UNODC Global Partnership Forum

UNODC hosted its first-ever Global Partnership Forum for the private sector and international foundations in Vienna in October 2006. The topic was: "Sharing responsibility to make the world safer - Investing in the prevention of drug abuse, human trafficking and HIV/AIDS."

The one-day event included participants from the Chemical Dependency Centre (UK), the Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (Germany), the Federation of Industries of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and the MTV Europe Foundation.

Professor Klaus Leisinger, CEO of the Novartis Foundation and Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Global Compact, delivered the keynote address.

At two panel discussions, participants presented different approaches to drug abuse and human trafficking.

Actress and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador Julia Ormond introduced the topic of human trafficking, speaking about her experiences in Ghana, Thailand and India. She described human trafficking as a transnational crime, adding: "We can only fix it by working transnationally." Ormond also opened an exhibition of photographs by Howard G. Buffett on modern-day slavery.

UNODC, as one of the leading international agencies in fighting drug abuse, human trafficking and organized crime, will follow up on proposals for joint activities with a number of Forum participants.