Pubdate: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 Source: Times of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan) Copyright: 2001 The Times of Central Asia Contact: http://www.times.kg/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1202 UN DRUGS CONTROL OFFICE PUBLISHES ASSESSMENT ON UZBEKISTAN United Nations Office For Drugs Control And Crime Prevention Regional Office For Central Asia Common Country Assessment Of Uzbekistan Statement of Mr Slawomir Redo, Senior Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Expert, Regional ODCCP Office for Central Asia, Tashkent, Uzbekistan The Regional ODCCP Office contributed to the report on Common Country Assessment of Uzbekistan analysis of three interrelated problems; drugs, organized crime and terrorism (Chapter 6 "Security"). TASHKENT. The problem of drugs in Uzbekistan is addressed from two perspectives: drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking. Data on drug seizures, quoted in the report, show a steady increase of heroin seized in Uzbekistan. This is not only an indicator of a trend in illicit trafficking market, but also of possible change in drug consumption pattern in the country. The data of seizures has to be interpreted also in the context of law enforcement activities in, across and outside Uzbekistan, particularly on its border with Tajikistan. Tightening border control between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan has apparently shifted illicit drug traffic to border crossings with Tajikistan. In comparison with year 1999, in year 2000 Uzbek law enforcement agencies have seized twice as much of heroin equivalent. Data on drug addicts are equivocal. While it points to an increase of their number, in some estimates almost tenfold, it also shows that there is a need to conduct a more accurate epidemiological assessment of drug, abuse in Uzbekistan. The Regional ODCCP Office has started to implement a project on assessment of drug abuse in Uzbekistan and in the whole Central Asia region. The chapter emphasizes that poverty drives young people, especially women into serving as drug couriers. Indeed, while illicit drug trafficking may be the most common form of organized crime in Uzbekistan, poverty also drives people into other firms of organized crime. The chapter deals with two particular forms of such crime: trafficking in people and firearms; as those that may be alarming for Uzbekistan. Migration, specifically irregular migration, as a part of which women leave the country for the purpose of sexual exploitation, has been a problem for some time in Central Asia. Trafficking in people is a part of reduced human security. Another problem results from a typical bond between trafficking in drugs and firearms. Quite substantive seizures of firearms and explosives, quoted in the chapter, document that the situation in Uzbekistan is worsening in this field. The Regional ODCCP Office is ready to render quickly the assistance; in assessing those crime trends, and their implications. Concerning terrorism, the last part of the chapter on "Security" notes the commitment of the Government of Uzbekistan to deal vigorously with any organizations that undermine its security, and the security of other States. In October last year, in the "Inter-Continental" Tashkent, the Regional ODCCP Office and the Austrian Chair-in -Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe convened an interational conference which. inter alia, dealt with counteracting terrorism in Central Asia and beyond. The Regional ODCCP Office has an active interest in these problems, which require further inter-agency efforts. The Common Country Assesment contains a shared analysis that represents a valid starting point for an integrated planning of activity. We declare our determination in keeping supporting the Uzbek government and society in dealing with the new challenges to the security, and in improving the coordination of efforts among all the international actors. - --- MAP posted-by: Andrew