Director General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Mr. Kubis,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am very glad to welcome you to this Triangular Initiative Ministerial Review Meeting.
Since its launch in 2007, the Triangular Initiative has continued to grow in terms of relevance, and has consistently delivered concrete achievements in addressing the threats posed by opiates as well as other forms of transnational organized crime.
This has been made possible through the genuine commitment and support of the three members. UNODC is honoured to serve as the secretariat and to provide technical assistance.
Allow me to take this opportunity to acknowledge Iran's support to the Joint Planning Cell. I would like to commend Iran and Pakistan for the recent field operations conducted in January and February, which resulted in seizures of more than one tonne of different types of drugs.
I also wish to express my gratitude to Afghanistan for hosting the meeting of senior officials in Kabul last August.
One year ago at the Ministerial Review meeting, we agreed a new segment dealing with maritime regional cooperation. I am pleased to report that the maritime cooperation framework is helping to address this area of critical importance, with recent joint operations resulting in sizeable seizures of illicit drugs.
I thank Iran and Pakistan for their commitment to the initiative, and I would welcome your further support in expanding this key area of cooperation.
Addressing maritime trafficking routes is an issue of increasing urgency. During my recent mission to the Gulf countries, the use of maritime routes for drug trafficking was highlighted as one of the main challenges.
We need to continue strengthening and expanding trust to support cooperation in this area.
Looking ahead, it is important to remain results-oriented and identify clear deliverables for 2014 and beyond, including in areas where UNODC can offer its technical support.
Alongside enforcement operations, the Criminal Assets Southern Hub (CASH) and the Southern Trafficking Operational Plan (STOP) initiatives, which focus on illicit money flows and alternative development respectively, are two important undertakings which need to be further promoted within the sub-region.
Operations based on joint criminal intelligence-led investigations also remain a key area of work.
Similarly, the linkages between the JPC and other regional centres, including CARICC, GCIC-CCD and SELEC, should be explored.
We launched the "networking the networks" initiative just last December in Istanbul to support such linkages.
This new initiative approach brings together regional centres to enhance criminal intelligence sharing and operational collaboration along the Balkan, Northern, and Southern routes used for shipping drugs and precursors to and from Afghanistan.
In all these efforts we must pursue a balanced approach, rooted in mutual trust and shared responsibility, which form the foundation of any successful and long lasting partnership.
UNODC remains strongly committed to supporting Triangular Initiative member states in making the region safer from drugs and transnational organized crime.
In closing, I would like to thank Mr. Kubis and in particular the Ministers for your support for this very important initiative.
I look forward to a constructive session which will determine the next steps, including dates and venues of future SOM and Ministerial meetings in the field.
Thank you.