Regional training course on "Laboratory Identification of Illicit Drugs"
7-18 August 2017, Vienna, Austria
Between 7 and 18 August 2017, the UNODC Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries in collaboration with the UNODC Laboratory and Scientific Section (LSS) organized two consecutive one-week long training courses on "Laboratory Identification of Illicit Drugs."
This training addresses a growing demand by West and Central Asian countries to strengthen their pools of highly qualified forensic laboratory experts as well as to increase the use of forensic evidence in drug related criminal investigations in the region. The agenda of the training courses was composed of practical laboratory exercises (hands-on) and a comprehensive overview of methodologies and techniques for accurate analysis of drug samples. The trainees of these courses were the forensic experts from Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Tajikistan. Subsequently, the trainees, under the guidance and instructions of the LSS personnel, conducted preliminary screening tests, macro- and macroscopic analysis, qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis of the samples. Furthermore, each participant was provided with specialized guidance and methodology material and UNODC publications for use in their future work.
All participants successfully fulfilled the tasks and completed the training, and were awarded with certificates. A post-training evaluation was conducted by UNODC, and all participants expressed their satisfaction and requested the organization of such training course more often in addition to conducting a specialized training courses on use of various forensic equipment in the future.
These training courses were funded by the European Union and Japan. Further training courses will be held in the future in order to meet the needs of the region.