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National Drug Report 2012 officially launched
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee says it is about time that Guyana stops relying on international agencies to report on the local fight against the trafficking of illegal drugs.
Speaking at the launching of the National Drug Report 2012, yesterday, the Minister said that it is time for Guyana to show the world through “our own eyes” what is being done to combat the illegal drug trade.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee (centre) addressing the launching of the National Drug Report 2012 in the presence of Crime Chief Seelall Persaud (left) and Maj. Gen. (ret’d) Michael Atherly (right).
“Too often we have others who publish reports on our country, and we felt it is about time that we publish a report about our own situation,” Rohee said.
The 26-page booklet was produced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, with support from several national agencies, and according to Coordinator of the Task Force on Narcotics Drugs and Illicit Weapons, Major General (rtd) Michael Atherly, publishing of international drug reports is now commonplace.
“The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Inter-American Drug Abuse and Control Commissions both put out reports annually. The United States of America publishes their International Narcotics Strategy Control Report on the drug situation in most countries over the world annually,” Atherly said.
He echoed the sentiments of Minister Rohee by pointing out that it is reasonable that individual states such as Guyana should do reports that accurately reflect their own positions.
The National Drug Report highlights government’s action to address the issues of drug control, both demand and supply.
According to Atherly, the report reviews national policies, priorities, implementation of measures, and the results achieved from a balanced and multi-sectoral approach for dealing with the enduring challenges of trafficking and substance abuse.
“The report also reflects the commitment to regional and international collaboration in areas such as information sharing, training, reporting of best practices in law enforcement, all in keeping with government’s counter-drug policies,” Atherly said, adding that the booklet will also serve to improve public awareness of Guyana’s efforts in the fight against the drug trade and its associated ills.
Minister Rohee in his brief remarks said that too often we take the fight against illegal drugs for granted and due recognition is not given to the operatives in the security sector who are carrying out a fight on behalf of the people and government of Guyana, almost on an hourly basis.
“For too long we rely, we utilize, and we propagandise what others say about the drug situation in our country. It seems as though we relish and we rub our hands in glee when others write so much about our country and the challenges we face in this respect,” the Minister stated.
“Some may say that we are not objective. Some may say because it is coming out from the government, we are not telling the story as it is. But that is not true. If we don’t tell our own story, nobody is going to tell our story for us.”
“They will tell our story through their eyes. It is important to tell our story through our eyes and that is precisely what these reports are all about,” Rohee declared.
He described the National Drug Report 2012 as one that is official and one that ought not to be ignored, by persons who are “country watchers”. He congratulated the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Guyana Police Force Narcotics Branch, the Guyana Revenue Authority’s Drug Enforcement Unit and Container Control Programme and all the other organizations and government agencies and departments who are engaged in the fight against drugs.
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