Algeria

International Drug Contexts

Algeria's drug policies operate under a range of international frameworks beginning with the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, supplemented by additional conventions in 1971 and 1988 that garnered the almost universal support of national governments, including Algeria. These conventions led to the creation of a number of oversight agencies such as the International Narcotics Control Board, UN Office of Drugs and Crime, and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs that oversee implementation.

In terms of these existing frameworks Algeria has signed but not ratified the 1988 Convention and has fully accepted the initial 1961 agreement. Algeria has also accepted and implemented the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and endorses the 1972

Protocol. Presently Algeria supports the 1988 agreement's strict enforcement standards and has endorsed all existing international anti-drug initiatives.

Compliance occurs through an inter-ministerial committee with oversight over illegal drug containment within the country. Problems exist because of a lack of full powers to coordinate and enact decisions across the wide range of agencies involved in enforcing drug policies. Algeria is also a member of the Customs Cooperation Council that is set up to share drug trafficking information between European and North African countries.

Drug Strategies and Implementation

Algeria's anti-drug strategy is geared toward strict border controls and inspections at entry points, closer inspection of overland transport, and careful examination and surveillance of suspected traffic including foreigners in transit. Penalties for violating the drug laws are harsh with long sentences and heavy fines for those convicted of possession, use, and trafficking. The death penalty also exists for trafficking convictions. The majority of drugs seized were intended for transit trafficking outside the country. In recent years increased drug enforcement in northern Morocco has seen a shift in trafficking toward the 1,600-kilometer border with Algeria. This is particularly important in the export of cannabis where Morocco, according to the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, accounts for over 30 percent of world supply. Although there have been reports of local officials along the Tunisian and Moroccan borders aiding traffickers, there is no evidence of senior Algerian officials being involved in regulatory corruption.

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