TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1979
2
HK CONTRIBUTES FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
TO UN FUND FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL
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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TODAY (TUESDAY) CONTRIBUTED FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, $100,000 TO THE UNITED NATIONS FUND FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL (UNFDAC), DEMONSTRATING ITS FIRM COMMITMENT TO INTE. NATIONAL ACTION AGAINST THE WORLD-WIDE PROBLEM OF DRUG ABUSE AND TRAFF ICK ING.
THE AMBASSADOR AND UNITED KINGDOM PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA, SIR JAMES MURRAY, ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, PRESENTED A CHEQUE TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UNFDAC, PROFESSOR BROR REXED, AT THE UNFDAC OFFICE IN GENEVA THIS MORNING.
THE DONATION INDICATES HONG KONG'S CONTINUING RECOGNITION OF, AND TRIBUTE TO, THE RESULTS WHICH HAVE SO FAR BEEN ACHIEVED BY THE UNFDAC, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR. E.I. LEE SAID TODAY,
+HONG KONG'S ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION IS BY FAR THE LARGEST AMONGST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND EVEN LARGER THAN THOSE FROM SOME DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, HONG KONG'S TOTAL CONTRIBUTION TO DATE IS $500,000.+
MR. LEE ADDED THAT, APART FROM CASH DONATIONS, HONG KONG HAS ALSO MADE ITS ANTI-NARCOTICS EXPERTISE AND FACILITIES FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE UNITED NATIONS FOR THE TRAINING OF ANTI-NARCOTICS OFFICIALS FROM ASIAN COUNTRIES WHO ARE SPONSORED BY THE UNITED NATIONS DIVISION, OTHER UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES, THE COLOMBO PLAN BUREAU OR THEIR OWN GOVERNMENTS UNDER BILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS.
+SINCE 1974, A TOTAL OF 344 TRAINEES/VISITORS, INCLUDING ADMINISTRATORS, DOCTORS, PSYCHIATRISTS, PROBATION, POLICE AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS, HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY HONG KONG. STATISTICS FROM THE NARCOTICS DIVISION SHOW THAT THERE WERE 35 TRAINEES/VISITORS IN 1974, 50 IN 1975, 48 IN 1976, 115 IN 1977 AND 96 IN 1978.
+THE COST OF SUCH A DONATION-IN-KIND IS NOT INCONSIDERABLE AND A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE SHOWS THAT FOR 1978 ALONE, THE REAL COST WAS $150,000.
+IN 1979, THE NUMBER OF TRAINEES SO FAR HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE. HONG KONG HAS RECENTLY AGREED TO HOST A MONTH-LONG TRAINING COURSE FOR 20 DOCTORS FROM VARIOUS ASIAN COUNTRIES IN OCTOBER-NOVEMBER THIS YEAR IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION'S (WHO) DRUG DEPENDENCE DIVISION,+ MR. LEE SA ID.
+ IN HONG KONG, WE HAVE LONG RECOGNISED THAT OUR DRUG ABUSE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED BY OUR OWN INTERNAL EFFORTS ALONE, BUT WILL NEED DETERMINED, EFFECTIVE AND CO-ORDINATED ACTION AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.
/+THE GOVERNMENT'S