EDITORIAL: INTENSIFY WAR ON ILLICIT DRUGS, HUMAN TORTURE

Acting in its infinite wisdom, the United Nations Organisation (UN) officially declared June 26 as both International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, and International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The Torture Victims Day was chosen to commemorate the signing of the Charter which founded the UN on June 26, 1945 – and which required UN member-states “to respect and promote” fundamental, inalienable human rights.

This is commonly done by speaking out and acting against the vile crime of human torture, as well as honouring and otherwise supporting torture victims-cum-survivors throughout the world.

As the seventh UN Secretary General, Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan (1938-2018), said in 1998: June 26 “is an occasion for the world to speak up against the unspeakable…” for “those who have endured the unimaginable…”

Fair enough, we heartily say.

For its part, the World Drug Day against drugs abuse and illicit trafficking was rooted in the successful (at the time) “dismantling of the opium trade in Humen (in China’s Guangdong Province), ending on June 25, 1839…”

Commemoration relating to illicit narcotic drugs has been formally observed annually since 1989, following UN’s General Assembly Resolution 42/112 of December 7, 1987.

Whether or not it was pure coincidence that one and the same day was selected by the UN to ‘host’ the two deplorable events – human torture and narcotics abuse – is arguable, debatable.

But, it is surprising that, by 2019, Tanzania was among the very few world countries which were yet to accept, sign and ratify the UN Convention against Torture and other forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

However, it is comforting that the government of the United Republic of Tanzania has legislated against illicit drugs – and sometimes redirects funds initially earmarked for celebrating World Drug Day to fighting the hydra-headed narcotics monster which is ‘mutating’ and burgeoning with time.

LET’S DEVELOP OUR SPORTS

Tanzania will field three runners in the Tokyo Summer Olympics scheduled for July 23 to August 8 this year, namely: Alphonce Simbu, Gabriel Geay – and a female, Failuna Matanga.

The country also has the opportunity to field a swimmer, Collins Saliboko, on the ‘Universality’ principle of the International Swimming Federation (Fédération Internationale de Natation: Fina). But, three or four athletes are too small a number for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, a historic quadrennial multisport event bringing together some 11,500 sportsmen and women worldwide to compete against each other.

Surely, Tanzania, a country of 60 million people, can do better than that. But this can happen only if and when its sports bodies, leaders and other stakeholders proverbially put their collective shoulder to the wheel of sports development and strategizing when it comes to competitions like the Olympics.

Surely, it is (past) high time that out leaders and stakeholders/well-wishers seriously worked on sports development with the objective of excelling in competitive championships at the regional, continental and global levels.

For starters, we should embark on functional preparations for the next championships on the international sports calendar, including the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

So, ‘all hands on deck’ for this, we heartily call out.