Tunisia
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report -2003
Released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
March 2004
Tunisia is not a significant drug transshipment country. The government has an active youth demand reduction education program and encourages NGOs? counternarcotics educational activities. Tunisia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, and its domestic law contains the legislative provisions mandated by the Convention.
Tunisia is neither a significant drug transshipment point nor a significant producer of precursor chemicals. Tunisia is a transit point for individual smugglers taking small amounts of hashish from Morocco to Europe. The government does not publish figures for narcotics consumption. NGOs active in the field report drug consumption is limited, but has increased in recent years, primarily at high schools, universities, and tourist resorts. There is a negligible amount of illicit cultivation of cannabis in northern Tunisia. Before Tunisia gained its independence, cannabis was cultivated legally for local use.
Accomplishments. The Government of Tunisia (GOT) continues to give a high priority to counternarcotics law enforcement. Tunisian media reported that law enforcement authorities seized a small amount of drugs, mostly hashish, and arrested a handful of drug abusers and traffickers in 2003. Hard drugs remain difficult to find or buy in Tunisia. Counterterrorism legislation containing money laundering provisions was passed in December 2003.
Policy Initiatives. In December 2003, the Tunisian Parliament passed law no. 94/2003 criminalizing support and financing to individuals, organizations, or activities related to terrorism, including the laundering of money for this purpose.
Law Enforcement Efforts. Tunisian authorities did not make publicly available comprehensive information on counternarcotics law enforcement. Media occasionally reports on law enforcement efforts to break up small rings of Tunisian hashish traffickers and to arrest cannabis users.
Corruption. In 2003 Tunisia had no publicized cases of public narcotics-related corruption. There is not any explicit or implicit official support for narcotics-related activities.
Agreements and Treaties. Tunisia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Tunisia is also a party to the UN Convention against Transnational Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, supplementing this convention.
Cultivation/Production. There is negligible cultivation and production of illicit drugs in Tunisia. Some cannabis is grown in northern Tunisia.
Drug Flow/Transit. Tunisia is not a major drug transshipment country. There are regular reports of individual hashish smugglers from Morocco who transit Tunisia en route to Europe.
Domestic Programs (Demand Reduction). The GOT conducts drug education programs in schools and encourages NGOs to conduct complementary educational programs. There is not a large addict population in Tunisia.
The Road Ahead. The U.S. will continue to work closely with Tunisia to improve narcotics law enforcement. The U.S. supports Tunisian efforts to comply fully with the 1988 UN Drug Convention, and it seeks Tunisian support for U.S. international counternarcotics initiatives.
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