Press Release
High Level Meeting of Partners for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries on 14 December
The High Level Meeting of Partners for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries was held in Vienna, Austria on 14 December 2015. It was chaired by the Minister of Counter Narcotics of Afghanistan H.E. Mrs. Salamat Azimi and co-chaired by the UNODC Executive Director Mr. Yuri Fedotov and the UNAMA (UNDPA) Special Representative for the Secretary-General Mr. Nicholas Haysom.
122 people from 36 countries and international organizations attended the meeting, of which 16 regional partners along with international stakeholders, donors' communities, and regional organizations presented their strategic work aimed to build regional cooperation, combat transnational organized crime and support sustainable development goals in West and Central Asia. The meeting successfully addressed the security, economic, governance and development challenges in Afghanistan and generated an opportunity to review status and to provide a platform to agree on effective actions and responses.
In this context, Mr Fedotov, Director General, noted in his welcoming speech that,
"We need to recognize that action against the world drug problem remains a common and shared responsibility that requires effective and increased international and regional cooperation with a focus on an integrated, multidisciplinary, mutually reinforcing and balanced approach addressing both supply and demand reduction sides".
At the meeting's core of discussion stood Afghanistan, particularly the pivotal function of its new National Drug Control Action Plan, introduced by the Minister of Counter Narcotics of Afghanistan H.E. Mrs Salamat Azimi, which features a prominent regional cooperation and cohesive action plan to counter illicit production trafficking and reducing demands as well as supporting sustainable development in Afghanistan and its Neighbouring Countries.
UNODC developed a harmonized approach to support South Eastern Europe, West and Central Asia with interventions at three distinct yet closely inter-connected levels: country, regional and inter-regional. It remains committed to supporting Member States, including Country, Regional and Global Programmes, amongst which at the High Level Meeting of Partners of Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries newly signed Country Partnership Programme for (the I. R. of) Iran (2015-2019).