Issued by: The Department of Foreign Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT SOUTH AFRICA ACCEDES TO THE 1988 UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN NARCOTIC DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES
South Africa will deposit its instrument of accession to the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 14 December 1998.
In doing so South Africa will join 148 other Member States of the United Nations and the European Union, which are already signatories to the Convention, which was specifically formulated to deal with the growing problem of international drug trafficking.
South Africa's internal legislation complies with the requirements of the Convention. By implementing the Convention, South Africa, which has become a transit route for illicit drug-trafficking, will play a meaningful role, by not only cooperating with the international community to combat illicit drug trafficking, but will also ensure that the overflow of drugs destined for consumption elsewhere do not enter the streets of South Africa.
The Departments of Justice, Finance: Customs and Excise and the South African Police Service will be responsible for the implementation of this Convention.
The Convention requires that signatories interdict illicit trafficking effectively, arrest drug traffickers and deprive them of their ill-gotten goods. The Convention lists a set of offences and requires Governments to exercise jurisdiction over these. Governments are also required to introduce legislation to enable them to confiscate proceeds derived from offences, to give effect to extradition requests, to make provision for mutual legal assistance and to make it possible to transfer, from one government to another, proceedings for criminal prosecution.
South Africa's accession to the Convention will assist the Government in pursuing its vision as reflected in its Draft National Drug Master Plan to "build a drug-free society and to make a contribution to the global problem of drug abuse".
Enquiries: Adv Frank Kahn, Chairperson of the SA Drug Advisory Board Tel:021-4802653/4 or Snr Supt George Mason, Commander of the SA Narcotics Bureau Tel: 012-3392238.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 13 DECEMBER 1998