Capacity-Building for Effective Law Enforcement -

Pakistan's Side Event at 59th Session of the Commission on Narcotics Drugs (CND)  

Vienna, 17 March 2016. A special event entitled 'Capacity-Building for Effective Law Enforcement' was jointly hosted by the Government of Pakistan and the UNODC Country Office Pakistan, on the margins of the 59 th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. 

Mr. Cesar Guedes, Representative UNODC Country Office Pakistan, moderated the event; Mr. Yury Fedotov, Under Secretary General and Executive Director UNODC and Mr. Ajaz Ali Khan,   Secretary Narcotics Control Division, Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, Government of Pakistan, co-chaired. Mr. Alexander Schmidt, Chief Regional Section for Europe, West & Central Asia and Representative for South Eastern Europe; Brigadier Muhammad Basharat Tahir Malik,  Deputy Director General Anti Narcotics Force, Government of Pakistan; and other high level delegates were also present, together with several country delegates and representatives of international organizations attending the CND.  

While delivering his opening statement, Mr. Fedotov thanked the Government of Pakistan for maintaining close collaboration with UNODC on all matters of mutual interest. He emphasized the importance of raising Pakistan's operational capacity to effectively address the challenges of drug trafficking emanating from the region, saying that 'We need to continue building effective international and regional cooperation, with a focus on integrated, multidisciplinary, mutually reinforcing, and balanced approaches addressing both supply and demand reduction.' 

In his keynote address, Mr. Ajaz Ali Khan thanked the participants, and stated that 'Today's event is an important opportunity for the international community to learn more about the challenges the ANF and the Narcotics Control Division face, as well as the advances Pakistan has made in increasing drug seizures and strengthening precursor control and international cooperation…We thank UNODC for its contribution to supporting Pakistan in achieving high standards in the counter-narcotics drive.'

Brigadier Basharat Tahir Malik made a comprehensive presentation covering the Government of Pakistan's narcotics control strategy, focussing on ANF's operational achievements and its strong commitment to maintaining a close relationship with international partners including UNODC. He stated, 'As you know, the security and counter-narcotics situation in the region remains extremely challenging. Addressing the problems posed by illicit drug production and trafficking remains a responsibility shared by the international community. This special event has highlighted the ongoing partnership between UNODC and the Government of Pakistan, while underlining the evolution of a combined counter-narcotics strategy based on international best practices.' 

Concluding the event, Mr. Cesar Guedes reaffirmed UNODC Pakistan's own commitment to the maintenance of close partnership with the Government of Pakistan in these words: 'UNODC's capacity building of the ANF is a part of its Country Programme, and is expected to have a greater impact in Pakistan and the wider region through fostering national and international interagency cooperation. Taking this opportunity, I would like to recall the human toll of Pakistan's strong resolve against drug trafficking and transnational organised crime, and the sacrifices in the line of duty of those law enforcement officials who were killed or wounded during various operations against armed traffickers.'

The ANF seized 360 tons of narcotics during 2015, a record achievement since the organization's inception. The recovered drugs and precursors were worth approximately USD 2.5 billion in the international market. The country delegates and representatives of various international organizations attending this special event commended the joint efforts of UNODC and ANF in combating this scourge affecting the region as well as the world at large.