cannabisnews.com: Netherlands Block Funds For UNDCP


cannabisnews.com: Netherlands Block Funds For UNDCP





Netherlands Block Funds For UNDCP
Posted by FoM on April 12, 2001 at 07:49:02 PT
By Kurt van Es
Source: Het Parool 
The Netherlands have withdrawn their financial support for the drug-fighting agency of the United Nations. Minister Evelyne Herfkens of Development Cooperation has come to this decision after persistent accusations came to light about mismanagement at the highest level of the UN-agency in Vienna, the UNDCP. A spokesperson for the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed, that the Dutch yearly contribution of US$ 4 million has for the time being been 'frozen'. This contribution had just been increased considerably in the last year. The Ministry itself qualifies the measure as drastic. 
The director general of the United Nations Drug Control Program, a well-known mafia expert from Italy, Pino Arlacchi, has already for some time been the object of severe criticism. Numerous top staff members of UNDCP's head-office in Vienna have resigned, among them the experienced UN administrator and respected director for operations and analysis, Michael von der Schulenburg. In his letter of resignation the latter talks about UNDCP as an organization that is falling to bits. The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs draws attention to the fact, that the internal inspection and audit branch of the UN in New York have started to investigate all accusations leveled at Arlacchi, including rumours of interlocking interests and even corruption. The Netherlands now wait for the outcome of these studies, as well as for the implementation of some measures of reorganization, that have already been announced. A spokesperson from the Agency in Vienna denies that the investigation is directed against Arlacchi himself, but confirms other countries as well have asked for clarifications to be given and measures to be taken. He expects a UN report on this affair to be available by the end of May. That the Netherlands are not alone in their criticism, also follows from a resolution adopted at the recent meeting of the governing body of UNDCP, the UN Committee on Narcotic Drugs, in which improvements in the running of the Agency are urgently requested. Some countries have now imposed restrictions on the use of their financial contributions, but only the Netherlands have decided to cut off their funding altogether. Arlacchi was an italian senator and a friend of the wellknown italian mafia-fighter Giovanni Falcone, who was murdered in 1992. His critics pretend, that as a director general of UNDCP he behaves too much like a general in the fight against drug related crime, thus becoming involved in 'wars' where neither he nor the UN-organization belong. It is said f.i. that he is involved with the setting up of paramilitary units on the borders of Tadschikistan and Afghanistan. The core business of the UN agency for drug fighting has to do with controlling the application of the UN drug treaties, prevention, helping peasants to grow alternative crops instead of coca and poppies and assisting in the fight against drugs trade with technical aid and information. Operational activities against drug traders do not belong in this list. Arlacchi himself calls the accusations against him a price he has to pay for his robust approach to his job. But he can no longer ignore the growing criticism. Especially the resignation-letter of Von der Schulenburg has put him in an awkward predicament. In this detailed memorandum of december 4th 2000, which at times sounds like an indictment, Schulenburg among other things talks of 'destroying the credibility of UNDCP' and of 'a style of management that has demoralized, intimidated and paralyzed the staff of UNDCP'. It is in such an atmosphere, that Herfkens, the Netherlands development cooperation minister does not want to put the tax payer's money at risk. Funding of UNDCP is in the hands of her department in view of the multilateral character of the United Nations. UNDCP is financed by voluntary contributions from UN member countries. The Netherlands with a budget of US$ 4 million is the program's sixth largest contributor. Other critical countries are the UK, Germany and Sweden. They also exercize considerable pressure on UNDCP to come up with improvements. It is not the first time the Netherlands are at loggerheads with the UN drugs agency, but earlier on it was because of the country's 'tolerant' drug policies, which are supposed to be at odds with the UN drug treaties. UN criticism of dutch policies has recently been somewhat mitigated, as other European countries seem to move more and more in the direction of dutch practices in the field of drugs. In these circumstances it is now the turn of the Netherlands to formulate critical questions with regard to the supposed rigidity of the UN drug treaties. In the meeting of the Committee on Narcotic Drugs, which took place in Vienna from March 20th to March 29th 2001, the Netherlands delegate openly declared that the UN should study and try to bridge the tension between the ideology underlying the treaties and the reality and practices of today's drug consumption patterns. News Article Courtesy of MapInc.The Netherlands: Translation: Netherlands Block Funds For UNDCPhttp://mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n641/a08.htmlSource: Het Parool (The Netherlands)Author: Kurt van EsPublished: April 7, 2001Copyright: 2001 Het ParoolContact: reacties parool.nlWebsite: http://www.parool.nl/CannabisNews Articles - Amsterdamhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=amsterdam
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #10 posted by meagain on April 13, 2001 at 01:43:42 PT
420 freedom
I lke that idea fom calling mj Freedom hehe  I will work on my people lol I really liked what imprint said that made me feel great that others are finding the light > FOM we owe you  where are you going to be marching may 5th ??Also don't forget 420 april 20 4:20 pm light some fireworks off for freedom
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by jorma nash on April 12, 2001 at 19:48:07 PT:
prohibition coffin nail du jour
"...including rumours of interlocking interests and even corruption."gasp! prohibition causes corruption? couldn't be!we better form a commitee to study that for a few years.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~and as for UN treaties.ask a native american how much a 'treaty' is worth.as re-legalization takes its course,some treaty won't make any difference.what are we going to do?Plan Netherlands?you know, invade europe, for the child-run?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~imprint writes: "Sometimes I feel like a real idiot for not becoming a part of this debate sooner."i don't think you need to be so hard on yourself.considering the lack of reason and mercy you will be treated with if you get arrested,it takes courage, real courage to speak out on an issue like this.i think it is a critical piece of the drug war,to make people afraid to publicly disagree.or:if everybody who is now afraid to speak outwere to do so,it'd be all over in short order.nobody wants to be the first out of the foxhole.it took me more than a year of lurking to finally write my first post...it takes time... but i think you should be proud of yourself.that goes for all of you.besides, whatever danger there was decreases every day, i think...come on, all you lurkers!this is *fun*!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a while back, ras james rsifwh wrote:"...It is the Sacred Sacrament of the Hindu Religion (Cannabis is God's Mind)..."really?i thought i knew a good bit about cannabis,and a little bit about hinduism,but this was news to me...i would very much like to research this in detail,but didn't find a lot in the web:i found one measly paragraph so far:CANNABIS IN OTHER SCRIPTURESThe Hindu scripture from 1500 BC, the Rig Veda, says:drug plants preceded even the gods by three agesHindus believe that cannabis was brought by Lord Shiva for human use and enjoyment. Apparently one day Shiva went off by himself in the fields. He sheltered from the sun under a tall cannabis plant, which he tasted. He adopted it as his favorite food, and became known as 'Lord of Bhang'. Cannabis was also called Indricana, the food of the god Indra.so i wondered if ras james rsifwh (or anybody who knows, i guess)could post any good http-age on this topic...all praise to Jah.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"There is as much chance of repealing the 18th Amendment as there is for a hummingbird to fly to the planet Mars with the Washington Monument tied to its tail."------------Morris Sheppard, the congressman from Texas who co-sponsored the original legislation, in 1930.(alcohol prohibition ends: 1933)
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by rabblerouser on April 12, 2001 at 17:11:32 PT
Uff da
Das heist recht den nagel auf dem kopf getroffen. Drug wars equals insanity. the drug warriors have been driven insane. All of the examples of their behavior prove it. Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results other than more money, more drugs, and more prisoners has taken its toll.However, they refuse to quit because they themselves don't know how crazy they truly are. They look at themselves in the mirror and see stark raving madness, but haven't a clue as what to do. Ghandi exhorted satyagraha (withdrawal of cooperation). That is probably how it will all end!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 12, 2001 at 15:11:14 PT
Nice To Read
That is music to my ears Imprint. I was much like you and many of us were. All of a sudden something starts to click and our minds are opened and we see how wrong this war on our freedom has been and it still continues to hurt many people. We should be an enlightened generation. We're getting there one step at a time. I almost think that you could substitute the word marijuana for freedom and maybe that's why it is so important to so many.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on April 12, 2001 at 14:54:56 PT:
Dear Imprint
Responses such as yours are the reason I spend some time here. Keep up the good work!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by Imprint on April 12, 2001 at 14:28:27 PT:
I’m learning 
Thanks to you folks I’m learning something very important. I’m receiving an education on the subject of drug prohibition. Until a year ago I just lived my life, focusing on family and career all the while enjoying some pot. I didn’t open my mind to the bigger issues that haunted all the people that wanted reform. I had no idea that a thing like the UNDCP even existed. Sometimes I feel like a real idiot for not becoming a part of this debate sooner. I want to take is opportunity to thank FoM for posting these articles and I want to thank the folks that post the responses to these articles. Because of you folks I’m starting to put the bigger picture together. I’m becoming more engaged in the drug prohibition debate. Because of you folks I’m a regular visitor to this site as well as a whole host of other sites suggested here. Because of you folks I’m reading tons of books and articles on this subject and I’m a better person for it. Thank You
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on April 12, 2001 at 12:13:49 PT:
You Said It, Kap
The UNDCP does not sound like ONDCP for no reason. Amerika is the power behind that throne, and they are merely 2 peas of one pod. This statement says it all:"In the meeting of the Committee on Narcotic Drugs, which took place in Vienna from March 20th to March 29th 2001, the Netherlands delegate openly declared that the UN should study and try to bridge the tension between the ideology underlying the treaties and the reality and practices of today's drug consumption patterns."The international drug policies must acknowledge the total failure of prohibition, understand current use patterns, offer reasonable, non-coerced treatment, and move toward legalization and regulation. It is the only sane approach for what has become an insane world thanks to fascistic policies.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on April 12, 2001 at 11:38:34 PT:
A very important development
I find this very amusing :)So, Arlacchi behaves the same way towards his own people as did McCaffrey towards his people, mistreating them and running them ragged? And there's some question about misapprpriation of funds? My, my! Doesn't that sound familiar? Not only that, but an investigation is underway...talk about synchronicity. I said it before: Replace the name Arlacchi with McCaffrey and it makes little difference. they both behaved as if they were joined at the hips...or somewhere else. But what is even more striking is the Dutch decision not to fund the UNDCP. This may signal a very significant change in the European approach to the DrugWar...like pulling out of the Single Convention Treaty. Which would be a death blow to the entire Drugwar.For years, Holland has rightly stuck by her stance of treating the 'drug problem' as a health issue. For years, her neighbors, at the urging of the US, has flung nothing but abuse at the Dutch for that. France has been especially virulent in her criticism of the Netherlands.But now look at what's happening: The Portuguese, some Stadten in Germany, the Belgians, Italy (boy, I'll bet it made Arlacchi boil about that one!), and Spain have modified their drug policies away from simple-minded US DrugWarriorism to more sensible ones - which include decrim for small amounts for personal use. Even France has begun to move very quietly away from the rabid anti-drug stance that she had engaged in for so long.  And all practically 'led' very quietly by the 'Dutch Example'.This can mean only one thing: the Single Convention treaty of 1961 that has been used time and again as an excuse to maintain the DrugWar ("We can't break a treaty!") is slowly becoming less and less relevent as more and more nations are de facto abrogating it in all but official pronouncements...Which means thet the US is becoming ever more isolated...from her major trading partners. A very dangerous development, indeed. One sure to cause increasing friction in the months and years to come. Because without the assistance of these nations, Uncle has to devote ever more resources to what has already swallowed-without-a-trace over 200 to 500 Billion dollars over the last 20 years. If the US government were a single living person, it would have bled to death long ago. It really can't afford to lose any more treasure fighting this chimeric war any longer. Especially now with movies like TRAFFIC out there, reminding Joe Sixpack of what a bust it's been already; people are asking questions the DrugWarriors don't have answers for, and they are not happy with the silence or the same tired old screeching they are getting.The strains are showing; in the Church of the Holy DrugWar, there's cracks in the walls, the floor, the plaster is falling down, and the windows have just been blown out. And some of the neighbors are refusing to patch it up anymore.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by observer on April 12, 2001 at 10:15:51 PT
Arlacchi, Fascism
The director general of the United Nations Drug Control Program, a well-known mafia expert from Italy, Pino ArlacchiA vicious fascist, Arlacci has proposed the death penalty for 'drug offenses', as well as severe censorship of ideas disagreeable to drug warriors.see:http://www.cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=Arlacchiespecially:Arlacchi:``The Internet provides "a lot of extremely dangerous information," he said. "You can enter a completely different world where the issue is treated in the opposite view as it should be." . . . ."And unfortunately, these views are spreading and we are now thinking about some instrument to at least stop the expansion of this flow of information," he said. . . .''UN Aide Wants Web Drug Crime Pursued Like Genocide (6/2000)http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/6/thread6154.shtmlYakkity Yak, Don't Talk Smack (7/2000)http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/6/thread6403.shtml
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by Britta on April 12, 2001 at 09:41:09 PT:
keins
na allz klar?wat wer bist du denn? sag ich nich
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: