[JURIST] The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] said Monday that the global drug problem has become a significant human rights issue [press release] around the world. In a panel discussion at the UN Human Rights Council, Flavia Pasieri said, “It is clear that the world’s drug problem impacts the enjoyment of a wide range of human rights, often resulting in serious violations.” Pansieri outlined five areas in which drug abuse has had a negative impact: health, criminal justice, discrimination, children and indigenous people. Pasieri expressed hope that her findings will lead UN member states to reform their laws to address the human rights issues related to illegal drug abuse.

UN officials have repeatedly expressed concern about international drug trafficking and its effects on government stability. Drug trafficking and violent crime in Central America and the Caribbean threaten the rule of law in those regions, according to a report [JURIST report] released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) [official website] in September 2012. In July of that year, the UNODC launched its global awareness-raising campaign [JURIST report] with the purpose of informing the public about the economic costs and human impact associated with the threat transnational organized criminal networks are creating. The UN-backed body estimated that the illegal profits gained by the organizations represent “more than 6 times the amount of official development assistance, and are comparable to 1.5 per cent of global GDP, or 7 per cent of the world’s exports of merchandise.” In February 2012 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile] called for an increase in efforts to curb transnational organized crime [JURIST report], drug trafficking and piracy in West Africa.