Director General/Executive Director
Thank you for joining us here today.
I believe we can all agree that alternative development is a fundamental pillar of a comprehensive and balanced drug control approach.
The new 2030 development agenda and the discussions leading to the UN General Assembly special session on the world drug problem next month have further helped to highlight the importance of promoting development-oriented drug control policies to improve the socio-economic situation of farmers, while at the same time reducing illicit crops in a sustainable manner.
Alternative development is directly linked to several Sustainable Development Goals, including goal two on ending hunger, goal eight on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and goals 16 and 17 which address security, rule of law, corruption and global partnerships.
I very much welcome this opportunity for States to address the challenges and benefits of alternative development, and to further enrich the discussions at the CND and towards the UNGASS.
We are honoured to have Madame Marlene Mortler, Germany's Federal Drug Commissioner with us.
Germany has been a very important supporter and donor to alternative development programmes, and UNODC works closely with BMZ and GIZ on these initiatives.
Together, UNODC and Germany hosted a series of expert group meetings on alternative development.
The findings and recommendations of the series of meetings on how best to will be presented today, and can be found in the conference room paper.
We are also honoured to have Colombia's Vice-Minister of Justice, Carlos Medina Ramírez.
Colombia is a global leader in alternative development, demonstrating how national commitment in terms of resources and policy can improve the lives of small farmers involved in illicit crop cultivation.
I also welcome M.L. Dispanadda Diskul, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation Under Royal Patronage in Thailand.
Thailand has achieved notable success in their work with hill tribe communities and sharing these best practices.
This includes promoting high quality alternative development products in boutiques and coffee shops, about which Mister Diskul will speak today.
Today's event will also shed light on marketing alternative development products, with a representative from IKEA providing insights into the requirements that alternative development programmes must meet to engage with the private sector and be competitive in a global market.
UNODC's 2015 World Drug Report featured a thematic chapter on alternative development, and the chief of our research branch, Angela Me, will be discussing the importance of research in measuring the impact of alternative development programmes.
Allow me to conclude by thanking Colombia, Germany and Thailand for your partnership with UNODC, and to commend your continued joint efforts to promote alternative development, to support impoverished farmers build sustainable and productive livelihoods free from illicit cultivation.
I wish you a fruitful discussion.
Thank you.