Pillar III - Precursors

The third pillar of the Vienna Declaration aims to prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals used in opiates manufacturing through: the exchange of data on suspicious transactions; strengthening law enforcement and customs capacities for detection and engaging in special investigative techniques; providing forensic support to criminal justice entities; building investigative capacities to detect and dismantle organized crime networks involved in opiates; enhancing public/private partnerships to detect and prevent illicit export and diversions; reinvigorating and encouraging the development of international and regional operational initiatives; and strengthening the pre-export notification of shipments system.

 

 

 

 

Preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals used in illicit opiates manufacturing in Afghanistan

Prevention of supply of precursor chemicals to Afghanistan is a way to stop the illicit manufacturing and traffic in opiates and a critical element of combating illicit opiate flows, noting that the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has declared it has no licit domestic need for the precursor chemical acetic anhydride. To this end, Paris Pact partners should enhance cooperation in the following areas*:

  1. Exchanging data on suspicious transactions involving precursor chemicals among law enforcement and customs authorities, particularly through efforts to prevent diversion of legal dual-use chemicals, such as acetic anhydride, paying regard, as appropriate, to existing initiatives such as joint initiatives of UNODC, the World Customs Organization (WCO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the Container Control Programme and Programme Global Shield;

  2. Strengthening the capacity of law enforcement and customs authorities in Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries, including by training their specialists in special investigative techniques, such as controlled deliveries, related to the diversion of precursor chemicals;

  3. Assisting concerned Paris Pact partners in preventing and detecting illicit operations involving precursor chemicals as requested;

  4. Providing forensic support to criminal justice entities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Paris Pact partners concerned when investigating crimes linked to the diversion of and illicit traffic in precursor chemicals;

  5. Building capacities and exchanging best practices on the methodology for investigating cases of illicit diversion and traffic in precursor chemicals in order to detect and dismantle organized crime networks involved in illicit traffic in opiates;

  6. Reinvigorating international and regional initiatives to combat the flow of precursor chemicals, including by cooperation with the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB);

  7. Encouraging Operation TARCET to set specific objectives to allow measurable outcomes in the light of latest findings on emerging trends;

  8. Involving countries in the above-mentioned activities, together with INCB and in accordance with the three drug control conventions and the principle of common and shared responsibility, including, as appropriate, countries which are not Paris Pact partners, in particular those where chemicals used in illicit production of heroin and other opiates are manufactured;

  9. Urging Paris Pact partners that have not yet requested pre-export notification for shipments of precursor chemicals in accordance with article 12 of the 1988 United Nations Convention and relevant United Nations resolutions, to do so and report it to the INCB and encourages all countries where precursor chemicals are produced to cooperate closely with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries to continue the tracking of shipments of precursor chemicals and to prevent their diversion into illicit networks.

  10. Enhancing public/private partnerships to detect and prevent the illicit export and diversion of precursor chemicals used in manufacturing heroin and other illicit opiates to Afghanistan in line with the INCB Guidelines for a voluntary code of practice for the chemical industry.

*as defined in the Vienna Declaration