100 senior and mid-ranking officials from Bangladesh Police engaged in focused discussions to refine the national community policing strategy and develop a communications framework. Building on a UNODC-led needs assessment, they identified gaps, proposed action points, and strengthened coordination mechanisms to integrate grassroots policing with counterterrorism efforts.
Through a set of two intensive workshops in Male and Colombo, 15 officers of the Maldives Customs Service and 18 customs officials from Sri Lanka Customs were trained on specialised X-Ray image analysis. The trainings helped boost the practical skills of participants in interpreting X-ray images and applying advanced techniques to detect concealment methods.
In partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka, 20 criminal justice officials were trained to strengthen data collection and analysis on trafficking in persons. The workshop introduced participants to the International Classification for Administrative Data on Trafficking in Persons (IC-TIP)-a global standard developed by UNODC and IOM to enhance data quality and comparability. The workshop enhanced national capacity on producing quality, comparable TIP data to inform policy, improve governance, and support effective responses.
Bangladesh: Reimagining police and criminal justice institutions
UNODC and the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) convened two high-level dialogues in Dhaka on police modernisation and professionalisation, and on accessible and effective criminal justice systems. Experts discussed international standards and best practices to address shortcomings in police and criminal justice institutions, as identified by reform commissions established by the interim Government. Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Bangladesh emphasized the government’s intent to implement urgent action.
On 26 June, UNODC joined partners in observing the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.This year’s campaign called for investment in prevention--including justice, education, health care and alternative livelihoods—to break the cycle of organized crime, violence, poverty and drug dependence.
India: Committing to RiseUp4Peace, students lead efforts to promote peace, health and safety
Joining hands with UNODC’s RiseUp4Peace, students from schools across West Bengal voiced their ideas and thoughts at a virtual assembly on World Drug Day, hosted by Funlish Language School. Together, they reflected on peace, health and safety, championing grassroot actions to promote the Global Goals.
Nepal: Engaging communities to build awareness against substance use and stigma
In Nepal, the Ministry of Home Affairs convened over 1,000 people on World Drug Day to raise awareness against stigma, with support of UNODC and partners. Chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs, the event emphasised collective efforts to invest in prevention and break the cycle.
A new era of global instability has intensified challenges in addressing the world drug problem, empowering organised crime groups and pushing drug use to historically high levels, according to the UNODC World Drug Report 2025 launched on 26 June. Among its many findings, the report notes that cocaine traffickers are breaking into new markets across Asia and outlines many other important developments globally.
316 million people used a drug (excluding alcohol and tobacco) in 2023, or six per cent of the population aged between 15 and 64, compared to 5.2 per cent of the population in 2013. With 244 million users, cannabis remains the most widely used drug, followed by opioids (61 million), amphetamines (30.7 million), cocaine (25 million) and ecstasy (21 million).
Global cocaine market breaking its own records
Production, seizures, and use of cocaine all hit new highs in 2023, making cocaine the world’s fastest-growing illicit drug market. Illegal production skyrocketed to 3,708 tons, nearly 34 per cent more than in 2022. Global cocaine seizures reached a record high at 2,275– a 68 per cent rise over 2019-2023. Use of cocaine, meanwhile, has grown from 17 million users in 2013 to 25 million users in 2023.
Synthetic drug market continues to expand
Due to factors like low operational costs and reduced risks of detection, the synthetic drug market continues to expand globally, dominated by Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) like methamphetamine and amphetamine (including “captagon”). Seizures of ATS reached a record high in 2023 and accounted for almost half of all global seizures of synthetic drugs, followed by synthetic opioids, including fentanyl.
Cannabis use continues to increase; high among adolescents
Almost 244 million people, or 4.6 per cent of those aged between 15 and 64, are estimated to have used cannabis in 2023. At 4.4 per cent, the prevalence of past-year cannabis use among young people aged 15 and 16 was almost at the same level. Around 1 in every 10 people who use cannabis develop a cannabis use disorder, with an estimated 22.6 million people, or 0.44 per cent of the global population, having such a disorder in 2021.
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Our Partners
Our activities in South Asia are possible
due to the generous support of:
Canada
European Union
Germany
India
Japan
Joint UN Program Fund
Norway
Sweden
Portugal
United Kingdom
United States of America
UBRAF/UNAIDS
Government Partners:
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Call for Partnerships:
Impacting Lives with Innovation
Advancing Crime Prevention, Justice and Health in South AsiaUNODC Regional Office for South Asia has developed a wide range of projects and initiatives on the following thematic areas:
-Building law enforcement capacities against drugs and organised crime
-Addressing drug use and HIV/AIDS -Enhancing multi-stakeholder responses to counter Trafficking in Persons -Engaging young people and educators on crime prevention, integrity, Global Goals and peace with educational interventions
-Promoting family skills to reduce risky behaviours among young people -Countering corruption -Addressing Gender-based Violence
-Strengthening responses to prevent and counter wildlife crime
-Countering cybercrime and promoting online safety
We seek activesupport to enable the implementation of these programs and to scale-up efforts to promote security, justice and health among vulnerable groups in South Asia. Our partnerships aim at building national and regional alliances on our mandates, which are closely linked to national, regional and global priorities as well as the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Let's join hands to enable and aid large-scale and impactful initiatives that help people lead safer and healthier lives . Your support can make all the difference!
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) assists Member States in their efforts to combat illicit drugs and international crime. Over the past two decades, the UNODC Regional Office for South Asia(ROSA) has been working with governments and civil society in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, providing specialized assistance to address challenges pertaining to drugs, organised crime, security, justice and health. The commitment to Sustainable Development Goals, human rights and the rule of law is at the core of our mandate.
Contact Us
C-97 (Ground Floor), Defence Colony, New Delhi-110024, India
Email: samarth.pathak@un.org
