DECLARATION

ON STRENGTHENING OF COOPERATION IN COUNTERING THE ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF DRUGS AND PRECURSORS, AND THE ABUSE OF DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

Tashkent, 3 May 2019 - Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has called for stronger, balanced regional cooperation on drug control to ensure a healthy, secure and sustainable future for Central Asia.

Speaking at the Eleventh ministerial meeting of the States Parties to the Memorandum of Understanding on Sub-regional drug control cooperation (MoU), hosted by the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr. Fedotov congratulated the State Parties to the MoU on the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration and welcomed their joint commitment to addressing illicit drug trafficking and drug abuse.

"The MoU continues to provide a strong platform for discussing drug control in the region and beyond, and to identify priorities for cooperation in addressing drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related transnational organized crime," said Mr. Fedotov.

Abdulaziz Kamilov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, host of the event, said: "This historic document has become a solid foundation for the development and implementation of specific joint measures in response to the threat of drug trafficking in the region. It paved the way for a number of important practical initiatives, including the establishment of the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center (CARICC) and the implementation of UNODC technical assistance programs aimed at supporting the parties to the Memorandum."

He also noted that "to make further progress in the field of drug control, it is important to reinforce the focus on strengthening border and customs control aimed at identifying and suppressing drug trafficking channels; improve the forms and methods of cooperation between law enforcement agencies of states in combating illicit drug trafficking; and study and implement modern achievements of forensic science for the investigation and prevention of crimes in the field of illicit drug trafficking."

The meeting of the parties brought together a number of high-level officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Muhriddin; the First deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Azizbek Madmarov; the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan Ovezdurdy Hojanyyazov; the Chief Executive Officer, Health Services, the Aga Khan Development Network Mahbat Bakhromov; the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Vladimir Norov, as a special guest, as well as donors and international organizations.

Underscoring UNODC's support for the MoU parties' efforts, Mr. Fedotov said: "UNODC remains committed to working with you, to provide technical assistance, enhance cooperation and mobilize international support based on the principle of common and shared responsibility. I am very pleased that the Ministerial Declaration reiterates the commitment of the MoU Parties to strengthen multilateral cooperation within the framework of the MoU, in close coordination with UNODC."

UNODC delivers technical assistance in the region through the Programme for Central Asia (2015-2019) and the Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries (2016-2019). The Ministerial Declaration has welcomed the achievements of these programmes, which will be entering their next phase in 2020.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Sub-regional drug control cooperation (MoU) was signed in 1996 in Tashkent and promotes drug control cooperation between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

DECLARATION

ON STRENGTHENING OF COOPERATION IN COUNTERING THE ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF DRUGS AND PRECURSORS, AND THE ABUSE OF DRUGS AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

 Eleventh review meeting of the parties to the Memorandum of Understanding

on Sub-Regional Drug Control Cooperation (1996)

 3 May 2019

Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan

The delegations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Aga Khan Development Network, in the presence of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as the Secretariat of the Memorandum of Understanding on Sub-Regional Drug Control Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as MoU), gathered at the Eleventh review meeting of the MoU Parties in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and agreed on the following:

Emphasizing that illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors (hereinafter referred to as drugs) and their abuse, particularly among children and young people, not only undermines human health and well-being, but also threatens the socio-economic development, security and political stability of the region and the international community as a whole;

Recalling our commitment to effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem in full conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, the principle of nonintervention in the internal affairs of States, all human rights, fundamental freedoms, the inherent dignity of all individuals and the principles of equal rights and mutual respect among States;

Reaffirming our commitment to the strict and full compliance with the obligations under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988;

Emphasizing the importance of the Ministerial declaration on "strengthening our actions at the national, regional and international levels to accelerate the implementation of our joint commitments to address and counter the world drug problem" adopted at the sixty-second session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and notably the commitment made to effectively address and counter the world drug problem, requiring concerted and sustained action at the national and international levels;

Expressing concern about the high levels of illicit cultivation and production of opiates in Afghanistan, which poses a threat both to the region and to countries beyond, and requires enhanced regional cooperation and taking comprehensive measures to counter the trafficking in opiates originating in Afghanistan and their precursors at regional and international levels;

Expressing also concern due to emergence of new psychoactive substances that are outside the scope of international and national control, as well as misuse of Internet for trafficking purposes;

Proceeding from the necessity to jointly respond to the serious challenges arising from the growing link between drug trafficking and other forms of organized crime, such as corruption, money laundering and terrorism, including money laundering in the context of terrorist financing;

Expressing serious concern about the legalization of non-medical use of cannabis incompatible with the international drug control conventions;

Re-confirming our commitment for cooperation in the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Sub-Regional Drug Control Cooperation signed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 1996;

Stressing the particular importance of the MoU in contributing to enhanced regional and international cooperation to better counter trafficking in drugs and their precursors and related illicit financial flows, in line with the principle of common and shared responsibility;

Recalling the steps taken since 1996 within the framework of the MoU to tackle the challenges posed by the illicit production, trafficking and abuse of drugs, including the establishment of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for Combating the Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (CARICC), as well as UNODC's technical cooperation programmes in support of the MoU Parties;

Supporting the UNODC technical assistance programme in Central Asia and for the wider region and the role played by the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation in the facilitation of enhanced regional cooperation;

Welcoming the achievements reached so far within the UNODC Programme for Central Asia (2015-2019) and the UNODC Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries (2011-2019) in partnership with the Central Asian States;

  1. Affirm our strong commitment to actively contribute to building a society free from drug abuse, so that all people can maintain health and dignity and live in peace, security and prosperity;
  2. Re-iterate the desire to strengthen multilateral cooperation within the framework of the MoU, in close coordination with UNODC, including cooperation in the area of law enforcement, crime prevention and legal/judicial matters;
  3. Express support to the competent agencies of the MoU Parties as well as the relevant regional and inter-regional entities in their efforts to facilitate sharing of information, including with the aim to conduct joint operational activities using CARICC's capabilities where feasible, and by the consent of all Parties to MoU;
  4. Express readiness to take further actions to ensure sustainability and effectiveness of CARICC activities;
  5. Call upon the MoU Parties to continue strengthening control measures to prevent the trafficking in precursor chemicals used in illicit drug production and supporting - in this regard - the activities of the existing task forces;
  6. Confirm their readiness to continue cooperation with the support of the UNODC for increased professional capacity, notably through training of law enforcement personnel to increase the efficiency of the fight against drug trafficking and illicit financial flows;
  7. Encourage MoU Parties to explore opportunities for coordination of efforts - with support from UNODC - in the area of prevention of and fight against drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and terrorism committed along the trade-and-transport transit corridors in the region;
  8. Emphasize the need for continuation of the work on the establishment of Border Liaison Offices and Port Control Units for prevention of drug trafficking and transnational organized crime;
  9. Acknowledge the need for data collection, research and the sharing of information, as well as the exchange of best practices on preventing and countering drug-related crime and on drug supply reduction measures and practices, in order to enhance the effectiveness of crime prevention, and will also consider the possibility of creating a special group with the support of UNODC with the involvement of law enforcement specialists from countries located on the so-called Northern route, specialists from international organizations, including CARICC, to conduct research on the movement of drugs of Afghan origin;

10. Encourage the MoU Parties to share experience on successful national prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and social reintegration programmes for people suffering from drug abuse disorders, as well as the prevention of co-morbid diseases in order to promote healthy lifestyles and ensure the health, safety and well-being of the population;

11. Express the intention to promote increased availability and accessibility of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing their diversion, abuse and trafficking, to achieve the goals and objectives as well as to implement provisions set out in the three above-mentioned international drug control conventions;

12. Support the further provision of UNODC's technical assistance, including its enhanced capacity, to support the Parties to the MoU and the wider region based on the evaluation of risks and threats in the region, in line with the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the sixty second session of the CND, pursuant to the countries' priorities, and in close consultation and cooperation with relevant regional and international organizations where appropriate and donor community;

13. Encourage the international community to further support joint efforts of the MoU Parties in countering trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors and abuse.

The participants highly appreciated the efforts of the MoU Parties on advancing regional cooperation for sustainable development, peace and security in the region and expressed their appreciation to the Republic of Uzbekistan for hosting the Eleventh Review Meeting of the Parties to the Memorandum of Understanding on Sub-Regional Drug Control Cooperation.

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