4 4 S O U T H E R N A F R I C A N D E V E L O P M E N T C O M M U N I T Y also bring about desperate efforts to generate income, the elaboration of National Drug Control Master Plans in such as illicit drug production, especially cannabis, and all Member States. It has further created national the trafficking and abuse of cannabis and other illicit networks for the collation of epidemiological information drugs. Apart from destroying young lives and delaying the on illicit drug abuse and trafficking trends, which is again development of young people, the drug problem has collated regionally and reported to Council every six broader implications such as the spread of infectious months. The Regional Drug Control programme has also diseases, violent crime, and criminal economic activities developed curricula for the training of drug abuse such as corruption and money laundering. The drug trade prevention and treatment personnel for the region, is also associated with the smuggling of stolen cars, small alongside support to NGOs in this field and other capacity arms, animal and mineral products, and human trafficking building activities in drug demand reduction. (especially females for prostitution purposes.) The SADC Protocol on Combating Illicit Drugs, which 3.5.6.3 came into force in March 1999, requires Member States to Challenges in Current Policies and Strategies accede to a number of UN Conventions in this field, The main challenges in the area of drug control include: promulgate and adopt domestic legislation, which • The need to forge inter-sectoral linkages, closer co- satisfies those conventions. The Protocol provides for operation and networking within the Secretariat in the Member States to cooperate with each other to afford operationalisation of measures for drug control and mutual legal assistance in a joint effort to suppress illicit demand reduction as well as in the implementation of drug trafficking. With respect to law enforcement, the a future regional anti-corruption programme. Protocol requires that Member States promote the • The gender aspect of drug control and the socio- effective enforcement of sentences for drug offences. The economic dimension of drug-related problems will Protocol also contains provisions relating to drug demand also require special attention. reduction, such as drug education measures to various • The regional drug control policy will also need to target groups and the monitoring of drug abuse trends in further focus on the building of strong synergies and Member States. The Protocol furthermore addresses networks in drug supply and demand reduction, corruption, as it relates to drug trafficking, as well as the respectively, with other regional economic comm- forfeiture of the proceeds of drug trafficking, which is unities on the Continent, as well as with the Drug linked to money laundering. Control Unit at the African Union Secretariat. The first five-year SADC Regional Drug Control Programme (SRDCP) contains strategies aimed at: National and the regional coordination and capacity building; drug control legislation; drug demand and 3.6 CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES supply reduction and research on drug abuse and irresponsible sexual behaviour. 3.6.1 GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT 3.5.6.2 Evaluation of Current Policies and Strategies 3.6.1.1 The policy framework for the combating of Illicit Drugs is Overview still very relevant to a regional effort in drug control. It is It has been demonstrated that greater equality between also helpful with regard to the establishment of the women and men contributes to economic growth, the administrative and legal framework for drug control, both reduction of poverty and overall human development. Yet at the national and regional levels. pervasive inequalities exist between women and men in The SRDCP has been instrumental in facilitating the the SADC region. Women constitute the majority of the establishment of national drug control coordinating poor in the region, as a result of their limited access to, bodies in Member States, and has provided assistance for and control over productive resources such as land,