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UNODC and its predecessors, the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC), have been active in Myanmar since 1978 to reduce the cultivation, production, trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs.
In all its projects, UNODC promotes a participatory approach that serves to empower local communities and strengthen civil society, where the focus is on community development rather than relying on top-down methodologies. Because the current scale of intervention efforts is marginal in relation to the magnitude of drug-related problems in Myanmar, the Office focuses on expanding expertise and assistance through partnerships with other UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The Union of Myanmar is a signatory to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 Vienna Convention against Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. In addition, the Government of Myanmar is party, with a number of countries, to ongoing bilateral agreements for cooperation on drug control and crime issues. At the regional level, Myanmar is a partner in a UNODC sub-regional action plan that includes China, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam; a member of ACCORD (ASEAN and China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs), and in the inter-governmental network dedicated to the fight against illicit drugs in the region; and participates in the COMMIT (Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking) process.
As Myanmar is the world's second-largest producer of opium, the UNODC Myanmar country programme strongly emphasises the sustainable elimination of opium cultivation, with reference to the pursuit of alternative livelihoods for traditional opium-farming households. Simultaneously, the Office implements projects that provide treatment, detoxification and rehabilitation services for drug users. Finally, recognising the escalating danger posed by the spread of HIV/AIDS in Myanmar, the Office has taken a leading role in reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS through injecting drug use.
The following provides an overview of the areas covered and projects currently implemented in Myanmar:
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