Director General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I congratulate you on the successful conclusion of the sixty-second session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
This session and its ministerial segment have brought together more heads of state and government, ministers and other high-level officials, as well as more participants, than ever before.
Over the past seven days we have hosted more than 2,400 participants, with 140 Member States, nearly 100 civil society organizations and more than 200 international and regional partners.
It is not the numbers themselves that matter but the high level of multilateral engagement that this record participation so clearly illustrates.
The presence of so many heads of state and ministers highlights the importance of the issues addressed by this Commission, and its unique role as a UN policy-making body with prime responsibility for drug control.
The Ministerial Declaration adopted by you forges a common path for the next decade, based on an agreed framework, in recognition of the fact that there is so much more that unites than divides us when it comes to seeking solutions to global drug challenges.
The Declaration brings all of us together to accelerate implementation of the goals and operational recommendations contained in the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action, the 2014 Joint Ministerial Statement and the 2016 UN General Assembly special session outcome document.
In charting the way forward, you have committed "to safeguarding our future and ensuring that no one affected by the world drug problem is left behind" and "placing the safety, health and well-being of all members of society, in particular our youth and children, at the centre of our efforts".
I welcome this confirmation of balanced, health- and rights-based approaches to drug supply and demand that, most of all, put people first.
UNODC, here in Vienna and through our field offices around the world, remains fully committed and engaged in supporting you in these endeavours, in cooperation with our partners.
We cannot succeed without shared responsibility. We need Member States to provide the necessary resources so all countries can address the challenges to peace, security, development, human rights and health posed by drugs, and work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Distinguished participants,
UNODC, as ever, is here to help you put this collective determination into action, to seek innovative solutions that build on improved understanding of the problem and enhanced capacities to address ever-evolving drug challenges.
In conclusion, I would like to thank and commend Ambassador Bakhet and the extended bureau for steering the work of this session. And I congratulate Ambassador Okeke once again for facilitating the preparations leading to the Ministerial Declaration.
I would also like to warmly thank my UNODC colleagues for providing able and professional support, as always.
For those travelling I wish you a safe journey home.
Thank you, I wish you a restful weekend, and congratulations once again.