United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development A/RES/68/196 (u) To ensure that measures aimed at strengthening the rule of law are included in development-oriented drug control policies in order to, inter alia, support farmers in their efforts to stop, and in some cases prevent, the cultivation of illicit crops; (v) To apply, in addition to estimates of illicit cultivation and other illicit activities related to the world drug problem, indicators related to human development, socioeconomic conditions, rural development and the alleviation of poverty, as well as institutional and environmental indicators, when assessing alternative development programmes in order to ensure that the outcomes are in line with national and international development objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals, and that they reflect accountable use of donor funds and truly benefit the affected communities; (w) To utilize objective impact evaluations that examine a broad range of social, economic and environmental factors and incorporate the lessons learned from these evaluations in future projects to ensure that the design and implementation of alternative development programmes are based on a reliable and evidence-based evaluation and thorough analysis of local socioeconomic, geographical and cultural realities, as well as the assessment of benefits and risks; (x) To undertake further research and strengthen data collection with a view to providing a basis for more effective and evidence-based alternative development programmes, as well as conduct research to assess the factors leading to the illicit cultivation of drug crops used for the production and manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; (y) To utilize data and conduct analysis to identify areas, communities and affected populations that are vulnerable to illicit cultivation and its related illicit activities, and tailor the implementation of programmes and projects to address identified needs; (z) To encourage partners in cross-border alternative development activities to consider measures to support the implementation of alternative development strategies and programmes, which may include special preferential policies, protection of property rights and facilitation of the import and export of products, in accordance with relevant international law, including trade agreements; (aa) To enhance technical support, including exchange of expertise, best practices and resources, while seeking to secure long-term flexible funding for alternative development programmes in order to ensure their sustainability; (bb) To consider the possibility of creating an international fund for alternative development programmes that could be used to face major emergency situations, in order to ensure continuity; (cc) To recognize that international cooperation resources for the implementation of alternative development programmes should be used in consultation and in coordination with partner countries to support joint efforts to eliminate, reduce and, in some cases, prevent the cultivation of illicit crops through reducing poverty and enhancing rural development in areas affected by, or in some cases vulnerable to, illicit cultivation and engaging in effective law enforcement measures; (dd) To recognize that long-term cooperation, coordination and the commitment of multilevel and multisectoral stakeholders are essential to a holistic 9/10