Director General/Executive Director
Remarks of the Executive Director UNODC at the 104th INCB Board Meeting
8 May 2012
Distinguished Members of the INCB,
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to speak at the 104th meeting of the International Narcotics Control Board.
I offer my best regards to the new members of the board: Dr. Hall, Ambassador Johnson, Mr. Samak, Mr. Sipp and Mr. Thoumi.
I congratulate the three re-elected board members: Professor Ghodse, Ambassador Montaño and Mr. Yans.
I look forward to working with all of you in the near future.
The INCB plays a unique role in evaluating the compliance of Member States with the international legal instruments concerning drug control.
It reviews the way governments comply with the international drug conventions, and provides UNODC with invaluable information on the needs of Member States for capacity building and technical assistance.
To aid in this process, I would encourage an extended dialogue between the board and UNODC on how we can assist countries to fully implement the Conventions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Since we last spoke, the 55 th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs has been held.
A number of important resolutions were adopted at the 55 th Session. The wording of the resolution on the 100th Anniversary of the Opium Convention is particularly important.
It called for strengthened action and cooperation at the national, regional and international levels towards the goals of the conventions, which remain the cornerstone of the international drug control system.
The 55 th Session also focused on the need for a comprehensive and balanced approach to drug supply and demand.
Approaches to reducing the supply side cannot work, if they are not supported by parallel efforts to promote alternative livelihoods.
Alternative development can address food security and poverty reduction. Together UNODC and the Board should continue to invite Member States to provide greater assistance in this area.
UNODC is also building integrated regional programmes, as well as developing inter-agency support throughout the United Nations.
Launched in December, the Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries has helped develop a number of practical activities, including:
I would also highlight the Maritime initiative MARES, which recognizes that drug trafficking in the region is often undertaken by sea.
Later this year, I will travel to Afghanistan to meet with the Afghan government and to ascertain the success of these initiatives.
We will soon launch a new Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe that will concentrate on the so-called "Balkan Route" for heroin.
In Central America, a regional hub has been created for Central America and the Caribbean in Panama. This regional hub will be closely linked to our re-profiled office in Mexico and other countries in the region.
Centres of excellence are also being established in the Dominican Republic and Mexico to promote drug demand reduction.
The REFCO network of prosecutors in Central America is using best practices to strengthen the criminal justice chain.
The container control programme and AIRCOP are also being developed in West Africa and Central America.
In West and Central Africa, results are being delivered by the Transnational Crime Units.
UNODC's overall approach is founded on the drug conventions, the rule of law and human rights. We will shortly be issuing a position paper titled, UNODC and the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
There are also important policy debates at the international level. In Central America, some countries have voiced a need for assistance.
UNODC has listened to these views and there can be no doubt that the international community, including UNODC, needs to provide additional technical assistance.
However, such assistance must be within the framework of the drug and crime conventions.
On June 26, UNODC will launch its World Drug Report in New York.
Translated into all the official UN languages, the World Drug Report will be shorter and more analytical.
The launch of the report will be held at the same time as a thematic debate at the General Assembly on drugs and crime as a threat to development.
Distinguished Members of the INCB,
I wish the board every success with their meeting and I look forward to the continuing dialogue between this Board and UNODC.
Thank you.