International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

C’est un immense honneur pour moi d’être avec vous ce matin pour célébrer la « Journée internationale contre l'abus et le trafic de drogues. »  Cette journée a pour principal objectif la sensibilisation de tous au grand danger que sont les drogues illicites pour notre société.  C’est aussi une opportunité pour nous de réfléchir ensemble sur comment renforcer l'action et la coopération au niveau national, régional et international dans le but de parvenir à une société affranchie des drogues.

La toxicomanie est un fléau qui touche des milliers de personnes et plus particulièrement les jeunes.  C’est pourquoi cela me fait plaisir d’être dans votre l’université aujourd’hui pour dire non à la consommation de drogue.  L'université est un lieu de débat, et d’acquisition de savoir ou naisse les leaders de demain.  Ainsi on ne laissera pas la drogue réussir à votre place. 

Cependant pour de nombreuses personnes dans le monde, la drogue s’est emparée de leur vie et de cet espoir.  De plus, elles sont malheureusement aussi confrontés à la discrimination et la stigmatisation; ce qui peut endommage leurs santé physique et mentale et les empêcher d'accéder à l'aide dont elles ont besoin. C’est pour cette raison que le thème choisi cette année est : Les Gens Avant Tout: Mettons Fin à La Stigmatisation et à La Discrimination, Renforçons La Prevention.

Avec votre permission, Honorable Monsieur le Premier ministres et chèrs invites, j’aimerais continuer en anglais. 

Allow me, Ladies and Gentlemen, to share with you the message of the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres for International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.  I quote:

Tens of millions of people suffer from drug use disorders. Less than one fifth are in treatment.

Drug users are doubly victimized: first by the harmful effects of the drugs themselves, and second by the stigma and discrimination they face.

People who use drugs can often face significant barriers to treatment and even health services for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Meanwhile, drug traffickers continue to prey on drug users, rapidly escalating the production of dangerous, highly addictive synthetic drugs.

This year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking focuses on the need to put people first by ending stigma and strengthening prevention.

This means stressing rehabilitation, rather than punishment and incarceration for minor drug offences.

It means upholding the human rights of people who use drugs, including by expanding prevention and treatment programmes and health services.

It means protecting people and communities alike by ending impunity for drug traffickers profiting from people’s pain.

Above all, it means governments leading the way. When I was Prime Minister of Portugal, we implemented non-criminal responses to drug possession for personal use, while cracking down on traffickers and re-allocating resources to prevention, treatment and harm-reduction measures.

As a result, drug consumption and associated infectious disease rates plummeted, more drugs were seized by police and customs, and — most importantly — lives were saved. Today, Portugal has one of Europe’s lowest overdose and death rates from drug use.

As a global community, let’s continue our work to end drug abuse, illicit trafficking, and the stigma endured by drug users around the world.

*** End Quote *** 

Mauritian Context

According to the World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) using drugs cannot only endanger health, but it is especially harmful in early adolescence. More young people under the age of 24 are using drugs compared with previous generations. We know that Mauritius is no exception.

I would like to take this opportunity - Prime Minister - to recognize the commitment of the Government to taking a rights-based and people-centred approach to policy and prevention responses and setting clear priorities to combat this scourge.  The recent launch of the Drug Use Prevention Programme – Rebound - a media-based life skills and risk education programme developed for young people at school, is a salient example of that commitment.

Partnership

We know that action to achieve the goal of a society free of drug abuse must be taken with a range of stakeholders, including NGOs, academic institutions and those at risk such as the youth.  In this regard, the UN is proud of its strong history of working with the Government of the Republic of Mauritius to combat the drug problem on the island. For instance,

• the UNODC has supported the elaboration of the current National Drug Control Master Plan 2019-2023.
• the World Health Organisation (WHO) has supported the 2022 Survey Report Among People Who Use Drugs providing a wealth of information about the drug situation in the country.
• In 2023, the UNODC has collaborated with the Government of Mauritius and Cim Finance to launch Family UNited programme – a three-day training which aimed at imparting parenting knowledge and enhancing skills and competencies of some 60 social workers who will be called upon to guide parents in protecting their children from the drug scourge.

Further, I am pleased to inform you Honourable Prime Minister that the UN will support the Government of Mauritius in the evaluation of the current Drug Master Plan and also stands ready to provide the necessary support in the formulation of the next National Drug Masterplan to make Mauritius drug free.

I really appreciate the way the programme today has been designed leveraging arts and culture as an innovative tool to pass a strong message that resonates for the young.   Arts and culture are excellent ways to encourage people to better understand issues and encourage imaginative solutions. This awards ceremony today is one important way we can raise awareness of the vital work being done by NGOs and encourage more collaboration.

Let us ensure that compassion lies at the heart of our fight to tackle addiction and promote prevention.

Nous nous devons de dire Non a la Drogue mais pas non pour soutenir les usagers de la drogue dans leurs combats pour s’affranchir de ce fléau.

Thank you for your kind attention.