NationStates Jolt Archive


International Narcotics Accord: delegates, lend your support

Rehochipe
04-03-2004, 19:06
The following proposal has been submitted for approval. We entreat all delegates to support it.

Jeanne-Therese Palmaqut
Head of State


International Narcotics Accord
Category: International Security
Strength: Mild

Description: Within the UN, there is a broad spectrum of legal attitudes towards psychoactive substances of recreational application (hereafter referred to as recreational drugs). While seeking to avoid imposing on national sovereignty with regard to this, it is desirable that agreement be reached to prevent such substances illegally crossing national borders, and likewise to prevent nations hostile to such substances from taking punitive action against more liberal nations.

The General Assembly,

Recognising the right of individual nations to illegalise, legalise, restrict or tax recreational drugs as they see fit, within the bounds of existing or future UN resolutions concerning same,

Conscious that in some cases, nations with widely differing policies on such substances share land or maritime borders,

Aware of the high priority many nations place on preventing the illegal production and import of such drugs into their own nation,

Fearing that lack of accord over such issues may produce conflict and division between UN member states, victimisation of innocent states or individuals ostensibly to prevent narcotics traffic, and / or aggressive support of illegal imports in order to destabilise, subvert and strain the law enforcement agencies of nations,

Aware of the importance of enforcing the No Embargoes on Medicine resolution of Oct 24 2003,

1) Declares that from here on in the export or attempted export of recreational drugs to a nation in which they are illegal shall be considered a serious offence in the nation of origin, regardless of domestic narcotics policy; punishable by a minimum jail term of no less than one year and no more than five, if the substances are judged to be intended for personal use, or five years if the substances are judged to be intended for distribution; with individual member-nations allowed to set maximum terms at their discretion; or to substitute equivalents according to the punitive code of the nation of origin; or may, by mutual consent of nations, be handed over to the nation of origin for punishment under their legal code,

2) Demands that all nations, in conducting actions in their efforts to suppress illegal drug imports, recognise the sovereignty of other nations; neither pressuring said nations to adopt changes in their narcotics policy, nor violating international borders in military or policing actions, covert or otherwise; nor restricting legitimate travel by citizens of either nation between said nations; nor using domestic narcotics policy as a justification for any other breach in human rights or international law,

3) Requires that no nation take action against narcotics production within their own borders by biological or biochemical methods, such as the introduction of crop-destroying pests or of abortive strains, which may be reasonably judged likely to affect the production of nations wherein said crops are legal, under pain of international prosecution,

4) Asserts that nations on both sides of any international border are equally responsible for the prevention of the illegal traffic of any goods, in either direction, across said border; and that the respective law enforcement, customs and border control agencies of said nations share such information as is judged relevant in order to better prevent illegal traffic,

5) Requires that all nations producing recreational drugs closely monitor and publish reports upon the production capacity and exchange record of any body or individual producing, transporting or purchasing such substances for other than personal consumption; as far as the domestic point of retail or legitimate export to another nation in which such substances are legal,

6) Recognises the right of vessels, engaged in the export of recreational drugs legal in both the importing and exporting nations, to use international waters without threat of impediment or harrassment from other nations; recognising also the right of other nations to monitor such shipping in order to prevent illicit activity, and the duty of both importing and exporting nations to closely monitor said goods at point of departure and arrival,

7) Recognises the right of nations to forbid use of airspace or national waters to craft transporting narcotics illegal within that nation,

8 ) Recognises the right of nations to conduct breath, blood, urine or other drug-detecting tests upon their own returning nationals, at point of reimmigration or elsewhere, and to take action against them as they see fit, including but not limited to forbidding re-entry; but forbids them to perform such tests upon nationals of any other UN nation at point of immigration, or at any time excepting when their suspected intoxication threatens others, or they seek to obtain citizenship or dual nationality in that nation, or are convicted of some other crime,

9) Recognises the right of nations to punish according to their own legal system foreign nationals convicted of the production, transport, purchase or supply of illegal substances within their borders; except with regard to those enjoying diplomatic immunity as the UN may see fit to define it at some later time,

10) Requires all UN nations to levy the strongest possible sanctions against any nation judged by the UN to be in non-compliance with the Articles of this Accord; and to close their borders against its nationals; insofar as this is sanctioned by existing UN legislation.

11) Proclaims that, in the case of a nation changing its drugs laws, enforcement of the above Articles with respect to reclassified substances shall not be carried out, until the elapsement of one month after the nation in question has informed the UN and its neighbours of said change.

12) Requests that, if in wartime a nation's domestic policy be considered to be in contravention of the No Embargoes On Medicine Resolution, that the matter be taken up in the courts of the UN, which shall be granted authority to enforce said Resolution if judged in breach; requesting however that no such distribution occur except under the guidance of accredited and neutral medical staff; recommending the International Red Cross for this role.
Ecopoeia
04-03-2004, 19:31
We fully support this impressive piece of legislation.

Maya Toitovna
Speaker for Home Affairs
Hamptonshire
05-03-2004, 10:48
The Grand Duchy of Hamptonshire supports this measure. However, Our Government is concerned with Section #1. We do agree that:

"the export or attempted export of recreational drugs to a nation in which they are illegal shall be considered a serious offence in the nation of origin, regardless of domestic narcotics policy".

However, We do not agree with the mandatory jail terms set forth in this section. It is Our belief that the Judges and Magistrates of the various countries should not be forced to give out minimum or maximum lengths of jail time. If the referrences to madatory minimums and maximums is elminated or further refined, this measue shall receive Our full support.

His Supreme Highness
Ryan Gregory I, Grand Duke of Hamptonshire
Hamptonshire
05-03-2004, 10:48
The Grand Duchy of Hamptonshire supports this measure. However, Our Government is concerned with Section #1. We do agree that:

"the export or attempted export of recreational drugs to a nation in which they are illegal shall be considered a serious offence in the nation of origin, regardless of domestic narcotics policy".

However, We do not agree with the mandatory jail terms set forth in this section. It is Our belief that the Judges and Magistrates of the various countries should not be forced to give out minimum or maximum lengths of jail time. If the referrences to madatory minimums and maximums is elminated or further refined, this measue shall receive Our full support.

His Supreme Highness
Ryan Gregory I, Grand Duke of Hamptonshire
Hamptonshire
05-03-2004, 10:48
The Grand Duchy of Hamptonshire supports this measure. However, Our Government is concerned with Section #1. We do agree that:

"the export or attempted export of recreational drugs to a nation in which they are illegal shall be considered a serious offence in the nation of origin, regardless of domestic narcotics policy".

However, We do not agree with the mandatory jail terms set forth in this section. It is Our belief that the Judges and Magistrates of the various countries should not be forced to give out minimum or maximum lengths of jail time. If the referrences to madatory minimums and maximums is elminated or further refined, this measue shall receive Our full support.

His Supreme Highness
Ryan Gregory I, Grand Duke of Hamptonshire
Rehochipe
05-03-2004, 12:18
We instituted the minimum terms because 'serious offence' is really too vague. As was pointed out by the SeOCC, unless we institute some kind of specific penalty we're allowing nations to undermine the spirit of the proposal by saying 'That was a Serious Offence. Naughty naughty! Now, don't do it again (unless you feel like it, nudge nudge wink wink).'

Also note that

or to substitute equivalents according to the punitive code of the nation of origin

accomodates nations with no prisons and so forth.
05-03-2004, 13:43
We fully support this intelligent and well thought out resolution, which we believe will respect and protect the rights of individual states to maintain their own narcotics position without foreign interference. At the same time, it will attempt to clamp down on illegal drug traficking and remove the pretense of a war on drugs as a justification for military aggression.