Director-General/Executive Director
Mr. Chair,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Congratulations on reaching the end of this milestone session of the CND and on completing this important mid-term review of international drug commitments.
You’ve had a busy week filled with gruelling discussions that often stretched late into the night.
You engaged in over 27 informal consultations and 8 sessions of the Committee of the Whole, and negotiated for over 200 hours on the outcome document.
It has been a long journey indeed since the 2019 Ministerial Declaration was adopted, and five years later, this high-level segment has proven that the CND remains the main convening body to discuss drug-related matters.
This year, the Commission brought together a record-breaking 2,500 participants, and it filled me with great pride and gratitude to see so many faces filling these conference rooms with energy, passion, and enthusiasm.
We heard 293 statements in the general debate, including from 120 Member States, more than 30 ministerial level representatives, and a deputy head of state.
We were honoured to welcome the President of the General Assembly, showing engagement at the highest level of the UN to addressing the world drug problem.
We held over 170 side-events – another record number for this Commission – and 33 exhibitions. I was privileged to attend many of these events, where I spoke on priority topics such as alternative development, synthetic drugs, the need to close the global health divide, and more.
These engagements reconfirmed the importance of our work and of multilateralism, not just here in Vienna but also in the field, where we have the greatest impact and where we are needed most.
We also had 35 determined young changemakers from 27 countries deliver an important statement calling for a healthier and brighter future.
We had high-level representatives from UN system partners and the scientific community.
We continued our constructive engagement with civil society, with over 600 representatives from more than 140 NGOs bringing diverse and vital perspectives. And I always appreciate the opportunity to engage in this positive dialogue with civil society organizations from across the spectrum which enriches our work.
This incredible, high-level turnout underscores the importance and relevance of the issues that we are here to discuss.
And I use this opportunity to thank our dedicated language professionals who worked tirelessly and with utmost professionalism to interpret over 80 hours of meetings, and edited and translated over 245 pages of documents in all six official UN languages.
Excellencies,
This has indeed been a challenging week, marked by lengthy and often difficult discussions on complex issues.
At times, these discussions have resulted in division, including a vote on two of this year’s resolutions.
Nevertheless, this high-level session spoke to a fundamental truth of this Commission: that even in times of division and fractures, we can find common ground and collective resolve.
The outcome document that you adopted at the opening session embodies that resolve.
And I would like to echo a sentiment expressed by several Member States this evening that we need to stay committed to the Vienna spirit.
The outcome document symbolizes your determination to accelerate the implementation of international drug-related commitments over the next five years, for the health, safety, and well-being of all humanity.
It recognizes, too, that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and effectively addressing the world drug problem are complementary and mutually reinforcing aspirations.
You have also adopted four resolutions on important substantive matters, and I would like to commend you, Ambassador Johnson, for leading this challenging session of the Commission with poise, patience, and persistence.
I would also like to thank Ambassador Barbara Žvokelj of Slovenia, for confidently guiding the Committee of the Whole.
And I would like to thank my team, the staff of the Secretariat, for their tireless efforts over the past weeks and months to make this session a success.
We must not let all this hard work go to waste.
The clock is now ticking as we look towards the coming five years and the next review of international commitments in 2029.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This mid-term review came at a critical moment for global drug challenges.
I said in my opening remarks that this is very much a time for action.
In this regard, I was delighted to see so much positive engagement with the Chair’s Pledge 4 Action initiative, and I commend the 66 countries that have made pledges.
Today, I am proud to announce that I will be adding my voice to yours, by making UNODC’s own pledge for action.
Over the coming years, UNODC pledges to support a paradigm shift towards much stronger drug prevention frameworks, with a focus on children and adolescents, as well as those who are in settings of vulnerability.
We will strive to provide tools, promote best practices, and encourage far greater investment in prevention, at the national and international levels.
And as we close the 67th session – I add the 67th Pledge made at this session – UNODC pledges to continue its high-quality support for the CND as the world’s principal policy-making body on drug-related issues.
Thank you, and I wish you all a safe journey home.