Combating drug cultivation, a priority for Morocco, diplomat
Morocco, Local, 3/10/2005

Morocco has made of the fight against drug cultivation and production a "national priority," said the Kingdom's permanent representative to the international organisations in Vienna.

Omar Zniber, who was speaking at the 48th session of the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission for Narcotic Drugs (CND), hosted by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna from March 7 to 11, said that Morocco is resolved to adopt zero-tolerance drugs policies in line with UN action plans.

According to a press release of the Moroccan permanent delegation to international organisations in Vienna, Zniber highlighted Morocco's efforts to eradicate banned substances.

He noted that indices showed that cannabis-cultivated land in Morocco slopped compared to 2003 and a socio-economic survey on cannabis culture will be published soon.

The kingdom worked out in 2004 a national strategy of fight against drugs that consists in reinforcing control at its borders, which helped seize important quantities of banned substances in 2004, and will set up 5 scanners in the kingdom's main ports.

On the other hand, the government is persevering in converting the local economies based on cultivating these substances to other lucrative activities, but this requires international support, he explained.

On the juridical level, a draft law on money laundering is under study and will be presented soon to the parliament.

This bill takes into account the Financial Action Task Force on money laundering (FATF) recommendations to adapt Moroccan legislation to international criteria.

The Moroccan diplomat warned against what he called "the most dangerous aspect" of this phenomenon, which is the globalisation of this commerce by the intermediary of powerful multinational networks.

He called on increasing financial support to ONUDC and International Organ of Narcotic Drugs Control (OICS) to reinforce their efforts and their activities while stressing the importance of common involvement and responsibility to put an end to drug trafficking which undermines world security.

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