However, the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), which checks implementation of global drug treaties, says that Bolivia is threatening international drug controls. A number of countries – including the UK, the US, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and Russia – opposed Bolivia’s demands. The UK told the UN that it “respects the cultural importance of the coca leaf in Bolivia,” but it adds: “The United Kingdom is … worried that the exemption could lead to increases in coca production and – most importantly – the amount of coca that goes into the cocaine trade. As a result, the exemption would weaken … the global effort to tackle the drugs trade.”
What is the UK worried about?
Increased coca production and cocaine trade Greater difficulty in controlling coca leaves trade Current international drug control laws The drug trade straining international diplomacy