Vienna, AUSTRIA. July 10-11 2017, OSCE* Conference Nexus Between Illicit Drugs, organised crime and Terrorism executives and staff of ministries of interiors and police. The 57 members gathered to discuss how to break the connection between drugs organised crime and terrorism.
54 States Delegations, Partners for Co-operation, and 28 International Organisations, Academic and Business Circles and Non-Governmental Organisations were participating in the three sessions together with Members of the OSCE Secretariat and OSCE Institutions, with the following themes:
- Links Between Illicit Drug Trafficking, Organised Crime and Terrorism.
- Illicit Drugs as a Source of Financing Illicit Activities.
- Cross-Cutting Issues.
Demanding preventive actions
PhD Christian Mirre, Representative of the Foundation for a Drug-Free Europe, convened at the OSCE-wide Conference on Combating the Threats of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors held in the “Neuer Saal” of Hofburg, former Imperial palace in Vienna (Austria).
Dr Mirre reminded all attendees the U.N. Conventions that demanded by civil society more information on drugs and that prevention does work.
In the Recommendations to the States FDFE, which runs an over 100 group strong network of drug prevention in Europe, requested to raise the awareness and educate the youth on the harmful effects of drugs.
Seeing the disproportion of expenses and resources put on the fight on drugs going basically to harm reduction and repression, FDFE in the name of a vast number of groups from civil society requested the OSCE Member States to reconsider the ratio of the budget allocated to prevention vs. treatment and repression. The FDFE also demanded cooperation from the States with the civil society to create a better world for our children.
FDFE runs throughout Europe a campaign known as The Truth About Drugs, consisting of 14 booklets on the most commonly used drugs. Lecturing and distributing the booklets in cooperation with thousands of schools in over 180 countries around the world. The materials, which have been studied in detail, help youth understand the short, medium and long-term consequences and negative effects of drugs, and so are enabled to make the decision of saying no to drugs.
The campaigns receive support from hundreds of entities, city halls, schools, governments, armies and sports clubs and are mainly financed by members of the Church of Scientology from all over the world in their sense of responsibility of creating a better future for all human beings.
(*)Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe - Vienna - Austria
