The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) highlighted the Peruvian Government's objective to take on further regional and international leadership in the fight against drugs.
Commenting on the Inca country's
2017-2021 National Strategy to Fight Drugs (ENLCD), UNODC's Peru Representative Kristian Hölge expressed his confidence that Peru would continue to enrich the debates and policies of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).
Likewise, he affirmed the UN would double efforts so that the entire world learns about Peru's
drug-fight experience.
"The [ENLCD]
strategy is the result of a participative process that reflects the common —and shared— responsibility principle," Hölge told El Peruano official gazette.
"Civil society, academia, private sector and international community have been consulted [to prepare the strategy], just as it should be," he added.
The UNODC official also underlined Peru's
anti-drug strategy takes into account the commitments, approaches and recommendations of the UN's last special session on the world drug problem, held in 2016.
Lastly, he indicated UNODC has offered all of its experience to accompany the Peruvian Government as a strategic partner in the implementation of the said strategy.
ENLCD 2017-2021
On the other hand, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru's crime lab researcher Frank Casas highlighted the strategy's emphasis on alternative development.
In this respect, Casas noted the government is not necessarily "in a mad rush towards [coca] eradication," but rather seeking to "eradicate while implementing local development products [for coca growers], which is key."
In addition, the researcher welcomed ENLCD's proposal to re-structure legal coca control through the National Coca Company (Enaco).
(END) DOP/DHT/MVB