Director General/Executive Director
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to start by thanking the Regional Programme partner countries for their active engagement in its implementation, and for participating in this third Steering Committee Meeting.
And I would like to welcome the external partners present from the donor community and thank them for their financial and political support to the Regional Programme.
Your continuous commitment and support is essential, and I hope other members of the donor community will join us in this regional response to addressing the threats stemming from the cultivation, production and trafficking of drugs from Afghanistan.
The drug trade remains a clear and present threat to the security, development and well-being of Afghanistan and its neighbours, and it is essential that we intensify counter-narcotics efforts on the basis of shared responsibility.
2014 is a critical year for Afghanistan and the region as a whole, and UNODC is committed to supporting the post-2014 transition and helping to ensure that counter-narcotics is given high priority in security, economic development and regional processes.
In this regard, I would like to highlight the critical importance of the synergies between the Paris Pact Initiative and the Regional Programme. The Paris Pact promotes dialogue to define policy and strategic directions, while the Regional Programme aims at operationalizing these in the context of existing regional cooperation initiatives, including the Istanbul Process.
The Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries is a key component of UNODC's inter-regional approach, which connects UNODC initiatives for the regions affected by drugs from Afghanistan, including West and Central Asia, South-Eastern Europe, the Gulf region and East Africa.
This inter-regional approach aims to foster enhanced exchange of intelligence, upgraded training capacities, more effective action against drug-related financial flows and money laundering, and expanded maritime cooperation.
Since its launch in December 2011, the Regional Programme has stimulated new law enforcement cooperation initiatives, including:
Tangible outcomes have been achieved as a result, including, among other successes:
I would like to commend all the countries involved for these results, and emphasize that it is of vital importance that we further strengthen cooperation among the 8 countries of the region.
I hope we can rely on the sustained support of the donor countries and the active involvement of the international community.
Thank you.