Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2007
Next PageMain Text > Part II ODA DISBURSEMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2005 > Chapter 2 Details about Japan's ODA > Section 2. Measures for Each of the Priority Issues > 3. Addressing Global Issues > (8) Drugs
(8) Drugs
<Current Status>
The drug problem is a serious global issue that poses a direct threat to people's lives and livelihoods, and inhibits sound socioeconomic development. It is an issue that must be addressed through coordinated efforts of the international community. In recent years, the increasing sophistication of smuggling by drug syndicates involved in the illicit trade of drugs has become a problem. Most of the narcotics flooding into Japan are smuggled in from Asian countries with the involvement of drug syndicates. In the interest of domestic concerns, Japan for its part must also promote international cooperation for proactive measures to combat drugs, primarily in the Asian region.
<Japan's Efforts>
As for bilateral assistance, Japan is providing support to prevent drug-related crimes and enhance regulatory capabilities in regions where drugs that are supplied to Japan are being illegally manufactured. In particular, taking into account that the poverty issue is at the background of drug problems, Japan is providing assistance for alternative crops development projects such as through NGOs to help the residents of these countries overcome poverty without relying on the cultivation of the poppy and other plants used to manufacture drugs.
As an example, the Project on Capability Enhancement for Drug Law Enforcement was conducted over the three years from 2005 to 2007 in the Philippines. In 2002 the Philippines established the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) under the Office of the President. Countermeasures against illegal drugs have been strengthened by integrating the activities of various agencies which had been involved in the regulation of drugs up to then. However, there was a lack of know-how for specifying and discerning drugs that is essential for effectively promoting investigations and information collection pertaining to regulating drugs. This was acting as a significant constraint on regulatory activities. Under such circumstances, Japan held a seminar on drug regulation and investigation and provided technical guidance on drug identification and analysis. This was designed to improve the effectiveness of the Philippine Government's regulation of drugs.
Japan is also an active participant in international conferences such as the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). In addition, Japan annually contributes to the Fund of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), which is managed and operated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In FY2006 Japan contributed US$2.17 million. Utilizing these funds, assistance was provided for projects such as enhancing crackdowns on illegal drug trafficking at national borders of Southeast Asian countries and developing the rural areas in Myanmar to curtail dependence on poppy cultivation. Furthermore, through the Trust Fund for Human Security Japan provided assistance to the project entitled "Drug Abuse Counseling, Treatment and Rehabilitation Services in Cambodia," implemented by UNODC, to respond to the threat that the rapid increases in illegal drug abuse and the sharing of drug needles pose to the community.