1. No category

UNODC
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
topics:
 Mexican Drug War
 Organized Crime in Asia
Chaired by the Honorable
Taylor Marosek, Scarlett Anderson, and Joey Paturzo
S i n c e
HBHS
April 25th, 2015
1 9 7 8
Novice
hbhsmun.webs.com
Huntington Beach High School Model United Nations
UNODC
April 25th, 2015
Welcome to the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime!
Hi all. I’m Taylor Marosek and am a junior at HB making it my third
year in our MUN program. Currently I am planning on majoring in the field
of computer science/engineering. Currently, I am on our school’s swim
team, I snowboard, and am a gymnastics coach. In the past I have done all
types of sports from soccer to dance, volleyball, track, etc. I enjoy hiking,
video games, and hanging out with friends in my spare time.
Hello I’m Scarlett and I am a sophomore at Huntington Beach High
School. This conference will be my first time chairing and I am so excited to
see everyone in committee. Along with being in Modeled United Nations for
two years, I am also in Associated Student Body (ASB), the Academy of
the Performing Arts (APA), National Honor Society (NHS), and in a plethora
of honors classes. I wanted to be in this committee for my last eight
conferences and I am thrilled that I now get to chair it. I look forward to all
of your innovative solutions in debate! See you in April!
Hello I’m Joey Paturzo and I am so excited to be a chair in this
committee. I am junior at Huntington Beach High School and currently am
in my third year of MUN. This will be my first time chairing at a conference.
Aside from MUN I am a leader in Fellowship of Christian Athletes,
participate in the National Honors Society, play baseball, and other stuff
outside of school. UNODC is my favorite committee to be part of as a
delegate and I can wait to hear all of you debate about these pressing
issues. If you have any questions you can email my fellow chairs and me at
[email protected].
Position Papers must be submitted to your Dais’s central email no later than 11:59 PM on
April 19th, 2015 to be considered for a Research Award. Research Awards will be presented
during committee; please be sure to follow the HBHSMUN Position Paper format available on
our website. Your Dais’s central email is: [email protected]
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April 25th, 2015
I. Mexican Drug War
Topic Background
area in Mexico. For example, the Sinaloa
Cartel was put in charge of distributing the
drug through the Pacific Ocean or the
Tijuana Cartel used the close connection of
Tijuana as an entry point into the United
States. Gallardo divided the Mexican
cocaine trade into different groups and
regions so that if the police did try to stop
the illegal drug trade they could not stop the
whole Guadalajara Cartel, but only a portion
of it.iii However, once Gallardo was detained
by the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1989 a
huge power vacuum over the cocaine trade
occurred in Mexico. Each of the
subdivisions of the Guadalajara Cartel
turned into a cartel of its own and attempted
to rule the drug trade.
The power vacuum of these various
cartels stirred up large amounts of violence
in the years to come.iv Much of the violence
resulted from territorial disputes because
the cartels still controlled the areas
assigned to them, and if another cartel
impeded on their area, gang wars would
occur. However, today a main problem with
this drug war is the endless supply of guns
and other forms of weaponry supplied to
these cartels. v The states that border
Mexico and the United States, such as
Texas supply large amounts small arms to
these cartels because their gun policy is
loose. Large military grade weaponry is
flowing from the black markets south of
Mexico in Guatemala. With these two arms
suppliers, the various Mexican drug cartels
violence is constantly fueled. In addition,
these cartels are still able to function
because they are able to launder large
The Mexican drug has its roots in
the 1980’s and 1990’s with a main
distributor and manufacturer of the cocaine
in Colombia. The Medellin Cartel, which
ruled cocaine trade in Colombia, used
Mexico as an entry point to international
markets for cocaine. i The cartel and its
leader, Pablo Escobar, chose Miguel Angel
Felix Gallardo and his Guadalajara Cartel to
be main cocaine distributors in Mexico.
Already a large manufacturer and distributor
of cannabis and methamphetamines, the
Guadalajara
Cartel
was
a
perfect
transporter of Colombia’s cocaine seeing
that they already had a strong system of
trading drugs. The Medellin Cartel brought
the cocaine through the southern portion of
Mexico where the Guadalajara Cartel would
take the drug and distribute it to
international buyers. ii At first the Medellin
Cartel only paid Gallardo in money for his
services, but as the years passed Colombia
compensated them with 30% to 50% of the
cocaine that flowed into Mexico. Now being
paid in cocaine, the Guadalajara Cartel
could now be the transporter and
distributers of these drugs. Miguel Angel
Felix Gallardo decided to split Mexico into
various regions and have different people
run the drug trade in these areas. This
system of infrastructure created today’s
main drug cartels in Mexico: Los Zetas,
Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel, La Familia
Michoacana Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, the
Knights Templar, Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, and
the Juárez Cartel. Each subdivision of the
Guadalajara Cartel would be in charge of an
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(XLIII-O/13)
“Declaration
of
Antigua
Guatemala: For a Comprehensive Policy
against the World Drug Problem in the
Americas” from May of 2014. ix Therefore
reflecting the guidelines set forth in mid2014 and reaffirming them throughout the
international community.
In 2008, the UN met in Vienna to
achieve the goal of an international Political
Declaration and Plan of Action regarding the
world drug problem. In this document it
states the member states to work toward
implementing laws discussed and testing
strategies and follow up on them with the
international community. Furthermore, the
2009 Political Declaration and Action plan
includes the commitment to being a
prosperous drug eliminated or reduced
nation. This document provides what to do
and what not to do while reducing the drug
supply in a nation, For example, it asks that
nations not do anything quick and extreme,
but instead use legal instruments and an
integrated solution. x Three years later the
tumult in heavy drug influenced area
increased dramatically and nations stepped
up to ask for a quicker resolution.
For the first time since 1998, the
United Nations General Assembly Special
Session (UNGASS) will debate and reiterate
the importance of control of drugs. The
meeting in 1998, as well as the upcoming
meeting in 2016, have been initiated by the
President of Mexico, yet this time along with
the Presidents of Colombia and Guatemala.
Since the original set date for this meeting
for 2019, it was moved up by General
Assembly
A/RES/67/193,
International
cooperation against the world drug problem,
which was also sponsored by Mexico and
ninety five other countries to make this
meeting three years prior to the original set
sums of money internationally, which keeps
these cartels functioning. Finally, the
corruption within the Mexican government
and police force allow the cartels to rule
Mexico. Statistics have shown that if an
officer turns a blind eye towards the cartel’s
actions, they will earn two to three times
their original pay. vi Also, if government
officials do not comply with these cartels,
they will become targeted. The cartels have
killed over forty mayors and dozens of city
council members that have opposed the
flow of the drug trade.
The drug war officially started after
2006 when Mexico elected Felipe Calderon
as president, and he sought to put an end to
the power of these drug cartels. In a six
year period, 2006-2012, the War on Drugs
cost the lives of over 60,000 people and
resulted in upwards of 6,000 missing
persons.vii
United Nations Involvement
The United Nations has been
fiercely advocating for the halt of all drug
related incidents over recent years.
Established in 1997, the UNODC has been
helping nations with the prevalent issues of
drugs, crime, and terrorism.viii More recently,
a resolution was presented in the UN
following a Hemispheric Review of the
Organization of American States in
September of 2014. Within this it recognized
former resolutions and declarations such as
AG/RES 2868 (XLIV-O/14) “The promotion
and protection of human rights in the search
for new approaches and effective solutions,
in the development and implementation of
policies for addressing the world drug
problem in the Americas” which was
presented in June of 2014 and AG/DEC. 73
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UNODC
April 25th, 2015
date. In this session, reviews of other drug
control tactics will be shared as well as an
overall review of major drug crime infested
geographical locations.xi
The Sinaloa Cartel is one that would
prefer to use its monetary power but is not
afraid to resort to violent methods if
necessary or if threatened. They are seen
as “reckless business men” by the residents
of the state of Sinaloa as opposed to their
archrivals the Los Zetas. xvi Most of the
violence committed by the Sinaloa Cartel is
in reaction to the Zetas, and although
violence is less common from the former,
the attacks are still gruesome and vicious.
One example of extreme violence
performed by this cartel was the execution
of an opposing gang member, named Hugo
Hernandez who was killed, cut into seven
pieces, and had his face skinned off and
reattached to a soccer ball. xvii Much more
video evidence of executions has surfaced
on the internet and is viewable to the public.
Even though their current leader was
incarcerated a few months ago, the cartel is
still running strong.
The Mexican government, with great
help from the United states is currently
battling against this group as well as many
others, and believe to be winning the war as
more cartels bosses are incarcerated and
violence rates have dropped since 2012, but
much of the public believes this to only be a
temporary fall after more than 80,000
people have been killed.xviii The legalization
of some illicit drugs in the United States is
also seen to have the potential of
weakening drug cartels such as the
Sinaloas, but will most likely not fully
eliminate them. There is no clear guess as
to how much longer the drug war will
continue, but most do not think it will be
soon.
Case Study: The Sinaloa
Cartel
Drug trafficking and cartels afflict
every area in the world to some degree, but
is especially prominent in the Latin
American countries such as Mexico and
Colombia. With the start of the Mexican
Drug Wars in 2006, more attention has
been brought to the public’s attention. One
of the main belligerents is the Sinaloa
Cartel. The Sinaloa Cartel is arguably the
most powerful cartel in existence and is the
most influential in Latin America. This cartel
was first started in 1989 by Pedro Avilés
Pérez on the Pacific coast of Mexico in the
city of Sinaloa.xii It is currently being led by a
man known as Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman
who became the number one public enemy
in Chicago in 2013. He is the first drug lord
to receive this title since Al Capone.xiii Since
then it has evolved into a cartel superpower,
holding great power in 17 states in Mexico
including Mexico City, Guadalajara, and
Zacatecas. xiv The Sinaloa Cartel is most
known for its dealing of Colombian cocaine,
Asian heroine, and Mexican meth and
marijuana. It is also thought that this cartel
has some presence in every major city in
the United States, especially in the city of
Chicago, Illinois. xv It is estimated that the
Sinaloa Cartel makes about $3 billion a year
from drug trafficking in the United States
alone.
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UNODC
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II. Organized Crime in Asia
Topic Background
identified as lifesaving ones. xxii A study by
INTERPOL concluded that counterfeit drugs
kill one million people a year and give
medical conditions to thousands more. It
was also thought that up to 30% of drugs
retailed internationally could potentially be
fake.xxiii
Some of the reasons that countries
struggle to capture and prosecute is the lack
of witness reliability, the loyalty of the
accused to their gang or partners in crime,
and discrepancies in extradition, or the
transfer of a criminal to another country.
The issue of witness reliability stems from
them being unable to clearly see the full
scene accurately due to the brain
misreading information because of trauma
or hysteria mutating the actual events. xxiv
Even in still photos, people can misinterpret
the scenario due to the brain’s response to
stereotypes or familiarities rather than the
actual image. xxv The captured members of
an organized crime are hard to squeeze
information from, whether it is due to loyalty
for their cause, or if it is fear of the
consequences and repercussions that they
may face when they return, which makes it
more difficult to investigate and gain intel on
the group and its actions. The third setback
to the halting of organized crime is the
discrepancies in extradition and countries
unwillingness to work together. When
criminals commit a crime in another country,
it is easy for them to flee back to their native
country to escape the charges placed by the
affected country. An example of this would
be the Mexican drug cartels selling in the
United States, and going back to Mexico to
According to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), the definition of
organized crime is “any group having some
manner of a formalized structure and whose
primary objective is to obtain money through
illegal activities” and contains at least three
persons. xix Organized crime is not a new
practice, nor is it solely confined into the
Asian bloc. Organized crime has been
harming Asia and every other country for
hundreds of years and almost caused China
to collapse entirely during the first and
second Opium Wars (1839-1842) (18561860).xx Common forms of organized crime
include, but are not limited to, drug
trafficking, human trafficking, bribing,
counterfeiting
(money
and
goods),
poaching, and money laundering as well as
prostitution, murder, and robbery in some
cases depending on country policy.
Organized crime rates have not slowed, and
with more and more technological
advances, it is becoming easier to form
connections online and for criminals to
collaborate. Although organized crime
growth shows no clear signs of slowing
down, the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) has been tirelessly
working to produce viable solutions in their
ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat
Transnational Crime since 1997.xxi
While the drug trade consists of one
third of all organized crime, counterfeit
medicines are arguably one of the most
dangerous of the listed as they are falsely
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escape the US judicial system. By making a
treaty, a country can give jurisdiction to the
other country, but there is no obligation by
any of the member states to extradite their
citizens to another country. xxvi Countries
with poor relations are unlikely to work
together to stop these organized crime
groups or extradite an offender therefore
leaving more criminals to enact more crimes
only prolonging the spread of organized
crime.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
addressed organized crime on an
international basis. He stated that countries
need to work together to put an end to these
crime groups and focus on the three
protocols of the UNTOC. From this
committee
session
A/RES/65/116
summarizes the support countries have for
strengthening the Commission on Crime
Prevention and Criminal Justice in order to
combat these organized crime groups with a
more collaborative effort.xxix
Involving specifically Asia, the
United Nations has done much to act upon
the illegal trades that organized crime
groups participate in. Recently, India hosted
the Heads of National Drug Law
Enforcement Agencies. xxx This active body
seeks to strengthen efforts of countries to
stop the illegal trade of drugs, and in
regards to Asia stopping the creation and
distribution of heroine. Also tagging along
with combatting the heroin trade, India
hosted the 2nd Paris Pact, which focuses its
attention on the drug’s influence in
Afghanistan.
In
addition
to
these
advancements, many Asian countries, such
as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
and Nepal, have recently ratified documents
such as United Nations Convention against
Transnational Organized Crime and the
United
Nations
Convention
against
Corruption (UNCAC). The UNCAC lays a
basis for these countries and the UNODC
on how to combat various organized crime
groups such as the Yakuza.xxxi
United Nations Involvement
In regards to organized crime, the
United Nations has been highly involved.
Recently the UN held the General
Assembly’s 55th session in 2000, which
created the UNTOC. The UNTOC or United
Nations Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime set up a framework
regarding how countries should deal with
organized crime groups.xxvii This convention
addresses three main parts of organized
crime that needs to be combated: human
trafficking, smuggling persons into another
country, and the illegal arms trade. Member
states of this convention are obliged legally
help one another and deal with extradition
laws together. As of now the UNTOC is the
leading
form
of
an
international
collaboration to combat organized crime. In
addition to the UNTOC is A/RES/2011/32,
which urges countries to update and
frequently check their financial records to
look for trends in money laundering.xxviii The
resolution also seeks to hold countries to a
high standard of treating fugitives by not
protecting them, but using legal matters and
international aid to provide proper justice.
Also, in the 65th session of the General
Assembly the Executive Director of the
Case Study: Yakuza
Japan holds one of the largest
organized crime groups in the world,
Yakuza. Possibly originating from Kabuki7
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UNODC
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mono in the seventeenth century, Yakuza
are easily recognized by their almost
completely tattoo-covered body, yet are a
plethora of clans rather than one single
class. With over one hundred thousand
members, this group is a force to be
reckoned with. xxxii Yakuza is very much
unlike other organized crime groups
throughout not only Asia, but the world. The
Yakuza group is very public with their social
order and lives. The structure is like one of
a typical gang: Kumicho, the ruler, has
many men under him who listen to his
demands. Yakuza rarely contains women in
any ruling position, but are generally utilized
as
prostitutes
among
the
groups. xxxiii Moreover, this criminal gang is
infamous for gambling and prostitution, with
occasional drug and firearm smuggling.
Yamaguchi Gumi is a term also used
to classify the Yakuza. They are the largest
known gang in the world and are thriving
mainly off drug trafficking. A member must
be initiated and dedicated to the mafia in
order to stay with them. xxxiv Exceptionally,
Yakuza is monitored and regulated by
Japanese police by laws of controlling
organized crime and is not outlawed. In
addition, after the Second World War, they
served as a second regulation force to the
public which proves their validity currently.
The
number
of
Yakuza
members
documented each year is on the decline, yet
the number of members getting arrested
each year is on the rise.xxxv
This unity makes a profit by illegally
organizing
crime-involved
operations.
Yakuza operates businesses such as realestate companies, construction, and
entertainment industries. Stock markets and
Japan's very own professional wrestling
team are also influenced by Yakuza. A
financial gain is made through the process
of personal gain while being specifically
drawn out to maintain the Japanese
politeness tradition. For example, one
member may find private information or
create invalid information about a board of a
company and send members to meetings
with the head of the company in order to
threaten the release of confidential data.
The company leaders more than likely go
along with whatever the member proposes
in order to avoid a scandal or further indirect
threats from Yakuza. The Japanese
government has yet to do anything to stop
the growth and contain them.
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Questions to Consider
Mexican Drug War:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How do the main cartels operate? What weaknesses can be taken advantage of?
Who are the main belligerents? Who supports them? Who do you support?
Which cartels from neighboring countries aggravate the situation more, if any?
What has your country done to stop local cartels? How can this be effective in Latin
America?
5. How are the drug cartels affecting the neighboring countries? How are these countries
reacting?
Organized Crime in Asia:
1. Where in Asia is crime most prominent?
2. Other than drug trade, what other forms of organized crime exist? How can these forms
be combatted?
3. What forms of organized crime do your solutions cover? Can some of them be used for
multiple types?
4. Which forms of organized crime plague your country? What has your country done? Can
these tactics be applied to Asia?
5. Why is international collaboration important? How can it be improved?
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i
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/business/inside/colombian.html
ii http://www.cfr.org/mexico/mexicos-drug-war/p13689
iii http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/miguel-angel-felix-gallardo
iv http://borderviolenceanalysis.typepad.com/mexicos_drug_war/page/2/
v https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110209-mexicos-gun-supply-and-90-percent-myth
vi http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14091&ArticleId=362206
vii http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/02/world/americas/mexico-drug-war-fast-facts/
viii http://stopthedrugwar.org/taxonomy/term/58
ix http://idpc.net/alerts/2014/09/reflections-and-guidelines-to-formulate-and-follow-up-o
n-comprehensive-policies-to-address-the-world-drug-problem-in-the-americas
x http://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/V0984963-English.pdf
xi
http://idpc.net/policy-advocacy/the-un-general-assembly-special-session-on-drugs-ungass-2016
xii Dean, Lewis. "Why Are the Sinaloa Cartel the World's Most Powerful Gangsters?"
International Business Times RSS. N.p., 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
xiii Hootsen, Jan-Albert. "How the Sinaloa Cartel Won Mexico's Drug War." GlobalPost. N.p.,
28 Feb. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
xiv Cook, Colleen W. Mexico's Drug Cartels. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service,
Library of Congress, 2007. 16 Oct. 2007. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
xv Mallory, Stephen L. Understanding Organized Crime. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett,
2007. Print.
xvi Wilkinson, Tracy. "Sinaloa Cartel, Zetas Push Mexico's Drug Violence to New Depths." Los
Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
xvii Thompson, Paul. "Mexico Drug Wars Plumb New Depths after Gang Kidnaps Man, Cuts
Him in Seven Pieces... Then Stitches His Face on to a Football." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers,
11 Jan. 2010. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
xviii Hootsen, Jan-Albert. "Is Mexico's Drug War Finally Over?" Vocativ. N.p., 10 July 2014.
Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
xix "Glossary of Terms: Organized Crime." FBI. FBI, 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
xx "Opium Wars | Chinese History." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica,
20 Jan. 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
xxi "ASEAN Plan Of Action To Combat Transnational Crime." ASEAN Plan Of Action To Combat
Transnational Crime. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
xxii "Organised Crime worth $90bn Year in East Asia." - Al Jazeera English. N.p., 16 Apr. 2013.
Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
xxiii Southwick, Natalie. "Counterfeit Drugs Kill 1 Mn People Annually: Interpol." Counterfeit
Drugs Kill 1 Mn People Annually: Interpol. N.p., 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
xxiv Brave, Gerard A. "Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau." Organized Crime and Rackets
Bureau. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
xxv Blake, John. "The New Threat: 'Racism without Racists' - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News
Network, 27 Nov. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
xxvi Featherston, Lisa D. "Predator Hunters: International Extradition Problems." Predator
Hunters: International Extradition Problems. N.p., 2 July 2007. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
xxvii http://www.unodc.org/unodc/treaties/CTOC/
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http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/2011/res%202011.32.pdf
http://www.un.org/press/en/2010/gashc3975.doc.htm
xxviii
xxix
xxx
http://www.unodc.org/documents/southasia/Newsletter/UNODC_South_Asia_Newsletter__Issue_XIX.pdf
xxxi
http://www.unodc.org/southasia/en/frontpage/2011/june/significance-of-the-untocto-address-human-trafficking-interview-with-mr-g-k-pillai.html
xxxii http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/11/06/life/ex-tokyo-cop-speaks-out-on-a-life-fi
ghting-gangs-and-what-you-can-do/#.VQDBDM4QHJE
xxxiii http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/27/books.japan
xxxiv
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/09/where-have-japan-s-yakuza-gone.html
xxxv http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/gang/yakuza/1.htmlfortune.com/201
4/09/14/biggest-organized-crime-groups-in-the-world/
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