The Colombian country’s request proposes the creation of a high-level panel of independent experts to conduct a critical analysis of the implementation of the global drug regime with a view to making recommendations for achieving better results, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bogotá.

The source explained that Colombia hopes that the interdisciplinary panel, composed in an inclusive and geographically representative manner, will present conclusions and recommendations for discussion by the aforementioned UN Commission.

The statement recalled that, according to the UN World Drug Report, the world is currently facing record levels of production, consumption, and trafficking.

On March 10, Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia called for a rethinking of the strategies adopted against psychotropic substances during her speech at the 68th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Austria.

The minister stated that despite efforts and billions of dollars invested, humanity has failed to curb the consumption, production, and trafficking of these harmful compounds.

She stated that drug trafficking hinders her country’s development, victimizes farmers, finances terrorist groups, and devastates essential ecosystems like the Amazon. Due to this scenario, Sarabia announced that her nation has formally requested a review of the classification of the coca leaf in order to remove it from Schedule 1 of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

“Science will demonstrate that the coca leaf itself is not harmful to health. “We can only take it away from drug traffickers if we harness its potential for industrial uses, such as fertilizers and beverages,” he stated.

He reiterated his government’s position that the global drug regime does not mean normalizing drug trafficking, but rather developing more effective tools to combat it.

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