbouring Moldova have expressed anger over a Romanian court decision
declaring Romania's invasion of the former
Soviet Union in 1941 legitimate. The dispute
has not died down after the Bucharest Court
of Appeals delivered the decision in December
2006. g Page 7 h
Ban Urges Ambitious Action
On Climate Change
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
welcomed March 9 the European Union (EU)
decision to establish targets for energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy
sources in the battle against global warming,
saying the moves can help put the world’s
energy systems on more sustainable footing.
g Pages 10-11 h
Der argentinische Diktator
kommt vor Gericht
In Argentinien ist der letzte Diktator des südamerikanischen Landes, Reynaldo Bignone,
festgenommen worden. Er wird sich nun gerichtlich für Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit verantworten müssen. Zuständiger
Richter ist Alberto Suárez Araujo, der die Folter- und Mordfälle zu Anfang der Militärdiktatur im Jahre 1976 in der Garnison Campo de
Mayo untersucht. Damals stand Bignone noch
nicht an der Spitze des Landes, sondern war
Leiter der Militärschule, die in der als Haftund Folterzentrum genutzten Kaserne außerhalb von Buenos Aires untergebracht war.
g S. 26 h
DEUTSCHE BEARBEITUNG
Dr. Heike Nasdala
To Upset Russians
Karina Böckmann
Visit IPS in Internet
www.ipsnews.net
www.ipseuropa.org
www.ipseurope.org
www.ipsnews.de
Kirsten Prestin
-3JAHRGANG · VOL. VIII | AUSGABE · ISSUE 3 | 2007
EDITORIAL
Dear Reader,
For many generations, attempts have been made to
combat the adverse effects of illicit drug trafficking and
abuse, and institutions have been set up at the national
and international level to address this issue. Significant
progress has been made in reducing illicit drug trafficking and abuse and yet a lot more remains to be done,
says Dr. Philip O. Emafo, President of the Vienna-based
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) in his message to the annual report released worldwide on March 1.
The report expresses concern about the situation in Afghanistan. IPS correspondent in New York says: "Although fully backed by U.S. military might and
support from other Western powers, the government in Kabul has failed to
change Afghanistan's status as the world's leading illicit producer of opium,
according to UN experts who monitor the worldwide trade in narcotic drugs."
[Pages 16-17]
A negative fallout of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement
could be an increase in the narcotic traffic in the region, said Dr MM Bhatnagar, member of the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB), says a report
filed from New Delhi. [Page 18] Another report expresses deep concern about
Africa's share of global trafficking in cannabis and warned that cannabis continues to be the most commonly abused drug in Europe. [Pages 20-21]
A particularly worrisome development in Africa is the large-scale trafficking
in cocaine. Both the number of couriers apprehended and the volume of bulk
seizures of cocaine in Africa have increased significantly, says the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
In yet another report [Page 22] we read: "The trend of abuse of anorectics
for slimming is rising, and can have fatal consequences for consumers. Last
year, the world was witness to the tragic death of a Brazilian supermodel,
who collapsed due to anorexia. Anorectics, which are meant to be prescribed
and monitored by doctors, also have a use in the treatment of lifethreatening obesity or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). However, they are
instead being used indiscriminately to feed the slimming obsession that affects some societies.
Russia is losing one in ten people in its active population to drugs, a leading
medical researcher told IPS in Moscow. "Now it's for the authorities to wake
up and take some measures," said Dr David Nas Khletashvilli from the prestigious Russian Medical Academy. "In the rural regions it could be worse as many
who died as a result of abuse were not documented. The local authorities
don't really want to bring that to the public limelight and to discredit their
administrative records." [Page 23]
Please bear with us when we stress that IPS is the only independent global
news and communication agency of its kind that operates from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, the Caribbean and Latin America.
We hope you will enjoy reading this issue.
DIE WELT ANDERS SEHEN
70 Jahre bis zur Geschlechter-Parität
New York (IPS) – Obwohl mittlerweile fast 17 Prozent der Parlamentarier weltweit Frauen sind ein Anstieg von 4,7 Prozent seit 1995 - ist die Geschwindigkeit, mit der Frauen parlamentarische
Repräsentanz erlangen, viel zu langsam. Nach
einem neuen Bericht der Interparlamentarischen
Union (IPU) würde es bei dem jetzigen Tempo
weitere 70 Jahre dauern, bis Frauen auf gleicher
Höhe mit Männern rangieren.
"Ich stehe den kommenden Jahren mit großer
Skepsis gegenüber. Es ist mit Rückschritten zu
rechnen, die wir hoffentlich abfangen können",
sagt IPU-Generalsekretär Anders B. Johnsson.
Anfang März präsentierte die IPU ihre neuesten
Zahlen über den Frauenanteil in den Parlamenten
von 51 Ländern in den letzten zwölf Jahren. Ruanda hält den Spitzenplatz mit einem Anteil weiblicher Abgeordneter von 48,8 Prozent im Unterhaus. Nur drei andere Länder haben eine Frauenquote von mindestens 30 Prozent im Parlament:
Schweden mit 47,3 Prozent, Costa Rica mit 38,6
Prozent und die Niederlande mit 36,7 Prozent.
Der IPU zufolge werden von den weltweit 43.882
2 Parlamentssitzen 36.446 von Männern gehalten
und 7.436 von Frauen. Der Anteil von Frauen in
den Einkammerparlamenten und Unterhäusern
liegt global bei 17,1 Prozent. Insgesamt 33.174
Parlamentarier sind dort aktiv – 30.812 Männer
und 6.326 Frauen. In den Oberhäusern und Senaten der 51 untersuchten Staaten sind 16 Prozent
der Parlamentarier Frauen.
Der Anstieg des Frauenanteils habe sich in den
letzten Jahren verlangsamt, moniert Johnsson.
"Wenn wir einen Gleichstand von etwa 50:50 erreichen wollen, müssen wir bis zum Jahr 2077
warten, um dieses Ereignis zu feiern." Die stellvertretende UN-Generalsekretärin Asha-Rose Migiro bestätigt diesen Trend.
"Die UN-Frauenkonvention und die Pekinger Aktionsplattform gibt einen klaren Fahrplan für alle
Akteure - Regierungen, Zivilgesellschaft und UNOrganisationen – zur Beendung der Diskriminierung
der Frau", so Migiro bei der Eröffnung der 51. Sitzung der UN-Frauenrechtskommission (CSW) Ende
Februar in New York.
Feldzug gegen Korruption in Bangladesch
Dhaka (IPS) – Die seit Mitte Januar amtierende
Interimsregierung in Bangladesch unter dem ehemaligen Weltbankmitarbeiter Fakhruddin Ahmed
macht einen neuen Wahltermin von einem erfolgreichen Kampf gegen die Korruption abhängig.
Ferner hat die derzeitige Führung des Landes die
Ratifizierung der UN-Konvention gegen Korruption
(UNCAC) angekündigt und jedem korrupten Politiker das passive Wahlrecht entzogen.
Gründe für eine solche Entscheidung gibt es zuhauf. So hat die in Berlin ansässige AntiKorruptionsorganisation 'Transparency International' Bangladesch bis 2004 über vier Jahre in Folge
als das korrupteste Land der Welt eingestuft.
Gegen die Entscheidung der Interimsregierung
protestieren die beiden Spitzenparteien des Landes, die Awami-Liga unter Sheikh Hasina Wajed
und die Nationalistische Partei (BNP) unter Begum
Khaleda Zia. Beide Parteien, die die politische
Landschaft in Bangladesch seit dem Ende der Militärdiktatur im Jahre 1991 bestimmen, fordern in
seltener Einmütigkeit einen Zeitplan für baldigeWahlen. Beobachter machen den brutalen Macht
kampf zwischen den beiden großen Parteien für
die gegenwärtige Situation verantwortlich.
In Bangladesch sind bei Unruhen nach einem Streit
über Wahlreformen im Oktober fast 50 Menschen
ums Leben gekommen. Am 11. Januar reagierte
Staatspräsident Iajuddin Ahmed mit der Verhängung des Ausnahmezustands und ernannte am
folgenden Tag die Übergangsregierung. Die eigentlich für den 22. Januar geplanten Wahlen
fanden nicht statt.
Bei ihrem Feldzug gegen die Korruption hat die
Interimsregierung die Unterstützung einer ganzen
Reihe ehemaliger Kabinettmitglieder, die wie sie
der Auffassung sind, dass faire Wahlen nur dann
stattfinden können, wenn korrupte Politiker, Unternehmer und Beamte vor Gericht stehen und die
Wahlreform abgeschlossen ist. Auch Friedensnobelpreisträger Muhammad Yunus, der Gründer der
Grameen-Bank für Kleinstkredite, der vor wenigen
Tagen die Bildung einer neuen Partei mit dem
Namen 'Nagorik Shakti' oder 'Bürgermacht' angekündigt hat, steht hinter dem harten Kurs der
Übergangsregierung, ebenso das Militär.
DIE WELT ANDERS SEHEN
Fair Trade im Aufwind in Japan
Tokio (IPS) – Als Sonoko Iwasa vor zehn Jahren damit begann, in ihrem winzigen Laden in Mitaka, am
Stadtrand von Tokio, Fair-Trade-Produkte zu verkaufen, liefen ihre Geschäfte schlecht. Die meisten
wohlhabenden Leute aus der Nachbarschaft zeigten kein Interesse an globalen Themen oder den Problemen der Bevölkerung in den Ländern des Südens.
"Das Konzept von Fair Trade, das auch Entwicklungsländern gerechte Marktchancen bietet, war den
Anwohnern von Mitaka völlig fremd", so die Hausfrau. Doch mittlerweile sind die Zeiten, in denen sie
und ihr Partner den Kunden die Vorteile von fair gehandelten Produkten lang und breit erklären mussten, vorbei. Ihr Laden 'Rumaba Goods' läuft gut.
"Mit dem Interesse an den Produkten wuchs auch das Interesse an den Herstellern. In Japan geht es bei
Fair Trade erstmal um die Qualität der Ware und nicht wie in den westlichen Ländern um die Hintergründe", betont Iwasa. Tatsächlich gilt ihr Shop, der etwa organische Schokolade aus Afrika, von nepalesischen Frauen gefertigte Wollhandschuhe und Hüte und elegante Kleider aus Thailand verkauft, bei
den Japanern als modisch und fair, was Iwasa zufolge der Schlüssel zum Erfolg ist.
Die Geschäfte laufen mittlerweile so gut, dass sie und ihr Partner mit ihrem Laden in eine gut besuchte
Einkaufsstraße umgezogen sind. Iwasas Erfahrung ist kein Einzelfall, nach Angaben von Experten halten
fair gehandelte Produkte immer mehr Einzug auf dem lokalen Markt - dank der Neigung der Japaner
trendy zu sein. "Die Japaner sind für ihren unersättlichen Appetit auf Luxusmarken aus dem Westen
bekannt. Das interessiert sie mehr als billige Ware, die für einen guten Zweck verkauft wird. Natürlich
spielt dies auch bei Fair-Trade-Produkten eine Rolle", erklärt Masahashi Ohashi, der Gründer von
'Shaplaneer', einem anderen Marktführer für Fair-Trade-Produkte in Japan.
Rausschmiss von HIV-positiven Soldaten verboten
Mexiko-Stadt (IPS) – In Mexiko hat der Oberste
Gerichtshof in einem bahnbrechenden Urteil entschieden, dass HIV-positive Soldaten nicht länger
aus der Armee entlassen werden dürfen. Die Richter befanden mit acht zu drei Gegenstimmen,
dass der bislang übliche Ausschluss aus dem Militärdienst gegen die Verfassung und die nationalen
Anti-Diskriminierungsgesetze verstößt.
Das Urteil in dem vom TV-Sender 'Canal Judicial'
übertragenen und landesweit wahrgenommenen
Prozess macht den Weg für die Änderung des bislang geltenden Gesetzes frei, nach dem HIVinfizierte Soldaten – ebenso wie Tuberkulosekranke und Diabetiker – aufgrund der Schwere ihres
Leidens keinen Platz in der Armee haben. Wie alle
anderen Soldaten, die sich durch eine Infektion
oder einen Unfall außerhalb der Dienstzeit eine
Behinderung zugezogen haben, verloren bis jetzt
auch die HIV-positiven Mitglieder der Streitkräfte
nicht nur ihren Job, sondern auch das Recht auf
medizinische Behandlung und Rente. Ausgenommen von dieser Regelung waren allein Militärangehörige, die 20 Jahre oder länger dienen. Der
Richterspruch ist ein Triumph für die elf Kläger,
für Menschenrechtsorganisationen und die Regie-
rungsstellen, denen der Umgang mit infizierten
Soldaten seit langem ein Dorn im Auge war. In den
letzten 13 Jahren sind 300 HIV-positive Armeeangehörige wegen ihrer Infektion aus dem Militär
entlassen worden.
Auch für die Familien der beiden Kläger, die mittlerweile verstorben, ist das Urteil ein Segen. Sie
kommen nun in den Genuss der bei Todesfällen
üblichen staatlichen Zahlungen. Die verbleibenden neun Kläger müssen in den Militärdienst wiederaufgenommen werden, sofern sie die entsprechenden medizinischen Eignungstests bestehen.
Bereits 2004 hatte ein mexikanisches Verwaltungsgericht in einem ähnlichen Fall im Sinne
eines Unteroffiziers entschieden. Allerdings hatte
dieses Urteil für eine Neuformulierung der Rechtslage zu wenig Gewicht. Trotz aller Freude über
den Ausgang des jüngsten Prozesses, waren Experten entsetzt über die Argumente der drei schließlich überstimmten Richter. So wurde dem Vorwurf
der Diskriminierung von HIV-Infizierten mit dem
Hinweis auf die Notwendigkeit zum Schutz der
gesunden Soldaten und ihrer Gefährdung begegnet.
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Romania's Past Steps In To Upset Russians
By Claudia Ciobanu in Bucharest
Russia and neighbouring Moldova have expressed anger over a Romanian court decision declaring Romania's invasion of the former Soviet Union in 1941 legitimate. The dispute has not died down after the Bucharest Court of Appeals delivered the decision in December 2006.
As a consequence of the ruling, members of the Romanian government who had been condemned in 1946
for their decision to attack the Soviet Union together with the Nazis were pardoned of any war crime of
invading foreign territory.
"Pardoning an accomplice of the Nazis, whose crimes against the civilians from the occupied territories of
the Soviet Union cannot be forgotten, contradicts the logic and essence of peace accords," the Russian
foreign affairs ministry said in a statement Mar. 1. The Moldovan ministry of foreign affairs had taken a
similar position Feb. 23.
Although it finished World War II fighting together with the Allied powers, Romania was a partner of the
German-Italian-Japanese Axis throughout the war until the communists came to power Aug. 23, 1944. A
monarchy until then, the country was led by Marshall Ion Antonescu from September 1940. In June 1941,
when Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, Romanian troops crossed the country's eastern border together with the Germans.
Romanian leaders were trying to get back Bassarabia and Bucovina from the Soviet Union. The two territories had been a part of Romania since 1918, but had been absorbed into the Soviet Union in 1939 as a
result of a Hitler-Stalin pact. Bassarabia is present-day Moldova, a country of 4.3 million sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. Bucovina is now largely a part of Ukraine, with only a few towns in Romania.
Antonescu did not stop after conquering Bassarabia and Bucovina in 1941. He decided to advance further
into the Soviet Union with the Germans, pursuing the personal ambition of conquering Odessa (a city now
in Ukraine). Ethnic cleansing was carried out in Romania throughout the years when Romania was an ally
of the Axis. ´
"Antonescu admitted during his trial that he was personally guilty of the deportation of 150,000-170,000
Jews from Bassarabia and Bucovina, of which 100,000 never came back," historian Serban Radulescu Zoner
told IPS. "He also admitted to being responsible for the Odessa massacre in which tens of thousands of
people were killed." About 25,000 gypsies were also deported, and half of them were never heard of
again. It is not certain whether Antonescu himself intended the gypsies to be exterminated, but Gheorghe
Alexianu, appointed by Antonescu as governor of Transnistria (a region in southern Bassarabia to which the
Jews and gypsies were deported) was clerly guilty of genocide, historian Andrea Varga told IPS.
Ion Antonescu, together with Gheorghe Alexianu and 19 other members of Antonescu's government were
held guilty of war crimes. They were tried by a Tribunal of the People set up by the Communist Party in
1946. Most historians agree that "the Antonescu lot" were guilty of war crimes. But they also share the
view that the trial was politicised, and the decision to execute Antonescu and some of his men was rushed
in order to get rid of political enemies of the communists as soon as possible. Last year the trial was
judged again by the Court of Appeals in Bucharest following an appeal by Alexandru Sorin Serban Alexianu, son of Gheorghe Alexianu. A renowned lawyer, Alexandru Alexianu had been trying for years to clear
his father's name.
Andrea Varga said she had no idea the case had come up before the Court of Appeals, and the decision by
the court last December took her by surprise. "I didn't imagine they would clear Alexianu of war crime
charges. I would have gone to the trial myself to present evidence that he is guilty of killing tens of thousands of gypsies," Varga told IPS. The Court of Appeals declared that it is only pardoning "the Antonescu
lot" of "some" of the war crimes that were related to the invasion of the Soviet Union.
| IPS | COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Czech Republic Nuclear Plant Angers Austria
By Zoltán Dujisin
The Czech Republic is once more under Austrian pressure over its controversial Temelin nuclear plant,
which many want decommissioned. Temelin is a village in south Bohemia situated only 60 km away from
the border with Austria, one of the few nuclear-free countries in Europe.
Austrians, supported by various Czech activists, are almost unanimous in wishing Temelin's closure, claiming its combination of Soviet design and Western fuel and safety technology is hazardous. The construction
of four reactors for a nuclear plant was initiated by communist authorities in the 1980s, and since the
collapse of state socialism the plant's existence has been a recurrent source of tension between Prague
and Vienna. ´
Since the 1990s the plant's original plan has been significantly modified in order to bring the power plant
to Western standards, but the process of harmonising technology has resulted in several sensitive changes
to its structure and organisation. After an apparently cordial meeting between Austrian Chancellor Alfred
Gusenbauer and his Czech counterpart Mirek Topolanek in Prague Feb. 27, the two prime ministers agreed
to set up a joint Austrian-Czech commission to control operation of the plant.
Activists who favour a harder approach by Vienna were disappointed with the Austrian Chancellor's soft
stance. But only a few days later a disappointed Gusenbauer protested to Topolanek for failing to inform
Austria of a radioactive leak in the first unit of the Temelin nuclear power station the same day of the
meeting. It took two days for the Czech government to release information on the accident. Gusenbauer
told Topolanek this was not his idea of the "open and friendly talks" they had agreed upon, and recalled
their bilateral commitment to share information. The misunderstanding has caused much resentment in
Austria, where the Austrian Greens chairman Alexander Van der Bellen went as far as calling it "a hostile
act on the part of Czechs."
"It seems that Czech authorities always try to hide some problems, they don't act very independently and
they don't cooperate with requests by civic groups to share information on Temelin," Hana Gabrielova, a
Czech activist at the Association for Environmental Conservation told IPS. "It's difficult to say whether
Temelin is safe or unsafe, but Austrians don't trust it because Czech authorities are not open about it and
public information is not reliable," the activist said.
Most Austrians believe the Czech Republic has violated a 2000 agreement in which the Czech and Austrian
prime ministers, under European Union (EU) supervision, vowed to jointly monitor the safety of Temelin
and share information. The agreement stipulated that Prague would take the necessary steps to upgrade
security at the plant in exchange for Vienna not blocking the Czech Republic's accession to the EU in 2004.
Last December the Austrian parliament, claiming violation of the agreement, called on Vienna to take
legal steps against the Czech Republic unless it submits fresh evidence of safety. This came as a reaction
to a recent Czech decision which grants final building approval for use of the station, but the effort is
futile as the 2000 agreement is simply a protocol and lacks the validity of international agreements.
Prague has threatened in the past it would end cooperation with Austria if Vienna tries to takes the case
to court, and in spite of recurrent malfunctions, the Czechs deny problems with the plant's safety. The
Czech Republic is also annoyed by a series of recurrent road blockades on the Austrian border. Austrian
anti-nuclear activists have frequently resorted to road blockades at border crossing points with the Czech
Republic, with Prague claiming their actions violate EU principles of free movement of people and goods.
Czech officials have also indirectly pointed at what they see as a particular Austrian obsession with Temelin, as 23 other plants are in operation in countries surrounding Austria, all of them older than Temelin.
Some in Austria agree. "There is no evidence Temelin poses a greater danger than any other plant in Slovakia, Hungary or Slovenia, though opposing nuclear power in general is an understandable stance," Anton
Pelinka, director of the Vienna-based Institute of Conflict Research told IPS.
WINDOW ON EUROPE
Balkans Ruling Fails To Bring Reconciliation
By Vesna Peric Zimonjic in Belgrade
"Regardless of the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), I know what I will tell my children
about the war," Bosnia-Herzegovina leader Zdravko Komsic said after the ICJ cleared Serbia of genocide in
the 1992-95 war. The ICJ ruled that genocide was committed only in Srebrenica in July 1995.
At least 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were executed then by the Bosnian Serb Army (BSA) that
overran the enclave in eastern Bosnia. Serbia did not participate in the genocide, but failed to influence
the BSA to prevent it, the international court ruled.
Komsic's reaction reflects how complex the situation remains in the Balkans, where the wars of bloody
disintegration of former Yugoslavia still remain the main cause of prolonged hatred and deep mistrust
between millions of Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs. Hopes of bringing the nations closer together after the ICJ
ruling remain as far as ever.
"The ruling of the ICJ can in no way bring moral satisfaction to the victims of genocide in Bosnia," Sarajevo
leader Sakib Softic told local media. "It will become a ground for reconciliation between Bosniaks and
Serbs only if the whole Serb nation is ready to take responsibility for genocide being carried out in its
name over the whole territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina," he added. Head of the Muslim community in Bosnia
Mustafa Ceric reacted more sharply. "I am disappointed with the decision of the ICJ. Genocide in Bosnia is
an undisputed fact that we all know about," he told media in Bosnian capital Sarajevo.
The war in Bosnia took about 100,000 lives; most victims were Bosniak Muslims. Another 11,000 people
were killed in the war in Croatia that also ended in 1995. But while clearing Serbia of any hand in genocide, the ICJ said it is the Serb duty to hand over Gen. Ratko Mladic of the Bosnian Serb Army to the international war crimes tribunal. Mladic was commander of the BSA, and he has been in hiding for more
than 10 years.
"The indicted war criminals should be sent to the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) that will establish the truth of what happened in the Balkans wars," Vesna Pesic, leader of the
small parliamentary party Civil Alliance of Serbia (GSS) told IPS. "Among all of us -- Croats, Serbs or Bosniaks -- there remains a level of emotional tension that cannot be surmounted if the truth is not learnt.
Without truth, there will be no real reconciliation in the long run," she said.
One of the major obstacles to real reconciliation remains the issue how the wars in former Yugoslavia
ended. The matter was officially closed through the internationally sponsored Dayton Peace Accords
signed by leaders who participated in the wars - former Bosniak president Alija Izetbegovic and his Croatian and Serbian counterparts Franjo Tudjman and Slobodan Milosevic. Today, when all three signatories
to the agreement are dead, their complicated legacy hangs ominously over the region.
"Peace was installed with the help of the same leaders that led their nations to wars," international law
professor Vojin Dimitrijevic told IPS. "It was an illusion that with such a legacy they could lead their nation
to reconciliation in the future."
"It will take years to promote goodwill for a new level of mutual understanding," head of Croatian Helsinki
Committee for Human Rights Zarko Puhovski told Belgrade B92 Radio. "With or without the ICJ ruling, all
former warring nations remain entrenched in their beliefs." The prevailing feeling in Bosnia and in Croatia
is that Serbia is to blame for the warfare that led to the killings and to economic devastation. Bosniak
Muslims and Croats are commonly described as victims of wars instigated by Serbia.
Official propaganda in Croatia and Bosnia, and the media in the two countries do not acknowledge that
any war crimes were committed against the large Bosnian or Croatian Serb population. They say Croatia
and Bosnia were defending themselves against aggression. | IPS | COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
UNITED NATIONS
Ban Urges Ambitious Action On Climate Change
By Jaya Ramachandran *
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed March 9 the European Union (EU) decision to
establish targets for energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources in the battle against
global warming, saying the moves can help put the world’s energy systems on more sustainable footing.
"In the face of rising greenhouse gas emissions, committing to a substantial
decrease for the next decade is ambitious," Ban, who has frequently called
action on climate change one of his top priorities as Secretary-General, said
in a statement issued by his spokesperson.
"But ambition and leadership are just what is needed to respond to climate
change, one of the greatest challenges facing humankind," he added. Noting
that the EU’s moves offer business strong incentives to develop the advanced technologies that the world, above all the developing world, needs
to meet its energy needs while at the same time addressing climate change,
Ban said the decision raises hopes for further advances in the course of this
year.
"In particular, the world looks to the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Bali, Indonesia in December, to launch intensive talks on strengthening international
cooperation to reduce emissions," the statement added. "The Secretary-General calls on all countries to
participate in these talks with ambition and creativity," the statement said.
European heads of state agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels by
the year 2020. The EU Spring Summit March 8 and 9 also decided on a target of 20 percent generation of
total primary energy from renewables like wind, solar and hydroelectric sources by 2020. Environmental
groups say the measures fall short of what is really needed.
German chancellor Angela Merkel, who is presiding for the first half of this year over the European Council, the final decision making body of the EU, called the "unilateral" cut "a massive step forward."
Under the Kyoto Protocol, a global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the EU is obliged to an 8
percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2012. Negotiations about further cuts after 2012 have only just
begun.
"The European Union is waking up to the threat of climate change," said Jan Kowalzig, climate campaigner
with Friends of the Earth Europe. "And we welcome the fact that the Union has decided upon binding
measures. But the commitments are too low. We think a share of 25 percent for renewable energy by
2020 would have been reasonable."
The aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent "is certainly not enough," he said. "The EU admits
itself that cutting emissions by at least 30 percent by 2020 is needed to avoid catastrophic climate
change." Reaching an agreement about burden sharing and specific obligations – increasing energy efficiency, bio fuels and renewable energy – had appeared difficult during the negotiations. The main point of
contention was a binding target for renewables.
France had proposed a "low carbon" target instead of the renewables target in order to include the "positive" contribution of nuclear energy in the equation. And Eastern European member states that are still
dependent on coal as a source of energy did not want to be forced to invest heavily in expensive renewable energy sources. Consensus was reached on "differentiated national overall targets" for renewables
"taking account of different national starting points." ¾¾¾
----* Peter Dhondt in Brussels and Haider Rizvi contributed to this report
- 10 JAHRGANG · VOL. VIII | AUSGABE · ISSUE 3 | 2007
UNITED NATIONS
The energy action plan adopted at the summit also recognises the contribution of nuclear energy in
"meeting the growing concerns about safety of energy supply and carbon dioxide emissions reductions" -- a
concession to France and to BusinessEurope, a major business lobby that wants to increase the use of nuclear power in order to improve the competitiveness of energy intensive industries.
But the text stresses also that "nuclear safety and security" have to play an important role in the decisionmaking process.
The European leaders also agreed to a 10 percent minimum target on the use of bio fuels in transport by
2020. The EU still has to decide on the exact burden sharing between the 27 EU member countries on the
cut in greenhouse gas emissions. That is expected to take at least a year of negotiations.
For densely populated transit countries like Belgium and the Netherlands the new target is much harder to
meet than for other countries. Member states in the east like Poland and the Czech Republic that are
relatively poor and dependent on heavy industry and coal also face major problems.
By stepping up binding measures to rein in global warming, the European Union is hoping to engage other
big polluters like the United States, China and India. The EU offered to cut emissions by 30 percent "provided that other developed countries commit themselves to comparable emission reductions, and economically more advanced developing countries to contributing adequately."
Friends of the Earth's Kowalzig finds that a "wrong strategic choice; it is very unlikely that the U.S. will be
matching European efforts."
In scientific circles there is consensus that even higher cuts are needed to limit climate change. In a January paper outlining future paths for energy research, the European Commission, the executive arm of the
EU, admitted that global emission of greenhouse gases eventually must be reduced by 50 percent in order
to restrict global temperature increases to a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius. That would imply cuts from
60 to 80 percent by 2050 in Europe and other industrialised nations.
The EU decision followed on the heels of a new study entitled Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the
Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable. Researchers said February 27 that world leaders should
take immediate steps to start reversing the upward trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions, otherwise the
current path would lead to "serious" climate change impacts.
Prepared in response to a request by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) two years ago,
the 144-page study outlines a roadmap for measures to reduce dangerous emissions, alleviate poverty,
and spur sustainable development.
"It is still impossible to avoid an unmanageable degree of climate change, but the time for action is now,"
John Holdren, a professor of environmental policy at Harvard University and one of the lead authors of the
study, told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. According to the study's findings, the average
global surface temperature has already risen about 0.8 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels and
that may rise by another two to four degrees by the end of this century.
Prof. Holdren and other authors of the study said the risk of climate change could entail "intolerable impacts" if the average temperature level reached more than two degrees C. above the 1750 pre-industrial
level. They observed that the world is already experiencing climate disruptions, and the increases in
droughts, floods, and sea level rise that will occur in the coming decades could lead to enormous human
suffering and economic losses.
"We imperil our children's and grandchildren's future if we fail to improve society's capacity to adapt to a
changing climate," said Rosina Bierbaum, former acting director of the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy. Such an eventuality can be avoided, she went on to say, "if we manage water better,
bolster disaster preparedness, increase surveillance for emerging diseases, make cities more resilient,
prepare for environmental refugees, and use natural resources more sustainably."
UNITED NATIONS
The Way To Low-Carbon Future
By Jaya Ramachandran
The Kyoto Protocol’s clean development mechanism (CDM) is a glimpse of the future when it comes to the
global response to climate change, says Hans Jürgen Stehr, the newly elected chair of the Executive Board
that oversees the mechanism. “The mechanism’s success in stimulating investment in development projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions is a model for other financial and market-based initiatives,”
Stehr said in Bonn
In just two years, the CDM has resulted in more than 500 registered projects in more than 40 countries in
the developing world, stimulating North–South investment and considerable emission reductions in the
process – the mechanism is expected to result in emission reductions equivalent to 1.8 billion tonnes of
CO2 to the end of 2012. “Our task now is to refine and improve the mechanism to see that it meets its full
potential, as expected by governments,” Stehr said.
At the Executive Board’s twenty-ninth meeting in Bonn, decisions were adopted that enhance the oversight of project registration and implementation, to ensure that emission reductions from CDM projects
are real, measurable and verifiable. “The CDM was quick to generate strong interest in the developing
world and result in projects on the ground. It’s our challenge to spread CDM even farther afield, with
more projects covering a wider range of activities, while maintaining the high quality standard demanded
of the process,” said Rajesh Kumar Sethi, who was elected vice-chair of Executive Board.
CDM project implementers earn certified emission reduction units which are bought by
countries with emission-reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. “Marketbased mechanisms, like the clean development CDM, will be at the heart of any new
agreement taken by the international community to address climate change, and negotiations on that agreement need to progress quickly,” said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in welcoming
the new chair and vice-chair.
The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012, which means time is short for negotiating
a new agreement, given its global scope and the complexity of the task.
The CDM registered its 500th project on mid-February, an 8.75 megawatt wind farm in Gujarat, India.
The project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 15,300 tonnes annually. "The
500th project is an exciting milestone, especially considering that the Kyoto Protocol was ratified just
two years ago and that a year ago less than one hundred projects were registered. It’s testament to
what can be done when countries come together to find solutions to global problems," said the UNFCCC
Executive Secretary.
The CDM is designed to stimulate sustainable development by allowing countries with commitments
under the Kyoto Protocol to fulfil part of their commitments by investing in emission-reducing projects
in developing countries. The 499th project, for example, was a rural electrification project in Uganda
financed by the World Bank’s Prototype Carbon Fund and involving Finland and the Netherlands.
CDM projects are being conducted in more than 40 countries and have so far generated more than 31
million certified emission reduction (CER) units, each equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide, the
main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. The mechanism is anticipated as of today to generate more than 1.8 billion CERs in the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to 2012 – equivalent to the combined annual emissions of Canada, France, Spain and Switzerland.
“Market mechanisms, such as the CDM and emissions trading, are essential to stimulate the green investment required to tackle climate change and move to a low-carbon economy,” said Mr. de Boer. The
UNFCCC Executive Secretary sees market mechanisms and innovative financial engineering as major
elements of any future international agreement on climate change. | COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
UNITED NATIONS
UN Arms Embargo on Iran Hits Roadblock
By Thalif Deen
When the UN Security Council decides to punish a
member state -- be it Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia or Iraq -- one of its cherished prerogatives is the
power to impose mandatory military sanctions
crippling a country's armed services.
"It is the transfer of the TOR-M1s in particular that
aroused opposition from the United States and
Israel, basically because these are mostly destined
to protect the Iranian nuclear reactor facilities in
Bushehr," Baranauskas told IPS.
But a primarily Western-sponsored Security Council
resolution under negotiation beginning of March,
and aimed at punishing Iran for its nuclear enrichment programme, is unlikely to include an arms
embargo because of opposition from Russia, and to
a lesser extent from China. The reason: the Russian
Federation, which shares veto powers with the
United States, France, Britain and China, is one of
the primary arms suppliers to Iran and accounts for
billions of dollars worth of military exports.
When the first Security Council resolution against
Iran was adopted late last year, the United States
was forced to drop its plans to impose sanctions
against Iran's nuclear plant in Bushehr because of
strong reservations expressed by Russia. The Russians are helping Iran to build that facility. If
Washington had insisted on sanctioning the nuclear
plant, the Russians would have vetoed that resolution. But it passed muster after the proposed sanctions against the nuclear plant were removed.
"An arms embargo is very unlikely," says an Arab
diplomat, who is also quick to point out that "just
as much as Washington is protective of its political
and military relationship with Israel, the Russians
are equally protective of their economic and military relationship with Iran."
Asked if Russia and China would go along with an
arms embargo against Iran, British Ambassador
Emyr Jones Parry ducked the question: "I don't
want at this stage to go into any discussion of what
anybody accepts or doesn't. But these are some of
the issues we are talking about." He also told reporters March 8 that the new resolution will reflect an "incremental racheting up" of existing
sanctions.
"If you try to impose military sanctions on Israel,
the United States will exercise its veto, and if you
try to do the same to Iran, the Russians will veto
it."
The economic stakes on the proposed resolution
are high. Nicholas Burns, a senior U.S. State Department official and one of the lead negotiators
of the proposed draft resolution, was quoted as
saying there would be no sanctions on the oil and
gas trade either.
According to the Washington-based Congressional
Research Service (CRS), Russia's arms transfer
agreements with Iran totaled over two billion dollars during 2002-2005.
The last known major deal, confirmed in December
2005, has a potential worth of one billion to 1.5
billion dollars, says Tom Baranauskas, a senior Middle East analyst at the U.S.-based Forecast International, a leading provider of defence market intelligence services in the United States. The deal
includes upgrades to Iranian MiG-29 and Su-24
fighter planes, warships, fast patrol boats, TOR-M1
air defense missile systems, and upgrades to T-72
battle tanks.
Ambassador Alexandro Wolff, the acting U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, told
reporters Iran's arms import-export trade was one
of the issues under discussion. "I don't want to go
into any more details," he said, when pressed for
specifics. "Our view is that there should be an expansion beyond what we have been doing before."
The resolution adopted in December imposed restrictions on the export of nuclear materiel and
technology to Iran, and the freezing of financial
assets of officials involved in the nuclear programme. The proposed new resolution is expected
to expand some of these restrictions -- besides a
travel ban on Iranian officials linked to the nuclear
programme, and restrictions on export guarantees
and credits.
Jones Parry said the Security Council was making
"steady progress" on the text, but wouldn't confirm
whether there could be an agreement in about a
week. The discussions on new sanctions have involved the five permanent members (P-5) of the
Security Council -- the United States, Britain,
France, China and Russia -- plus Germany. ¾¾¾
UNITED NATIONS
He pointed out that Iran usually makes a big deal
out of constant announcements of "new" weapons, but many of these appear to be just
warmed-over redesigns of older Russian and U.S.
equipment, or attempts at reverse-engineering
them.
The fact that the discussions had been confined to
the P-5 has triggered complaints from some of the
remaining 10 elected members of the Security
Council: Belgium, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Italy, Panama, Peru, Qatar, Slovakia and
South Africa.
Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa, current president of the Security Council, told reporters last week that "it had been felt that the P-5
had held on to the process much longer than they
should have and the 10 elected members had
complained bitterly about that."
In light of that, he said, they were trying to do it
differently.
"The P-5 had volunteered to change the way they
handled it," he said.´
Russia, and to a lesser extent China, is taking a
strong stand on military sanctions because of the
prolific arms trade with Iran.
Baranauskas said the only other known recent Russian arms delivery to Iran was the six Su-39 attack
jets (also known as the Su-25T) around mid-2006.
The contract also included spares and upgrade kits
for seven ex-Iraqi Air Force Su-25Ks flown to Iran
during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and which the
Iranians took over.
In the unlikely event that the Security Council
eventually opts for military sanctions, Iran's military forces are buttressed by a vibrant domestic
arms industry.
"Yes, Iran does have a rather wide-ranging arms
industry," Baranauskas told IPS. However, it is not
necessarily as sophisticated and deep as the size
would indicate.
There are certain areas of strength, such as missiles, but even these have been developed largely
with foreign assistance, including China and North
Korea, he added.
"Still, the Iranian defence industry is big enough
that it has become a significant exporter,"
Baranauskas said. In September 2006, Iran said it
was now exporting military equipment to 57
countries, with a 17 percent increase in defence
sales in the year that began in March 2006, which
followed a 15 percent increase in such sales in
the previous year.
Asked
about
China's
military
relations,
Baranauskas said "the Chinese connection is much
more murky and may actually hold more potential for troublesome developments."
Although actual arms sales are still rather low
(CRS shows arms transfer agreements totaling
300 million dollars, and arms deliveries totaling
200 million dollars in recent years), the Chinese
are apparently willing to supply weapons that the
Russians are reluctant to (such as C701 anti-ship
missiles).
Furthermore, the Chinese appear to be doing
quite a bit of weapons technology transfers. Also
a consideration for Chinese arms sales to Iran is
the fact that China has made it a priority in recent years to ensure that its energy needs are
met with sufficient resources to allow development to continue.
"As a major energy supplier, Iran thus is probably
regarded as a key Chinese ally," he added.
In the case of Israel, which is protected against
Security Council sanctions by Washington, the
United States has been the major arms supplier.
According to CRS, there was a total of 8.4 billion
dollars of arms deliveries to Israel in the 19972004 period, with fully 7.1 billion dollars or 84.5
percent coming from a single source: the United
States. A major factor in this trend was the rise
in U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) -- outright U.S. grants to Israel -- which now totals
about 2.3 billion dollars a year paid for by U.S.
taxpayers. By U.S. law, Baranauskas said, 74
percent of FMF assistance to Israel must be spent
on U.S. military products plowing back the grants
into the U.S. defence industry.
Rid The World Of Its Drug Problem
By Philip O. Emafo
This article by the President of the Vienna-based International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) contains
the text of his message to the Board's Annual Report released on March 1. – The Editor
For many generations, attempts have been made to combat the adverse
effects of illicit drug trafficking and abuse, and institutions have been set up
at the national and international level to address this issue. Significant progress has been made in reducing illicit drug trafficking and abuse and yet a
lot more remains to be done.
Many countries are being targeted by drug traffickers, resulting in the shipment of large consignments of illicit narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances
and precursor chemicals. Larger seizures of cocaine and heroin in illicit traffic suggest the existence of highly organized criminal syndicates who must
be stopped and apprehended in their efforts to move drugs around the globe
with impunity. The seizures also suggest that improvements in interdiction
efforts and intelligence sharing are necessary.
Although the phenomenon of the unregulated market is not a new one, it is of particular concern to the
Board that in recent years, an increasing volume and variety of internationally controlled substances
are available in the unregulated market. In addition, traffickers are turning to innovative ways of trafficking and diverting such substances, including the transnational distribution of counterfeit drugs and
the use of the Internet and the postal and courier services for illicit drug trafficking.
Activities of the unregulated market expose patients to serious health risks through the delivery of often poorly documented, unsafe, ineffective or low quality medicines. Moreover, gains over the past
years in international drug control may be seriously undermined by this ominous development, if it remains unchecked. The root causes of this problem need to be identified and remedial measures taken
as a matter of urgency.
In an age where technological developments are being used for sinister purposes, persons engaged in
drug law enforcement and drug regulation need to be better trained and equipped. We should deploy
our expertise for the good of all by cooperating and collaborating better, while guarding our mandates.
Intelligence sharing between States should be further strengthened for assisting in the interception of
drugs in illicit traffic. Governments should also recognize the importance of drug demand reduction
activities in alleviating the drug problem. Governments should introduce drug demand reduction programmes including treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes that are effective,
accessible, affordable and sustainable.
Eventual success in tackling the world drug problem depends not only on appropriate legislation that is
effectively implemented, but also on well-designed demand reduction programmes that are conducted
by well-motivated human resources, as they play a significant role in determining how successful the
outcome of our efforts are. There is need for circumspection in designating men and women who lead
our drug control authorities.
At the international level, organizations having mandates for international drug control should work
together more closely. The time for isolationism is over. Ultimately the resolution of the world drug
problem depends on responsible actions by all of us, children, parents, civil society and governments.
Let us join hands to rid the world of its drug problem. We have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people of the world. Let us make the difference.
| KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL
Afghanistan On Road To Becoming A Narco State
By Haider Rizvi
Although fully backed by U.S. military might and support from other Western
powers, the government in Kabul has failed to change Afghanistan's status as
the world's leading illicit producer of opium, according to UN experts who
monitor the worldwide trade in narcotic drugs.
"The illicit poppy (opium) cultivation in Afghanistan has not been contained
but has instead reached a record high level," Dr. Philip Emafo told a news
conference at UN headquarters to launch the International Narcotic Control
Board's (INCB) annual report for 2006.
Describing the drug control situation in Afghanistan as "rapidly deteriorating",
Emafo, who is president of the INCB, said despite local and international efforts, one-third of the Afghan economy remains dependent on the production
of opium.
Mixed with certain chemicals, opium is used to manufacture heroin, a powerful and highly addictive drug that remains popular with millions of users
around the world despite years of international efforts to control illicit trafficking in narcotics.
"There is a need for drastic action in Afghanistan," Emafo told reporters, adding that unless the government takes swift measures to address the problem
of corruption, there will be no progress in economic and social development.
According to the report, in addition to the illicit cultivation, manufacture and
export of narcotics, Afghanistan is also facing the problem of drug abuse at
the domestic level. A recent nationwide survey found that there were at
least one million drug addicts in the country, including 60,000 children under
the age of 15.
While urging the Afghan government to redouble its efforts to root out corruption linked to the illegal drug trade, the report's authors said the international community, particularly donor nations, has a duty to provide greater
assistance.
According to them, the absence of adequate drug control laws and mechanisms in Afghanistan is also responsible for the proliferation of unregulated
retail outlets selling controlled substances, many of which have been smuggled into the country.
Emafo said that while the Afghan government needs to create alternative
income sources for poppy growers, it must also take measures to control the
supply of chemicals that are used to convert opium into heroin. Asked if
Western pharmaceutical companies are responsible for exporting those
chemicals, he told IPS: "We have been looking into it, but we don't know who
are the suppliers."
In addition to Afghanistan, Emafo and other INCB officials said they were
"equally worried" about the large-scale trafficking in cocaine in Africa, adding
that drug traffickers have expanded their networks to use the continent as a
transit area to smuggle cocaine from South America for shipment to Europe
and North America. ¾¾¾
The countries of Western Europe, according to the report, have become the
second largest illicit drug market in the world. According to the World Drug
Report 2006 of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Western and Central Europe
account for about 25 percent of all cocaine consumption in the world.
Researchers note, however, that cannabis still remains the preferred drug in
most of Europe, particularly Denmark, the Czech Republic, France and Britain. Europe also continues to be one of the main illicit markets for stimulants
like MDMA, popularly known as "ecstasy".
Regarding the abuse of prescription drugs, the INCB findings show that abuse
has risen to an alarming level.
"It has already surpassed abuse of traditional drugs such as heroin and cocaine
in some parts of the world," the report said, adding that medicines containing
psychoneuratic substances have already become the drugs of "first choice in
many cases."
For example, in the United States, the abuse of prescription drugs, including
pain killers, stimulants, sedatives and tranquilisers, has surpassed the abuse
levels of practically all illicit drugs, with the exception of cannabis.
According to INCB, in the United States, the number of people who abused
controlled prescription drugs nearly doubled from 7.8 million to 15.1 million
from 1992 to 2003, and there were strong indications that in some parts of
Africa, South Asia and Europe, drug abusers are increasingly becoming dependent on prescribed sedatives and tranquilisers.
In Nigeria, for instance, pentazocine, an analgesic, is the second most common drug injected. Buprenorphine, a drug prescribed as a substitution treatment for narcotic dependency, is the main drug of injection in most areas of
India, which is trafficked and abused in tablet form in France and Scandinavian countries.
A New Problem
"The demand for these drugs," Emafo said, "is so high that it has given rise to
a new problem -- that of counterfeit products." Strong demand in Scandinavia
for flunitrazepam, a sedative, is increasingly met by illicitly manufactured
counterfeit preparations, he added.
Similarly, the demand of the illicit market in North America for oxycontin has
also led to widespread distribution of counterfeit products containing illicitly
manufactured fentanyl.
The report's authors warned that the abuse of prescription drugs can be lethal, and the medical community has already seen a number of overdose
deaths from fentanyl and oxycodone.
The report urged governments to alert their law-enforcement officials to the
rising trafficking and abuse of pharmaceutical products containing controlled
substances. It also wants to create global public awareness programmes about
the consequences of the abuse of such drugs.
"Most governments are not aware to what extent drugs are being diverted and
abused," said Emafo. "In addition, what abusers do not realise is that abuse of
prescription drugs can be more risky than the illicitly manufactured drugs
(such as heroin and cocaine)." | IPS | COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
Emafo said that
while the Afghan
government needs
to create alternative
income
sources for poppy
growers, it must
also take measures to control
the
supply
of
chemicals that are
used to convert
opium into heroin.
SAFTA Could Increase Drug Trafficking
By Iftikhar Gilani *
A negative fallout of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement could be
an increase in the narcotic traffic in the region, said Dr MM Bhatnagar, member of
the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB).
Releasing the annual report of the INCB in New Delhi, Dr Bhatnagar said that past
experiences of free trade zones around the world had shown that they at times had
become free zones for narcotic trade as well.
He asked SAARC countries to ensure the implementation of the SAFTA does not
hamper measures to combat drug trafficking within the region.
Bhatnagar said with the increasing economic activity and growth in India, the drug
abuse and the consumption of cocaine was on the rise amongst neo-riches in the
country. "Available information suggests an emerging trend of increasing abuse of
and trafficking in cocaine in South Asia. Particularly in India there have been increasing seizures of cocaine,” he said.
Bhatnagar said some opium and poppy husk continued to be diverted into illicit
markets in India despite stringent measures. "Crude heroin manufactured from such
diverted opium is trafficked and sold on illicit markets in India or is smuggled into
other countries,” said the INCB report.
The report says that the state of Punjab has merged as a new hub for smuggling
drugs into India. "This recent development appears to be connected with the increase in the licit and illicit cross border flow of goods and persons between India
and Pakistan.”
Most of the drugs, particularly heroin, that are smuggled into Punjab are subsequently taken to New Delhi and Mumbai before being transported to other countries.
Further, in India drug abuse by injections has been the main factors behind the
spread of HIV in some areas. The report has found relations between the drug
abuse and spread of HIV in the northeastern state of Manipur.
The INCB has cautioned Indian government to remain vigilant against pharmaceutical companies. "Many of the pharmaceutical preparations subject to abuse are
manufactured in India,” said the report, admitting that there were stringent laws
in the country, but loopholes in enforcement allowed a diversion at all levels.
In most of the areas, buprenorphine is easily available for abusers for injection.
Also cough syrups containing a high level of codeine is not only supplied to local
markets, but also trafficked into Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Over past few yeas, the abuse of dextropropoxyphene has also increased significant
in northeastern states. The drug is a synthetic pain reliever. Further, the Board has
found evidences of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine being smuggled from India into
Myanmar, where it is used for illicit manufacture of methamphetamine. India produces significant amount of these drugs ever year for licit use in industry.
| DAILY TIMES | COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
* This article is reproduced from the Daily Times of Pakistan on Internet
[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk] where it was posted on March 4.
Tough Times Await Drug Traffickers In Ghana
This article is based on a report that first appeared on
http://www.myjoyonline.com – The Editor.
The Government of Ghana said on March 8 that it was making every effort at
ensuring that Ghana was not used as safe haven for drug traffickers and abusers.
Consequently, the government is pursuing a new legal framework that would
ensure that no narcotics drug-related suspects were granted bail until their
cases were determined by the courts.
Ghana's Deputy Minister for the Interior, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, who disclosed
this in Accra, said a committee had been set up by government to review all
drug cases on which judgement had been given to ensure that confiscated
drugs were destroyed.
Speaking at the launching of the 2006 International Narcotic Control Board
(INCB) report in Accra, Agyeman Manu pointed out that measures adopted by
government to curb the narcotics trade were paying off immensely leading to
the arrest of more narcotic drug traffickers at the Kotoka International Airport with a reduction in the number of arrests of drug couriers using Ghana as
their transit point.
In and address read for the sector minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, Agyeman
Manu explained that Ghana had shown its commitment to deal with the narcotic menace by working in partnership with the INCB and the international
community.
The Deputy Minister said government had launched Operation West Bridge, a
partnership project between the governments of Ghana and Great Britain.
Operation Westbridge is a project under an agreement with the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime to check the contents of containers for drugs.
Dr. Joseph Bediako Asare, former Chief Psychiatrist and member of the INCB
gave an overview of the global drug problem and said Ghana was making
some headway to curb the drug trade compared to other countries around
the world.
He mentioned Afghanistan as the largest producer of opium with 2.9 million
people engaged in the drug business.There is an estimated one million drug
abusers in Afghanistan where 600,000 are aged under 16 years old.
Maj. Gen. Richardson Baiden, Executive Secretary of the reconstituted Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), cannabis which was being produced all over
the country accounted for the highest number of abusers and trafficking
cases in the country.
The United Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Danda
Toure, said the drug trade needed a collective co-operation of all governments to control and expressed the UNDPs commitment to assist government’s and countries to tackle the problem.
| COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
Deep Concern About Africa And Europe
A new report has expressed deep concern about Africa's share of global
trafficking in cannabis and warned that cannabis continues to be the most
commonly abused drug in Europe.
A particularly worrisome development in Africa is the large-scale trafficking in cocaine. Both the number of couriers apprehended and the volume
of bulk seizures of cocaine in Africa have increased significantly, says the
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) in its latest annual report
released March 1 in Vienna
INCB monitors compliance with the provisions of the international drug control
treaties. The INCB
ensures that adequate supplies of legal drugs are available for medical and
scientific
purposes.
The Board also makes
certain that no leakage from licit sources
of drugs to illicit trafficking
occurs.
It
identifies and helps
to
correct
weaknesses in drug control
systems and determines which chemicals used to illicitly
manufacture
drugs
should be under international control.
Taking advantage of the weak interdiction capacities in Africa, drug trafficking networks are using the region as a transit area for smuggling cocaine from South America through Western, Central and Southern Africa.
In addition, heroin from West and South-East Asia is smuggled through
Eastern Africa, to be shipped to illicit markets in Europe and, to a lesser
extent, North America.
Cultivation and production of cannabis, which remains the major drug of
abuse in Africa, are on the rise, despite a marked reduction in cannabis
production in Morocco, the world’s largest producer of cannabis resin,
and despite intensive eradication efforts undertaken by the authorities.
Africa’s share of global trafficking in cannabis has been increasing continuously, as corroborated by a number of multi-ton seizures of cannabis
herb and resin in Africa during the last year.
Many African countries face serious difficulties in providing adequate
treatment and rehabilitation for persons abusing cannabis, as health-care
facilities often lack the necessary resources.
As a spill over effect of the ongoing transit trafficking in heroin in Eastern
Africa, the abuse of heroin has become a problem there. In addition, heroin is now also being smuggled by groups from Western Africa to that subregion, in exchange for cocaine that is smuggled into South Asia, where
the abuse of cocaine appears to have spread. The trafficking in cocaine in
Africa is fuelled by rising demand for, and abuse of, cocaine in Europe.
Misuse and abuse of pharmaceutical preparations containing controlled
substances is taking place among persons in all social strata. Efforts by
African Governments to deal with these problems are impeded by a lack
of adequate drug control mechanisms and skilled human resources. It is
feared that if left unchecked, the problem of drug trafficking in Africa
might further exacerbate existing social, economic and political problems.
Cannabis continues to be the most commonly abused drug in Europe. According to European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) estimates, about 6 percent of the adult population in the member
States of the European Union and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and
Switzerland have tried cannabis once in their lifetime. The prevalence
rate for cannabis abuse has been consistently high among young adults
(persons 15-34 years of age) in Europe. ¾¾¾
In some countries, new legislation was adopted with the aim of identifying and removing regulatory barriers to the use of narcotic drugs and
psychotropic substances for pain management. Other European counties
amended their drug laws concerning penalties for possession and trafficking offences.
According to EMCDDA, there is a general tendency across Europe to reduce penal sanctions for personal use in favour of administrative sanctions and at the same time, increase custodial penalties for drug trafficking offences.
The Board notes with concern that, despite its ongoing dialogue with the
Governments concerned, rooms for abuse of drugs, including by injection, remain in operation in a number of European countries in violation
of the international drug control treaties.
The Board encourages all Governments to ensure that efficient measures
are taken to address drug abuse and the spread of HIV/AIDS, in compliance with their obligation under the international drug control treaties.
The Board urges the Governments of countries where rooms for the
abuse of drugs are in operation to continue their efforts to ensure that
adequate services are made available to those in need of treatment,
rehabilitation and social integration in conformitywith the international
drug control treaties, rather than continue operating such rooms.
Europe has become the second largest illicit market for cocaine in the
world. The total amount of cocaine seized in Europe and the number of
persons who abuse that drug have increased compared with the previous
year. Cocaine abusers account for about 10 per cent of drug abusers
admitted for treatment in the European Union. The countries in Europe
with the highest prevalence rate of cocaine abuse are Spain and the
United Kingdom.
Europe continues to be one of the main illicit markets in the world for
stimulants. Only cannabis is more commonly abused than MDMA ("ecstasy”). The main source of illicitly manufactured amphetaminetype
stimulants in Europe continues to be the Netherlands, followed by Poland, Belgium, Lithuania and Estonia. The illicit manufacture of amphetamines continues to expand throughout Europe.
The abuse of methamphetamine continues to be reported by the authorities in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia. The illicit
manufacture of methamphetamine appears to be taking place on a small
scale but is growing, the main source countries being the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova and Slovakia.
Heroin abuse has remained largely stable and even declined in Western
and Central Europe, while the level of abuse of opiates has increased in
Eastern Europe, particularly in members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and countries in South-Eastern Europe along the
Balkan trafficking route.
Several countries in Eastern Europe also report increasing abuse and
trafficking of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and 3-methylfentanyl, two
narcotic drugs with a much higher potency than heroin.
| COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
Europe has become
the second largest
illicit market for cocaine in the world.
The total amount of
cocaine
seized
in
Europe and the number of persons who
abuse that drug have
increased compared
with
the
previous
year.
Drugs Fuel Slimming Craze
The trend of abuse of anorectics for slimming is rising, and can have fatal consequences for consumers,
warns a new global report.
"Last year, the world was witness to the tragic death of a Brazilian supermodel,
who collapsed due to anorexia. Anorectics, which are meant to be prescribed and
monitored by doctors, also have a use in the treatment of life-threatening obesity or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). However, they are instead being used
indiscriminately to feed the slimming obsession that affects some societies," said
INCB President Dr. Philip O. Emafo.
"Effective intervention by local competent authorities is a must, if this trend is to be reversed," he
added.
Anorectics are substances that suppress the appetite or the sensation of hunger. Schedule IV of the
1971 Convention on Psychotropics lists 14 such substances. Of these, the main substances manufactured
and consumed worldwide are phentermine (45 percent), fenproporex (23 per cent), amfepramone (18
percent), mazindol (9 percent) and phendimetrazine (4 per cent).
These substances are mainly prescribed as anorectics against obesity and for the treatment of narcolepsy and ADD. Their use can be addictive, and since they stimulate the central nervous system, indiscriminate use could produce serious adverse effects. Acute overdose could be very dangerous and may
lead to panic states, aggressive and violent behaviour, hallucinations, respiratory depression, convulsions, coma and´death. That is why these drugs have to be prescribed by a doctor who has carefully
assessed the risk vs. benefit for the patient.
Five countries and one territory worldwide had the highest calculated rate of use of the stimulants
listed in Schedule IV, namely, Brazil, Argentina, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Singapore and
Hong Kong SAR of China, in decreasing order. With a few exceptions, while the use of anorectics in Asia
seems to show a decreasing pattern, the highest consumption of anorectics remains in the Americas.
The per capita consumption of anorectics in Brazil is almost 40 percent higher than that of the United
States. This high rate of consumption in Brazil is fuelled by domestic manufacture: in 2005, 98.6 percent of fenproporex and 89.5 percent of amfepramone used globally were manufactured in Brazil, and
almost all consumed domestically.
Production of these substances has also been increasing in the country – output jumped by 20 per cent
from 2004 to 2005. In Argentina, while consumption of pemoline has decreased due to newly introduced
stricter controls over prescription and dispensation of that substance, the consumption of mazindol has
sharply increased, reaching the global record levels
during 2003-2005.
The Board stressed that if stricter control measures were applied by the relevant government authorities, consumption would come down, as has been evidenced in Chile, Denmark and France, where authorities achieved a significant reduction in consumption of stimulants as anorectics.
Among other things, the Board recommends that authorities should examine the possibility of establishing stricter control measures on the formulation and special prescription/dispensation of medical
preparations containing those substances.
In addition, health care professionals can play an important role in these efforts by ensuring that the
balance between benefit and risk is kept in mind and that the use of Schedule IV stimulants as anorectics is appropriate and in line with sound medical practice. | COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
Russia Losing One In Ten To Drugs
By Kester Kenn Klomegah
Russia is losing one in ten people in its active population to drugs, a leading medical researcher told
IPS. "Now it's for the authorities to wake up and take some measures," said Dr David Nas Khletashvilli
from the prestigious Russian Medical Academy.
"In the rural regions it could be worse as many who died as a result of abuse were not documented. The
local authorities don't really want to bring that to the public limelight and to discredit their administrative records."
Almost 100,000 people die annually in Russia directly from drug overdoses and abuse, the Federal Drug
Control Service (FDCS) has said. "Some 90,000 people annually die of poisoning with psychoactive substances in Russia," it added.
"The drug trafficking situation remains acute. Despite a 3.56 percent decline compared to 2005 in the
number of persons involved in non-medical use of drugs, it remains high at 5.78 million people," the
FDCS says. Russia has a population of 104 million.
Dr Raphael Quartey, medical sociologist at the Krasnodar State Medical Academy located in southern
Russia told IPS in an emailed comment that "drug abuse has been a growing problem particularly for
Russia for many years now, and with more sophisticated drugs finding their way into nightclubs and
other hangouts it is relatively easier for both teenagers and adults to be lured into substance abuse."
Medical research has focused on drugs that have helped improve performance in certain tasks, Dr Quartey said. "It's bad to get induced with pharmacological substances or chemically manufactured products
that were not well tested. Even if they are tested naturally it's not good to use them. There are always
negative effects associated with them," Quartey said. It is now becoming fashionable to go on a 'high'.
"This drug and substance abuse is aggravated specifically by the growing culture among youth, and
forms of consumption by some segments of the population who use them predominantly as beverages,"
Pavel Shapkin, chairman of the National Drug and Alcohol Association told IPS.
"Sometimes people simply die due to the fake product manufactured by industrialists interested in making quick profits," he said. "Quality controllers also don't really care, after accepting bribes." The dangerous substances include alcohol, he said. "Abuse of alcohol is one of the major factors in early mortality." It is also behind crimes and enormous loss of productive hours, he said.
"People have failed to accept this serious fact or just overlooked it," Shapkin said. "Russian men are
dying in their prime age, there is high prevalence of diseases physically and in the nervous system directly connected with excessive consumption of alcohol and drug abuse." Studies at his institution show
that alcohol and drug are the primary reason for accidents, injuries, poisonings, murders and suicides.
More women and young people are also affected now, he said. "A high level of morbidity can be blamed
on alcoholism," Shapkin said.
"The liberalisation process in Russia has been associated with relaxation of borders, increased migration, and growth in the supply of and demand for illicit drugs," says a report produced for the British
embassy in Moscow. "The deaths resulting from this activity have increased fivefold between 1999 and
2000 alone, and a number of studies have also documented high prevalence and explosive outbreak of
abuse in the country."
The report titled 'Drug and Alcohol Dependence' strongly recommends development of mechanisms for
easy access to treatment and to reduce the rising deaths resulting from abuse. The report also calls for
efforts to change negative attitudes towards substance and drug abusers, and creation of policies at the
federal level to encourage access to health services. | IPS | COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
The Tentacles Of Drugs Trade In Central America
By Raúl Gutiérrez
"You can't trust anyone any more. Things are going from bad to worse," said Julio
Mónico, a retired Salvadoran, commenting on the drugs-related murders in Guatemala
of three Salvadoran legislators and on four police officers who are in prison for the killings.
Mónico, 58, was sitting with a group of friends in a hotel in downtown San Salvador.
They all agreed with him. The mood was of despair, and an unanswered question hovered in the air. ´
Who can the people trust, if state institutions, particularly those responsible for public
security, have been infiltrated by drug traffickers?
Salvadoran officials, rightwing politicians and most of the press have said the two massacres were evidence of the extent to which organised crime has penetrated the structure of the Guatemalan state.
But analysts and religious leaders have stated that El Salvador is equally riddled with
the same problem.
The accusations of Salvadoran authorities have caused a certain amount of resentment
among Guatemalan officials, who attribute the killings of the parliamentarians to their
own drug trafficking activities.
Social researcher Jeannette Aguilar, of the Jesuit University Institute of Public Opinion
(IUDOP), said the murders are evidence that organised crime is a regional phenomenon
which has taken root in several states and in political and economic power structures in
Central America.
"Drug traffickers are known to have ties with officialdom," Aguilar told IPS, adding that
El Salvador is by no means exempt.
"In all honesty, we should take heed from what's happened in Guatemala, because we're
going down the same road, although in El Salvador there is no open recognition that
organised crime is operating with impunity," she said.
"But here there are increasing glimpses of organised crime and its ties with officials,"
she pointed out.
Eduardo D'Aubuisson, 32, William Pichinte, 49, and José Ramón González, 57, were Salvadoran members of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) and belonged to the
governing rightwing Republican Nationalist Alliance (ARENA). They and their driver
were killed on Feb. 19.
On the way from El Salvador to Guatemala City for the monthly session of Parlacen, the
vehicle in which they were travelling was intercepted on the outskirts of the city by
agents of the Guatemalan National Civil Police (PNC)'s organised crime unit.
After holding them for several hours, the police officers took the lawmakers and the
driver, Salvadoran policeman Gerardo Ramírez, to a house near the highway leading
back to El Salvador. There they were shot, apparently with M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles, and their bodies were burned inside their vehicle. ¾¾¾
Before being intercepted, DÁubuisson, Pichinte, González and agent Ramírez had inexplicably pulled
away from a motorcade made up of four vehicles in which other legislators were traveling along with
two police vehicles that had been escorting them since they crossed the border into Guatemala.
Two days later, Guatemalan authorities captured four police officers suspected of the killing and sent
them to El Boquerón, a maximum security prison.
On Feb. 25, an armed commando slit the throats and machine-gunned the officers in their cells. According to the official statement, prison guards did not notice the break-in, although the intruders got
through several locked internal doors.
Guatemalan President Oscar Berger declared that the lawmakers' murders were linked to drug trafficking. But Salvadoran authorities asserted that the victims had no ties to the drug trade. Video footage
recorded from a traffic light showed the police searching the parliamentarians' vehicle before the killing.
A high-ranking Guatemalan police officer told the Guatemalan newspaper Siglo XXI, on condition of
anonymity, that there were "ties to a drug trafficking organisation made up of Guatemalans and Salvadorans, and among them contacts with people holding political and economic power" in El Salvador,
where the order for the killings is presumed to have originated.
The auxiliary archbishop of San Salvador, Gregorio Rosa Chávez, was surprised that the Salvadoran authorities should have ruled out "a Salvadoran connection to the crime from the word go," and said that
the contradictions that had come to light suggested an attempt at a cover-up.
El Salvador "did not follow a policy of seeking out the truth, particularly about organised crime," the
clergyman told IPS. "If we don't pursue the investigation further, there will be more danger for the future of this country and for the region," he said.
"I hope we're aware that we must get to the bottom of this, not out of a desire for vengeance, but to
lay the foundations for the future," he said.
IUDOP's Aguilar blamed the murders on the governments' failure to fulfil provisions for public security
and justice established in the 1990s peace agreements that brought the longstanding civil wars in both
countries to an end.
"The levels of corruption and impunity have gone beyond the control of society and the state, because
the law and constitutional mechanisms haven't been enforced," said Aguilar, who stated that terrorism
and criminal gangs were not the biggest threats to security in the region.
In her view, it is "organised crime under the protection of the state," which has allowed drug trafficking, human trafficking, sexual exploitation for gain, and arms trafficking to flourish all over Central
America.
The El Salvador peace accords, signed in 1992, provided for the creation of a new National Civil Police
firmly based on the principles of service to the community and respect for human rights.
But ARENA, the ruling party since 1989, and its allies amending the law regulating the police force in
such a way that these principles were undermined and corruption was given free rein, according to
Aguilar. "It's a spreading cancer that will lead to political instability and social upheaval," Aguilar
warned.| IPS | COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE
http://www.ipseurope.org
Der argentinische Diktator kommt vor Gericht
Von Marcela Valente*
In Argentinien ist der letzte Diktator des südamerikanischen Landes, Reynaldo Bignone, festgenommen worden. Er wird sich nun gerichtlich
für Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit verantworten müssen.
Zuständiger Richter ist Alberto Suárez Araujo,
der die Folter- und Mordfälle zu Anfang der
Militärdiktatur im Jahre 1976 in der Garnison
Campo de Mayo untersucht. Damals stand
Bignone noch nicht an der Spitze des Landes,
sondern war Leiter der Militärschule, die in der
als Haft- und Folterzentrum genutzten Kaserne
außerhalb von Buenos Aires untergebracht war.
Der Fall befasst sich mit Verbrechen, die vor
mehr als 30 Jahren in der sogenannten 'Zone IV',
einer Ansammlung von Distrikten im Westen und
Norden der argentinischen Hauptstadt, begangen wurden.
Zunächst hatte das Bundesberufungsgericht den
Fall mit der Begründung abgeschmettert, die
Annullierung zweier Amnestiegesetze durch den
Kongress im Jahre 2003 sei verfassungswidrig.
Beide Gesetze vom Ende der 80er Jahre sorgten
dafür, dass die Gerichtsverfahren gegen staatliche Menschenrechtsverletzer auf Eis gelegt wurden.
Als höchste strafrechtliche Instanz hat inzwischen das Kassationsgericht die Entscheidung
rückgängig gemacht. Auch der Oberste Gerichtshof des Landes wies den Beschluss mit der
Begründung ab, dass er mit internationalen
Menschenrechtsabkommen und der argentinischen Verfassung nicht zu vereinbaren sei.
Die Gerichtsurteile veranlassten den Ermittlungsrichter Suárez Araujo, die Untersuchung
der in Campo de Mayo begangenen Verbrechen
wiederaufzunehmen. Im September kam es zur
Verhaftung von vier Ex-Militärs, die 1976 in der
Kaserne Dienst taten. Darüber hinaus wurden
250 Soldaten, die dort ihren Militärdienst absolvierten, zu einer Anhörung geladen. Die Zeugenaussagen der ehemaligen Soldaten erwiesen
sich für den Fall als äußerst aufschlussreich. So
gaben einige der befragten Personen an, zur
Teilnahme an Misshandlungen gezwungen worden zu sein. Nach Ansicht der Anwältin Alcira
Ríos stehen die Chancedn gut, dass Bignone nun
doch noch zur Rechenschaft gezogen wird. Ríos
vertritt die Interessen der Familie Miranda, die
1976 Angehörige bei einem Massaker in der Zone
IV verloren hat. Damals attackierte ein Kommando in Anwesenheit von Bignone und dem ExGeneral Santiago Riveros fünf Stunden lang das
Wohnhaus von Roberto Lanuscou und Barbara Miranda. Bei den Anschlägen kam das Paar zusammen mit zwei seiner Kinder ums Leben. Das dritte, ein Säugling, wurde von dem Kommando verschleppt.
1985 ist es Bignone gelungen, dem Urteil zu entgehen, das sich gegen die Anführer des Militärregimes richtete, die sich seit 1976 nach dem
Putsch gegen María Estela Martínez de Perón (Isabel) an der Macht abgewechselt hatten. Die
Diktatoren wurden später - 1989 und 1990 - vom
damaligen Staatspräsident Carlos Menem begnadigt.
Ex-Diktator Bignone lebte bis 1999 auf freien Fuß.
Dann wurde er wegen Entführung, Verdunklungsgefahr und der Geheimhaltung der Identität entführter oder in Gefangenschaft geborener Kinder
unter Hausarrest gestellt. Erst der Fall der verschwundenen Kinder ermöglichte Menschenrechtsorganisationen, die strafrechtliche Verfolgung der Unterdrücker zu fordern, die in den Genuss der Amnestien gekommen waren.
Bignone stand mehr als sechs Jahre wegen der
Entführung von Säuglingen unter Hausarrest. 2005
wurde er auf Anweisung des Bundesberufungsgericht wieder freigelassen. In einem Interview mit
der französischen Journalistin Marie Robin im
Jahre 2003 hatte er freimütig eingeräumt, sich
während seines Hausarrestes meist frei bewegt zu
haben und in die USA und nach Uruguay gereist
zu sein. Erst nachdem Spanien einen Auslieferungsantrag gestellt hatte, schränkte sich Bignone stärker ein.
Gegenüber Robin erklärte er weiter, dass im Verlauf der Militärherrschaft 8.000 - und nicht wie
von den Menschenrechtsorganisationen angegeben 30.000 Menschen - 'verschwunden' sind. Zudem bestätigte er, dass unter dem Regime der
Generäle gefoltert wurde.
| IPS | KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL
*Deutsche Bearbeitung: Karina Böckmann
Bildung gegen Ausbeutung
Von Marwaan Macan-Markar*
In Thailand versucht das 'Migrant Action Programme' (MAP) mit der Regierung einen ungewöhnlichen
Pakt zu schließen. Die Aktivisten aus Chiang Mai im Norden des südostasiatischen Landes wollen Kinderarbeiter aus dem benachbarten Burma unterrichten und so einen Funken der Hoffnung in deren trostloses Leben bringen.
Abgesehen davon, dass Thailand die Kinderarbeitskonvention der Internationalen Arbeitsorganisation
(ILO) ratifiziert hat und die brutale Ausbeutung von Minderjährigen damit verboten sein sollte, so haben
Kinder, die trotzdem arbeiten, nach dem thailändischen Gesetz ein Recht auf Bildung und Freistellung
von der Arbeit zu Bildungszwecken. Eben darauf berufen sich MAP-Mitarbeiter mit ihren Plänen für die
Grenzstadt Mae Sot. "Wir wollen der Regierung helfen, ihre eigenen Gesetze umzusetzen", sagt die MAPAktivistin Pranom Somwong. Für die Kinder ergäbe sich durch die neue Initiative eine Möglichkeit, ihre
Rechte kennenzulernen und sich gegen Ausbeutung zu wehren.
Angestoßen hat das Vorhaben ein schockierender ILO-Bericht über die Lage der arbeitenden Kindermigranten in den Fabriken von Mae Sot in der nordthailändischen Provinz Tak. Seit den 90er Jahren hat
sich Mae Sot zu einem Produktionszentrum für Textilien entwickelt und verfügt mittlerweile über mehr
als 200 Fabriken.
Viele der dort Beschäftigten sind Flüchtlinge aus Burma, wo seit 1962 das Militär herrscht, über ein
Fünftel der Bevölkerung arm ist und über ein Drittel aller Kinder unter fünf unterernährt. 2004 stammten über 70 Prozent der 1,2 Millionen registrierten Arbeitsmigranten in Thailand aus Burma. In der TakProvinz lebten zu dieser Zeit 120.000 der ausländischen Arbeiter, nur in der thailändischen Hauptstadt
Bangkok waren mehr Burmesen für schmutzige und gefährliche Jobs gemeldet.
"Die Fabriken ziehen maximalen Gewinn aus wehrlosen Kinderarbeitern, die leicht zu kontrollieren und
auszubeuten sind", sagte Philip Robertson, der den ILO-Bericht herausgegeben hat. Nach seinen Angaben sind in Mae Sot vor allem burmesische Mädchen im Alter von 15 bis 17 gefragt. Sie machten keinerlei Schwierigkeiten, auch wenn sie exzessiv lange und unter gefährlichsten Bedingungen arbeiten müssten.
80 Prozent der insgesamt 313 für die ILO-Untersuchung herangezogenen burmesischen Kinderarbeiter
zwischen zwölf und 17 und mussten täglich elf oder zwölf Stunden arbeiten. Fast die Hälfte hatte kein
Anrecht auf nur einen einzigen freien Tag im Monat. Zudem berichteten etwa 30 Prozent der Kinder,
dass ihr Arbeitsvertrag ihnen ein Leben auf dem Fabrikgelände vorschreibt und so der absoluten Kontrolle des Arbeitgebers aussetzt.
Auch war es in einer Fabrik mit 300 beschäftigten Kindern und Erwachsenen üblich, dass bewaffnete
Kontrolleure die Arbeit überwachten. Zudem war hier die Entlohnung nicht vertraglich geregelt. Gezahlt wurde, was der Besitzer im jeweiligen Monat für angemessen hielt. Typisch ist die Situation der
14-jährigen Aye, ein Mitglied der burmesischen Ethnie der Mon. Sie arbeitet täglich zwölf Stunden, freie
Tage kennt sie nicht. Der Preis sind Dauerkopfschmerzen und ein Rückenleiden.
Selbst wenn sich die Migranten beschweren wollten, so hätten sie dazu keine Gelegenheit. Die von der
thailändischen Regierung angestellten Inspektionsteams sind so mager besetzt, dass von einer regelmäßigen Kontrolle der Arbeitsbedingungen in den Produktionszentren keine Rede sein kann. Eben solche
Kontrollen aber seien unerlässlich, um die Lage der Arbeiter zu verbessern, heißt es in dem ILO-Bericht.
"Die Fabrikbesitzer haben die totale Macht über die Arbeiter in Mae Sot", beklagt auch Tin Tin Aung von
der 'Federation of Trade Unions – Burma' (FTUB), eine in Washington ansässige Gruppe von Arbeitsrechtlern. Wer nicht spure, könne auf der Stelle entlassen werden, der Nachschub aus Burma reiße nicht ab.
*Deutsche Bearbeitung: Dr. Heike Nasdala
Landflucht endet in Ausbeutung
Von Eli Clifton*
In China enden nach einem neuen Bericht von 'Amnesty International' Millionen von
Binnenmigranten, die der Zusammenbruch der kollektiven Landwirtschaft in die
Städte getrieben hat, in der brutalen Ausbeutung. Zu leiden haben damit just die
Kräfte, denen das Reich der Mitte seinen wirtschaftlichen Aufschwung zu verdanken
hat.
Laut Amnesty ist die Zahl der vielfach ungelernten Wanderarbeiter in den Städten
seit den 80er Jahren von rund zwei Millionen auf zwischen 150 und 200 Millionen
gestiegen und soll sich bis 2015 noch einmal auf 300 Millionen erhöhen. Beflügelt
wird die Landflucht von einem Arbeitskräfteüberschuss auf dem Land und einem
großen Bedarf an Arbeitskräften in den urbanen Produktionszentren.
Dort angekommen, sind die Arbeiter verpflichtet, sich registrieren zu lassen. Doch
selbst wer, den komplexen Prozess hinter sich bringt, bleibt ein Außenseiter und
Opfer von Diskriminierung. Eben wegen des mit der Meldung verbrieften temporären Status bleibt er vom regulären Wohnungs- und Arbeitsmarkt, dem Bildungs- und
Gesundheitssystem weitgehend ausgeschossen.
Noch dramatischer ist die Lage der vielen Binnenmigranten, die nicht gemeldet
sind. Sie sind ihren Arbeitgebern auf Gedeih und Verderb ausgeliefert, müssen brutale Arbeitsbedingungen, Ausbeutung und Hungerlöhne in Kauf nehmen. In Ketten
gelegt wird das Heer der nicht-registrierten Arbeiter unter anderen durch Löhne,
die über zwei bis drei Monate einbehalten werden.
Wer sich entscheidet, seinen Arbeitplatz vor Auslaufen des Vertrages zu verlassen,
verliert den ausstehenden Lohn. Üblich ist auch die Entlassung in die Ferientage
zum chinesischen Neujahr ohne vorhergehende Lohnzahlung. Auf diese Weise sichern sich die Arbeitgeber die Rückkehr der Migranten an den Arbeitsplatz. Dass sie
viele der armen Arbeiter daran hindern, ihre Familien zu sehen, interessiert sie
nicht.
Eine Dusche pro Woche
Wang Yuancheng, früher selbst Wanderarbeiter und heute Mitglied des Volkskongresses, bestätigt in dem Amnesty-Bericht: "Das Leben der Binnenmigranten ist
grausam. Sie wohnen unter unzumutbaren Umständen, essen das Billigste vom Billigen, sind nicht versichert und erhalten ihren Lohn mit großer Verspätung. Hinzu
kommt eine massive Diskriminierung von Seiten der Städter."
In der Regel sind die Wanderarbeiter in den Außenbezirken der Städte untergebracht, wo von einer funktionierenden Infrastruktur keine Rede sein kann. Amnesty
zitiert einen 21 Jahre alten Mann, der zusammen mit 30 Kollegen im fensterlosen
und unbelüfteten Keller eines Lagerhauses untergebracht ist. Geschlafen wird in
Etagenbetten, geduscht einmal pro Woche in einem nahegelegenen Gebäude. >
Amnesty fordert von der Regierung in Peking die Eliminierung aller Formen der Diskriminierung von Wanderarbeitern, eine Reform des Registrierungssystems und
Druck auf die lokalen Behörden. Sie sollen für die Umsetzung der existierenden Gesetze zur Gesundheitsversorgung, zu fairen Arbeitsbedingungen und einer freien
Grundschulbildung für die Kinder von Binnenmigranten sorgen.
*Deutsche Bearbeitung: Dr. Heike Nasdala
Solarstrom hält Einzug in die Dörfer
Von Sylvestre Tetchiada*
Vorbei sind die langen Abende, an denen die Lehrerin Merline Momo Azeufac die Hefte ihrer Schüler im
matten Schein einer blakenden Kerosinlampe korrigieren musste. Seit Ende letzten Jahres sorgen in
Balefock, ihrem Heimatdorf im Westen Kameruns, Solaranlagen für Elektrizität und mehr Licht an Azeufacs Arbeitsplatz.
"Früher brannten mir die Augen, denn ich musste abends etwa 100 Hefte durchsehen", berichtete die
Pädagogin. "Jetzt habe ich damit kein Problem, denn wir haben hier Solarstrom." Den verdankt sie dem
Elternverband ihrer Schule, der sich für die Stromversorgung des Dorfes eingesetzt hatte. Dank finanzieller Unterstützung der nichtstaatlichen Landentwicklungsstiftung 'Rural Entrepreneurship Foundation'
(REF) versorgen jetzt vier Solarpanele Balefock mit Elektrizität.
Solarstrom ist in im westafrikanischen Kamerun, wo weite Teile des Hinterlands nicht an das Elektrizitätsnetz des einzigen Stromversorgers AES-SONEL angeschlossen sind, eine willkommene Alternative. "Es
ist sehr teuer und aufwendig, entlegene Gebiete und verstreute Siedlungen an das Stromnetz anzuschließen", sagte der beim Energieministerium beschäftigte Ingenieur Jacques Kamche. "Deshalb sucht
man für die Menschen in ländlichen Gebieten nach unabhängigen alternativen Energiequellen wie etwa
Solarstrom."
Nach Angaben des Ministeriums für Wasser und Energie waren 2006 in dem westafrikanischen Land, in
dem etwa 60 Prozent der 17 Millionen Einwohner in ländlichen Gebieten leben, erst 2.000 der 30.000
Dörfer an das Netz des privaten Anbieters AES-SONEL angeschlossen. Die staatliche Elektrizitätsgesellschaft SONEL war 2001 nach der Übernahme durch das US-amerikanische Unternehmen AES privatisiert
worden.
Das von REF betriebene Elektrifizierungsprojekt wird im Rahmen der Geber-finanzierten Globalen Umweltfazilität (GEF) vom UN-Entwicklungsprogramm (UNDP) mit rund 150.000 US-Dollar bezuschusst.
Mit Solarstrom das Leben leichter machen.
"Das Projekt zielt darauf ab, in Dörfer in Bergregionen Solaranlagen zu installieren und die Lebensbedingungen der hier lebenden Menschen zu verbessern", sagte Georges Akonteh, der das Entwicklungsprogramm koordiniert. Darüber hinaus soll es auch zur Verringerung von Umweltverschmutzung und
Bodenerosion beitragen."
Der Solarstrom hat seinen Preis, den nur wenige aufbringen können. "In unserem Land muss ein Haushalt
für die Installation einer Solaranlage im Durchschnitt zwischen 500 und 1.000 Dollar bezahlen", sagte
der in Jaunde, Kameruns Hauptstadt lebende Wirtschaftsexperte Yves Ngouala.
Dennoch setzt die in Kameruns Wirtschaftszentrum Douala ansässige Frauenfördervereinigung ASEFE auf
die Verbreitung dieser fortschrittlichen Energiequelle. Sie schickte vier Frauen für ein halbes Jahr nach
Indien, um sie am 'Barefoot College' zu Solartechnikerinnen ausbilden zu lassen. Diese 1972 gegründete
zivile Organisation, die inzwischen in Indien zahlreiche Niederlassungen hat, bringt Landbewohnern in
Entwicklungsländern den Umgang mit modernen Techniken bei. >
Gegenüber IPS erklärte die ASAFE-Präsidentin Gisèle Ytamben: "Nach ihrer Ausbildung in Indien werden
unsere Frauen als Solarexpertinnen in ihre Dörfer zurückkehren und dort jeweils 100 Häuser, in denen
bislang mit Kerosinöfen oder Holzfeuern gekocht und geheizt wird, mit Solaranlagen ausrüsten."
Mit den umgerechnet drei bis vier Dollar, die diese Haushalte bislang monatlich für Kerosin ausgeben
mussten, werden sie dann die Löhne der Techniker bezahlen, die die Solaranlagen reparieren und deren
Batterien alle fünf Jahre erneuern, berichtete sie. Ähnliche Projekte sind in Bolivien, Gambias, Malawi,
Paraguay und Südafrika geplant. | IPS | KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL
*Deutsche Bearbeitung: Grit Moskau-Porsch
NEWS
Europeans Asked to Pull Strings at World Bank
WASHINGTON (IPS) - Campaigners across Europe have called on their governments to withhold funds
from the World Bank unless specific changes are made to policy and practice at the Washington-based
public lender. But analysts say that if the past is any indication, a positive response is unlikely.
The campaign, dubbed "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is", comes at a time when World Bank
President Paul Wolfowitz is seeking greater contributions from European governments for the International Development Association (IDA). The IDA offers interest-free credits and grants to low-income
countries. The second funding cycle will be for three years, from Jul. 1, 2008 to Jun. 30, 2011.
Bank officials met with European representatives on Mar. 5-6 to seek replenishment for the World
Bank's soft loan window, which happens every three years. "We urge European governments to use
these contributions to leverage reform at the World Bank during the current funding 'replenishment'
round, to ensure that the Bank becomes an agency that acts in the interests of the world's poorest
people," said dozens of civil society groups, trade unions and religious groups in a statement. The
groups include Action Aid, Christian Aid, SEED Europe in the Netherlands, CADTM Belgium, Alliance
Sud in Sweden, Greenpeace International, Eurodad, and World Vision. 5
Huge Amnesty in Morocco Signals Historic Day
CASABLANCA (IPS) - A royal birth followed immediately by an amnesty for more than a dozen death
row prisoners among others is being interpreted here as a signal that Morocco is on the verge of making history in the Arab world by being the first to abolish the death penalty.
On Feb. 28, the wife of King Mohammed VI, Princess Lalla Salma, gave birth to the ruling couple's
first daughter, Princess Lalla Khadija. Immediately afterwards Morocco's minister of justice, Mohamed
Bouzouba, appeared on nation-wide television announcing the biggest ever royal pardon for almost
9,000 prisoners, including 14 people sentenced to death.
Reading from an 'official communiqué', the minister repeated several times that this amnesty included people on the death row. This was taken as a clear sign here that the king supported abolition
of the death penalty. The royal message to the Moroccan people was underlined by the minister's
unusual appearance on television in traditional Moroccan attire. It was also a signal that the day of
the formal abolition of the death penalty in Morocco is fast approaching. The final decision to abolish
the death penalty will be taken by the Moroccan parliament. But the king, who appoints his prime
minister and other key ministers, would have to give his support for such a crucial change to the
state's existing constitutional and legal system. ;
China On Collision Course With Taiwan
BEIJING (IPS) - An escalating feud between China and Taiwan is threatening the fragile status quo in a
year fraught with political possibilities that have kept the archrivals firmly on collision course. The
Chinese Communist party, which lost the island to the Nationalist Kuomintang party in a civil war
more than 50 years ago, is preparing for its all important congress in the fall that will outline the
country's blueprint for the next five years and reshuffle its political hierarchy. The goal of reunification with Taiwan, which Beijing leaders regard as a renegade province, remains high on the agenda.
In Taipei, President Chen Shui-bian is trying to drum up support for his pro-independence Democratic
Progressive party before legislative elections at the end of the year. Chen – embattled by a series of
corruption scandals at home and nearing the end of his presidential term – is trying to burnish his
legacy by accelerating his drive towards formal independence from China.
"Taiwan is a country whose sovereignty lies outside the People's Republic of China," Chen told a proindependence group last weekend as Chinese communist rulers in Beijing were convening their annual
session of parliament. "Taiwan wants independence, wants name rectification, wants a new constitution, and wants development," Chen said, refuting his inaugural "four nos" pledge in 2000, one of
which was not to seek formal independence. ;
DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT
is the only independent global news and communication agency of its kind that operates from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. It is owned by
IPS Inter Press Service International Association which has a consultative status with the
ECOSOC.
is also recognised by the OECD as one of the "main international non-governmental
organisations official contributions to which may be reported as (bilateral) ODA".
is a leading news agency on civil society' and development, an independent voice from
the South delving into globalisation for the stories underneath. It is an indispensable instrument
for creating public awareness about the Millennium Development Goals agreed in September
2000 by the heads of state and government from around the world during the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
The editorial mission of IPS is to contribute toward promoting peace, human rights, development and democracy, by producing independent and high-quality information that supports the
growth of free and diverse media, and helps to safeguard freedom of expression.
The approach of IPS journalism is to give specific and overt prominence to the voices of the
marginalised and the vulnerable, to reflect the views of civil society, and to mainstream gender in
all reporting. An overwhelming majority of the contributing journalists and ditors to IPS are
from developing countries.
Through both the topics it chooses to cover and in the way it chooses to report upon them, IPS
has established its niche. IPS combines professional news agency credibility and penetration of
traditional media markets with a concentration on the South, and strong relationships with civil
society. No other independent news agency, web-based information provider or communication
NGO is doing what IPS does.
news is produced in English and Spanish, with selected stories translated into other
languages including Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Italian,
Japanese, Khmer, Nepali, Portuguese, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil and Thai.
The primary user groups of IPS material are media editors and NGOs worldwide. Other important users are policymakers at the United Nations, specialised UN agencies, and European and
North American development agencies. 5
IMPRINT / IMPRESSUM
KOMMUNIKATION GLOBAL · COMMUNICATE WORLDWIDE · www.komglobal.info · www.comglobal.info · ISSN 1617-5352
MAGAZIN ZUR INTERNATIONALEN ZUSAMMENARBEIT · MAGAZINE FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Eine Publikation der IPS – INTER PRESS SERVICE EUROPA [IPS EUROPA]
A Publication of IPS – INTER PRESS SERVICE EUROPE [IPS EUROPE]
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Tel.: Bundesweit | Countrywide: 0700 477 387 67 | (030) 28 482 360 · Fax: (030) 28 482 369 · (0228) 26 12 05
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No. 3 | 2007
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Ausgabe . Issue 3 | 2007

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