World Drug Report 2023 and Paris Pact Initiative presented to the International Community in Serbia

30 June 2023, Belgrade, Serbia: On the occasion of the World Drug Day, the Paris Pact Liaison Officer presented the findings of the UNODC World Drug Report (WDR) 2023 and provided an update on the Paris Pact Initiative and its activities to the police liaison officers from embassies and representatives from international organizations based in Belgrade.

The participants were briefed on the latest developments related to the synthetic drug phenomenon and how it relates to the trade of other narcotics, the regulatory approaches to herbal cannabis for medical use and the nexus between drugs and crime in the Amazon basin. Emerging trends in South-Eastern Europe, such as the increasing roles of the Adriatic ports and Balkan-based criminal groups in cocaine trafficking and the flows of both Afghan-based heroin and methamphetamine along the Balkan Route were also discussed and the latest operational developments shared.

Additionally, an overview on the Paris Pact Initiative was provided, as well as on the four Pillars of the Vienna Declaration, the Paris Pact’s consultative mechanism and the network of the Paris Pact field-based Liaison Officers. The outcomes of the latest Paris Pact Expert Working Group meetings were presented highlighting the practical value of the operational priority recommendations with a focus on the most recent recommendations on preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals (Pillar III). Finally, the participants were familiarized with the Paris Pact web portal where the Country Fact Sheets can be consulted after registration (www.paris-pact.net).