UNODC and CARICC held a donor conference to discuss the way forward and sustainable financing

On 20 April, UNODC and Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (CARICC) organized a high-level online donor conference.

The conference brought together officials from the ministries of foreign and internal affairs of Kazakhstan, ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions of 26 states, representatives of the donor community and international organizations, CARICC and UNODC to discuss the way forward and sustainable financing to enable CARICC to execute its mandates to the benefit of the Member States and the wider international community.

In her opening address, Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative to Central Asia, affirmed: “I reiterate the UNODC’s support for CARICC, a regional law enforcement center of international repute, one of the UNODC’s flagship projects in the world which some other regions are now seeking to emulate. I am confident that the intellectual vigor afforded in this forum of such eminence will bear fruit in ensuring CARICC remains financially viable and operationally efficient and adept at meeting the high expectations of the Member States and the international partners. I urge the donor partners to extend support to this unique organization.”

Mr. Akan Rakhmetullin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Arystangani Zapparov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, expressed their full support to CARICC. Kazakhstan’s commitment to international counternarcotics cooperation was reaffirmed and the leading role of CARICC consolidating the joint efforts of seven participating states and 17 observer countries was highlighted.

Mr. Rustam Aziz Miralizoda, Director of CARICC, enunciated the financial position of CARICC and implored the international community for their support to ensure the financial viability of CARICC. He noted that over the years, CARICC had become an organization that provided an effective platform for coordination of counternarcotics efforts.

There was a lively exchange of views from the participants who accepted the utility of CARICC as a regional center of excellence for the international community in collective efforts against drug trafficking, associated transnational organized crime and terrorism.

“Whereas the international community takes stock of what support it can lend to CARICC, the organized criminal and terrorist networks continue to conduct their nefarious activities, exploiting the impact of COVID-19, and so it is absolutely crucial for us all to double efforts to strategically counteract this by further bolstering CARICC, a pre-eminent international entity, to develop and conduct regional and inter-regional intelligence-based operations,” said Mr. Naweed Riaz, Head of UNODC Programme Office in Kazakhstan who moderated the conference, in his concluding remarks.

The framework agreement on the establishment of CARICC came into force on 22 March 2009. Currently, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are its Member States. The negotiations on Afghanistan and Turkey’s joining the organization are under way. CARICC serves as a permanently operating interstate agency that assists in organizing, undertaking and coordinating agreed joint international operations to combat illicit drug trafficking. The Centre also ensures the collection, storage, protection, analysis, and exchange of information on trans-border crime associated with illicit drug trafficking.

 

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For further information, please contact:

Nurangez Abdulhamidova

Communication and External Relations Officer

UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia (Dushanbe)

Email: nurangez.abdulhamidova[at]un.org