The Special Rapporteur welcomes the steady and remarkable reduction in opium poppy cultivation.

Some speakers expressed concern about the increased level of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.

Some speakers expressed concern about the increased level of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.

Success will also require more funds for reconstruction, development, and alternatives to opium poppy cultivation.

Reference was made to the annual surveys conducted by UNODC of opium poppy and coca bush cultivation.

It was emphasized that the sustainability of such eradication efforts should be ensured and that particular efforts were needed to alleviate the poverty of former opium poppy growers, in particular during the transitional period, after they had given up opium poppy cultivation.

Such programmes or plans covered cannabis in 32 States, opium poppy in 19 and coca bush in 7.

Urges all the Governments of countries where opium poppy has not been cultivated for the licit production of opiate raw materials, in the spirit of collective responsibility, to refrain from engaging in the commercial cultivation of opium poppy, in order to avoid the proliferation of supply sites

The new Government of Afghanistan has been responding forcefully to the opium threat and, in December 2004, a loya jirga on countering narcotics was convened and reaffirmed the opium poppy ban.

There remains a need to secure a sustained decrease in opium poppy cultivation, production and trafficking into 2006 and beyond.

These will contribute to sustaining the remarkable decreases in opium poppy cultivation in the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Myanmar.

The main countries affected by illicit opium poppy and coca bush cultivation continued to make good progress towards the reduction and elimination of illicit crops. Excluding Afghanistan, the total area under illicit opium poppy cultivation worldwide in 2004 amounted to 32 per cent of the total area under such cultivation in 1994, while potential opium production in 2004 amounted to 29 per cent of that in 1994.

A number of representatives reported on activities and significant achievements achieved as a result of international cooperation in the eradication of illicit opium poppy cultivation and in curbing illicit opium production in their countries.

We are pleased to have been able to achieve a 21 per cent reduction in opium poppy cultivation in the current year.

UNODC continued to focus assistance on providing sustainable livelihood schemes to former coca leaf and opium poppy growers in the Andean region.

Coca surveys in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru opium poppy surveys in Afghanistan, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Myanmar and a cannabis survey in Morocco.

The Afghan Government, in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, has taken important steps this year in reducing opium poppy cultivation.

In East Asia and the Pacific, the main achievement was the steady reduction of opium poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle, a historic achievement that, if sustained, will make a significant contribution to ending opium production in the area.

Several speakers referred to the sustained reduction of the illicit cultivation of coca bush and opium poppy in the Andean subregion and in South East Asia.

Several speakers referred to the sustained reduction of the illicit cultivation of coca bush and opium poppy in the Andean subregion and in South East Asia.

In South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, sustainable livelihood projects and programmes will continue to be developed and implemented in the opium poppy growing areas.

Recognizing the strong and continuing commitment made by the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan at the institutional, legal and administrative levels to eliminate opium poppy cultivation by 2013,

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had reported that 75 per cent of the opium consumed in Western Europe came from poppy crops in Afghanistan.

Taking note of the Constitution of Afghanistan, in article 7 of which the Government of Afghanistan expresses its strong resolve to fight against the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the production of and trafficking in opium and other illicit narcotic drugs,

Taking note of the Constitution of Afghanistan, in article 7 of which the Government of Afghanistan expresses its strong resolve to fight against the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the production of and trafficking in opium and other illicit narcotic drugs,

Taking note of the Constitution of Afghanistan, in article 7 of which the Government of Afghanistan expresses its strong resolve to fight against the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the production of and trafficking in opium and other illicit narcotic drugs,

Taking note of the Constitution of Afghanistan, in article 7 of which the Government of Afghanistan expresses its strong resolve to fight against the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the production of and trafficking in opium and other illicit narcotic drugs,

Since the first reporting period, the States affected by illicit cultivation of coca bush and opium poppy have adopted national plans to reduce and eventually eliminate such cultivation.

Although the recent report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime noted some progress in cutting back opium poppy cultivation, Afghanistan risks becoming a narco State.

The Afghanistan Opium Survey 2005, released earlier this month by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, registered a decrease in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan for the first time since 2001, with the area devoted to drug crops declining by an impressive 21 per cent.

(b) Increasing the awareness of the Afghan population about the problems and threats emanating from the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the production of and trafficking in illicit narcotic drugs

(b) Increasing the awareness of the Afghan population about the problems and threats emanating from the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the production of and trafficking in illicit narcotic drugs

26. Notes with interest in this regard the decree issued by the Taliban in July 2000 imposing a total ban on opium poppy cultivation, and calls upon the Taliban to implement fully this decree

In 43 States (48 per cent of respondents), the national plans included illicit crop eradication and other law enforcement measures targeting opium poppy (21 States), coca bush (6 States) and or cannabis (38 States).

The aim is to break the vicious cycle of poverty through identification and propagation of alternative livelihoods and the sustainability of the opium poppy elimination programmes that have been successfully implemented in the region.

Poppy Power

Mr. Kyaw Tint Swe (Myanmar) said that he was encouraged by the overall downward trend in the cultivation of illicit opium poppy and the coca bush since the twentieth special session of the General Assembly.

Several representatives expressed support for the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan, UNODC and the international community aimed at the elimination of illicit opium poppy cultivation and the promotion of sustainable alternative livelihoods in Afghanistan.

(h) Regional cooperation with neighbouring countries aimed at strengthening security belts in the region and countering the threat posed by the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the production of and trafficking in illicit narcotic drugs

(h) Regional cooperation with neighbouring countries aimed at strengthening security belts in the region and countering the threat posed by the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and the production of and trafficking in illicit narcotic drugs

The European Union congratulates President Karzai and the Government of Afghanistan on the significant achievement of a 21 per cent reduction in opium poppy cultivation, from 130,000 hectares in 2003 2004 to 104,000 hectares in 2004 2005.

Several ongoing UNODC studies, most notably the annual opium poppy surveys, continue to serve as the key bases for policy formulation by the Government of Afghanistan and for the expanding drug control programmes of the international community.

In West Asia and Central Asia, cultivation of opium poppy in Afghanistan feeds an increasing flow of heroin, which in turn facilitates crime and terrorism, threatening the economic and social stability of the country and the region.

2. Expresses its support for the efforts of Member States aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in order to counter the threat to the international community posed by the illicit cultivation of opium poppy in Afghanistan and its illicit trade

Considering that opiate raw materials and opiates derived therefrom are not just ordinary commodities that can be subjected to the operation of market forces, and that, therefore, market economy considerations alone should not determine the cultivation of opium poppy,