At the 31st United Nations Human Rights Council assembly, the Prevention Association of Social Harms (P.A.S.H.) issued a statement on states and international organizations cooperation in the fight against narcotics, which was read out by the representative of the Association at the scene of the Council:

 

Mr. President,

The developing world is witness to the appearance of a crisis which has drawn millions of people to slavery because of addiction. The spread of drug abuse in east and west Africa, South America, and the spread of industrial drugs in the Middle East and South-East Asia are all newly appeared crises, to such an extent that drug trafficking is deemed as one of the main crises of the 21st Century.

The neighbouring of Iran with the biggest opium producer of the world, and being located in the transit route of the drugs being smuggled to Europe and North America, are key factors in the creation of insecurity on the borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly the eastern borders of the country.

In the past years, Iran has extensively tried to prevent the transit of drugs and has greatly suffered from the negative consequences. Fighting against the drug traffickers have left almost 4000 Iranian soldiers killed and over 1200 disabled.

Unfortunately other countries have not effectively cooperated in the fight against drugs.

 

Mr. President,

The illogical sanctions imposed by the EU on various meaningless pretexts, which even prevent technical equipment needed for the tracking of and fighting drugs trafficking, unfortunately are serious obstacles in the fight against the huge crisis.

As a nongovernmental organization active in the prevention of social damages, we call upon the international community, the Human Rights Council and the EU in particular, to reconsider and suspend these sanctions in the fight against this serious social and cultural damage. and set the basis for cooperation of governmental and nongovernmental organizations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.