21 February 2001

Transcript: Congressman Gilman
Addresses Drug Control Conference in Bolivia

Congressman Benjamin Gilman (Republican of New York) says that legislators and officials the world over "can and must keep the pressure on our own governments to make [combatting] illicit drugs ... a higher priority."

Speaking February 21 to the Fourth Transatlantic Inter-Parliamentarian Conference on Drug Control in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Gilman underlined the importance of international cooperation in the fight against illegal drugs, and pointed to the Bolivian government's "incredible success" in curbing cocaine production.

"We couldn't pick a better place to hold this meeting [than] in a nation that's done so much good in eradicating the coca crop," Gilman said, noting that Bolivian officials predict that by the year 2002 "there will be no more cocaine coming out of Bolivia."

The Bolivian experience "shows that we can win our fight when there is real political determination and will from the top," he said. "We, working together, will try to bring that message around the globe."

Following is the transcript of his remarks:

February 21, 2001

U.S. Representative Benjamin Gilman's remarks at the opening of the
"Fourth Transatlantic Inter-Parliamentarian Conference on Drug Control"

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Parliamentarians and representatives, President Banzer Suarez and Vice President Quiroga Ramirez, guests of the Bolivian government and Mr. Pino Arlacchi from the UNDCP. I want to congratulate [Former European Parliament Member] Sir Jack Stewart Clark, the father of this wonderful group of conferences that started in Scotland not to many years ago. Some of us attended that first conference and now he is the grandfather of this wonderful conference and the delegations and agencies who are represented here. We look forward to many more such important meetings.

Welcome to this Fourth Inter-parliamentarian Conference on Drugs. This important effort of bringing together elected and executive branch officials from all over the globe will enhance the efforts in our common fight against a major threat to the very foundations of all our governments.

Our fight against illicit drugs has taken on new dimensions and the impressive attendance and interest here in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, certainly demonstrates that.

We couldn't pick a better place to hold this meeting in a nation that's done so much good in eradicating the coca crop. President Banzer and Vice President Quiroga had met with us earlier this morning and underscored that by the year 2002 there will be no more cocaine coming out of Bolivia.

Our delegation is here led by Chairman Souder, joined by Congressman Mica, Congresswoman Granger and Congressman Deal. We represent a good cross-section of our nation and we look forward to being here to work with our fellow parliamentarians and all of the representatives of the various countries that have been brought together in this conference.

We parliamentarians and government representatives can and must keep the pressure on our own governments to make the illicit drugs, the trade in drugs, the substance abuse in drugs, a higher priority. Our nations and our young people deserve nothing less.

The true concept of this conference began, as I indicated, with a small group in Sir Jack Stewart Clark's home in Scotland. At that time there was just a few of us gathered around the table in a small room and it was then we realized that no nation can undertake this massive undertaking alone. It is a very difficult, complex and important struggle. In addition, we realized that skeptics would tell us it isn't possible to get the world community to take on such a major problem or in fact little can be done, many say, against the scourge of drugs. Well, this meeting demonstrates that something important can be done.

This worldwide conference here in Bolivia should demonstrate to the skeptics that they were wrong in both counts. The broad delegation list that is here today shows we can and we must work together. The incredible Bolivian success eliminating drugs here, which we will hear and see more about in the Chapare [region], all shows that we can win our fight when there is real political determination and will from the top. We, working together, will try to bring that message around the globe. So I join my colleagues and welcoming all of you and thanking you for coming together and demonstrating our desire to work in mutual assistance, to roll up our sleeves and to make certain that eventually we will be able to free the world of substance abuse.

end transcript