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CND Special Event: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – Member States' Launch of the 2026 UNODC World Drug Report — Economic and Social Council — 26 June 2026
Language: en
Automatically generated transcript — may contain errors. Not an official United Nations record.

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UNODC · Anja [1:47]:

No.— and in particularly the ARQ focal points for their invaluable contributions on this. This year We also conducted, not for the first time, but it's quite unique, we conducted fieldwork to complement the analysis presented in the World Drug Report thematic chapter on the impact of drug use on safety and security. And we hope with this to bring the voices of those affected also to the World Drug Report. Also, in this case, I would like to extend a special thanks to the countries and UNODC colleagues in the field offices who supported this effort. And finally, because I want to keep it short, I would like to express my appreciation to my colleagues in the Research and Trend Analysis Branch, and in particular to Ms. Chloé Carpentier, who led the development of this year's World Drug Report. Supported by a dedicated team of statisticians, data analysts, and researchers who are with us here today. They are mostly at the back of this room. Thank you very much all for the great effort. This is the end of my introduction. Ms. Chloé Carpentier will then present to you the findings of the World Drug Report. Thank you.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [49:56]:

Thank you. Now I have a pleasure to invite Ms. Chloé Carpenter, Chief of Research and Knowledge Production Section of the UNODC Research and Analysis Branch, to present the key findings of the report. Please, you have the floor.


UNODC · Chief, Research and Knowledge Production Section · Chloé Carpentier [50:12]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. So I will provide you with a very brief overview of some of the main findings. Of the World Drug Report. Do you hear me? No? Yeah? Yeah, okay. So let me start. So we estimate that we have about 331 million people who are using drugs in 2024. This is 34% more than 10 years ago because there is an increase in drug use, but also because we have better data, and because also mechanically, because there is population growth. Now, most of these people are using cannabis, that the second most used drug is opioids. Adolescence is a critical period when the brain is still developing, as you know, and drug use in adolescence can have long-lasting effects on cognition, emotions, behaviors. Yet this is also a period when drug use is initiated, actually, and the earlier the initiation, the higher the risk. Here you can see that actually adolescents use quite a lot of drugs.— to levels that are comparable to those in adults. The good news is that in some high-income countries, and also a bit wider in European countries, there has been now for a few years a decrease in the use of cannabis. We don't really know why there is this decrease. There are a number of reasons that have been put forward. One of them is that, of course, cannabis is competing with a number of other products. Another one is that young people are spending a lot of time online. And also, so less time together, perhaps to smoke cannabis together. And also we see that is an increase in the risk, the perception of the risk of cannabis among young people. So this also may be a reason why there is a decrease in adolescent use of cannabis in these countries. We still have about 3 times more men than women who use drugs. Men start using drugs younger.. But women progress towards dependence much faster. And actually the motivations for starting using drugs are different. In men we are talking about mostly sensation seeking and peer pressure, whereas in women it's mostly about self-medication for pain but also for mental health issues. There are much— many more men who use— who inject drugs. But women, when they inject drugs, they are 20% more likely to be living with HIV than men. Altogether, women are much more— have a much higher burden of health and social consequences due to drug use. They are much more affected by stigma, social stigma and moral judgment, and they have much less access to treatment. So not everyone who uses a drug will end up— will end up drug dependent or drug use disorders, but some do. And actually, we estimate that 63 million people are suffering from drug use disorders. Only 8% of them have access or limited access to drug treatment. And you see here that actually, among women, the proportion of those who have access to treatment is twice less, even less than twice less, or more than twice less than among men. We estimate that 14 million people are injecting drugs in 2024. 1/8 of them are living with HIV and half of them are living with hepatitis C. And actually injecting drug use continues to be a significant driver of the global hepatitis C epidemic. And when we look at deaths, which is the graph on the, on the right, you see that out of about half a million of death related to drugs that we have every year, at least in the last 2 years, 2/3 of these deaths are related to the result of infectious disease among drug users, and most of them are the result of cirrhosis and other liver diseases from hepatitis C, actually. And 1/3 of these deaths— 172,000 actually in 2023— were overdoses, mostly opioid overdoses. So as Anja mentioned, this year we dedicated a specific, a special, a specific chapter, yes, to the issue of the impact of drug use on safety and security. And we showed that drug use can be associated with acquisitive crime, with violence within the family and also within the community, and also to victimization by drug users, but also of people who use drugs. But what is very important to highlight is that this association is not determined That means that not everyone who is using a drug will end up committing or be the victim of crime or violence. Actually, it depends on a lot of individual situations and factors. It depends on the context of drug use. It depends on whether the people involved are in situations of poverty, homelessness, also whether they are suffering from mental health issues. And it depends also on contextual, social, and policy environments. Including, for example, whether they are in an environment which is ridden by violence, a lot of stigma, whether there is access or not to, uh, to health and social care services. As you know, and too recently, Afghanistan was the main source of opiates worldwide, and since 2023, there has been a drastic decline in the— in the production of opiates in Afghanistan, the production of opium, there was a 95% decline in 2023 as a result of a ban on drug production in the country. Now, since then, a few other countries have increased a bit their production of opium, but as you see here on the graph, not to the level to compensate for the drastic decline in the supply from Afghanistan. So we estimate that the stocks of opiates from Afghanistan, in and around the country, will last until the end of the year. So we expect a major shortage next year already in destination markets, I mean in the region, but also further away. We already see signs of this shortage with increases in prices, also in the region and also a bit further away. But the major, I think, concern is that— the market for opiates from Afghanistan will be basically replaced by synthetic opioids. I'm here referring to fentanyls, but also to methazines and orphans. Some of them are extremely potent, and we have already seen, for example, quite large increases in the seizures of methazines in Western and Central Europe, which is a major market for Afghan opiates, and also hundreds of deaths also in the same subregion. So we still have the two opioid crises, the one in North America around the fentanyl. Here there is a bit of hope. It seems that after many, many years of increase, after nearly 1 million deaths related to synthetic opioids in both Canada and the United States, there is for the first time in 2024, there was a decline. In this, in the death in both countries. So we need to see whether it will be sustained, of course, across next years. And there is also the opioid crisis, which is affecting some sub-regions in Africa around the non-medical use of tramadol. So here it's a falsified tramadol that is basically contain— that is different from the one that is in the medical supply chain., and which actually contain often twice more— it's twice more potent than— or more psychoactive substance than the one from the medical supply chain. But the main issue, I mean, or the main worry or concern regarding synthetic opioid markets is the arrival on the global market of— I mentioned them just before— of nitazenes and orphans. So they are new synthetic opioids. Some are not controlled yet, that are often more potent than fentanyl, and they have led to a number of acute emergencies and also fatal overdoses, and in a much more diverse set of countries. In the special point of interest, you will see a map where you have all the regions and countries where these methazenes have been reported. Meanwhile, the availability of pharmaceutical opioids for pain management and palliative care remains extremely low in most low- and middle-income countries, despite some progress in the past decades, but from very low levels, actually. And in some high-income countries, actually, the availability may even outstrip the actual needs. Barriers to access, it has been mentioned before, remain. I mean, there are a number of barriers, but perhaps the The main three are, of course, issues of cost and sourcing, but also lack of training of healthcare professionals, and also fear of addiction. I mean, following the opioid crisis in North America, there's been a lot of concern in other countries. So the cocaine market— the cocaine market continues to expand. The manufacture of cocaine has never been so high. It has multiplied by nearly 5, I think, in the last 10 years because of an increase in the area under cultivation, but also because of an increase in productivity. We see some shifts in trafficking, interestingly, in Western and Central Europe. So Western and Central Europe is the second largest market for the drug after North America and before South America. We see shifts from large ports on the North Sea,— so trafficking to or through these large ports— to smaller ports where interdiction may be less, actually, and also to countries a bit more south in this subregion. We also see an expansion of use. We see more harmful use, for example— patterns of use, for example, the use of crack cocaine in Western and Central Europe, but not only. Also in West Africa. West Africa has been used as a transit area for the cocaine going to Europe from South America. Now for many years, since 2019 actually, and some markets have developed a spillover there. And there is also some signs of emerging markets in, in other regions in Asia. The methamphetamine market is also expanding. In this case, I would say geographically. So the, the three main traditional markets for methamphetamine have been for long that of North America, but also East and Southeast Asia, and in Oceania, the sub-region of Australia and New Zealand. But now we see that methamphetamine can be found everywhere, and so the, the drug has reached global ubiquity. Uh, Captagon. So Captagon is an illicit, uh, manufactured, uh, illicitly manufactured product which contains amphetamine The market of this drug has grown with the conflict in Syria. It was used on the battlefield, but it also found a large market in the Gulf countries for many years. And until now, the drug was manufactured in the country, but also across the border, for example, in Lebanon. And since the end of the conflict at the end of 2024, and also the change of government,— there is a disruption of this, of the manufacture of Captagon. Very big labs have been seized, also storage facilities. Seizures are soaring. Why? Because basically traffickers want to liquidate the stocks that they have. And what we see also in this region, in the Middle East, is a methamphetamine market that is more and more entrenched. We see an uptick in both the supply and the use of methamphetamine. And especially we see that in some groups of people, some young people, there is also some that are switching from the use of Captagon to the use of methamphetamine. But they are both amphetamine-type stimulants, so the effect on the central nervous system is quite similar. Ketamine. So ketamine is another drug. So ketamine is a pharmaceutical drug, actually, which is not under international control, and that is used mainly as an anesthetic, but not only, and widely in the world. Now, but there is ketamine, that falsified ketamine, that was illicitly produced and still illicitly produced, which main market was in East and Southeast Asia. For decades, with ups and downs, I would say. Now, this market is in expansion, too, but what we see since a few years now is a geographical expansion of the supply, the trafficking of the drug. And you see here, so there are many more countries and many more regions that report the seizures of ketamine. So it's not always ketamine that is produced, for example, in Western and Central Europe. The drug is actually diverted from the medical supply chain at some point during importation. And there, there is really, I mean, the use is increasing, especially among young people, to the point that in some cities they have set up specialized ketamine clinics to treat the urological complications that arise when one is using too much ketamine. So to this point, and this is quite recent. New psychoactive substances. So traffickers continue to innovate on this front. In 2024, we had a record high of NPS. So NPS are the drugs that are not under international control but may present a threat that is similar to drugs that are controlled. So there is a lot of them. A lot of— most of them are synthetic. Their use is very risky. I think it's very important to mention that there are a lot of acute episodes of harm that have been reported and fatal overdoses. But altogether, to date, the aggregated harm remains contained because the use is still lower than any other controlled drug. And on my last slide, I just wanted to highlight a bit the diversification of the drug markets. So markets have become extremely complex. They are characterized by a lot of changes. There's a lot of avenues for traffickers to supply drugs to consumers, including through social media. And there is also a very large range of drug products that are available. So we have now 5 times more drug types that are being seized than in 2000. So just to explain a bit the extent, to illustrate the extent, dealers and traffickers are targeting potential consumers, especially young people, with snappy branding, with new products, and also with new forms of product. We see a lot of drug mixtures which contain a number of different products, drugs, etc. And some of them you may have heard in your regions, others not. And even those who have heard, the content may vary according to the place and the time. So this is not really fixed. And many users, they actually do not know what they are ingesting, and they don't know the multiple substances that they are ingesting, which complicates, of course, the task of the first health responders when there is an emergency. So this is the end of my presentation. You received today the special point of interest, which is printed and which offers you— provides you with the key data and the key estimates at global level, and also some narrative about the main takeaways of the report. Online, you can have access to The Highlight, which provides you with a series of topical analysis on different, I would say, key developments which refer to the global drug market. And there is also, of course, the thematic chapter. And there is also what we call the drug market trends and patterns. And this basically offers more than 400 visualizations, so graphs, maps, tables about the trends and the patterns in demand and supply and according to different drugs, different regions and sub-regions. Thank you very much.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:08:12]:

Thank you very much. We will now turn to pre-registered interventions from the floor. Is limited to 2 minutes. I kindly ask speakers to keep within the time limit so we can hear from as many voices as possible. And my intention is to first give the floor to INCB because they are in session now and they have to leave to continue their work there. So please, Professor Sevil Atasoy, you have the floor. Thank you very much.


INCB · President · Sevil Atasoy [1:08:45]:

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, it's an honor to join you today.

I congratulate the Chair of the Commission, His Excellency Ambassador Hofkani-Chan, for convening this important event. And on behalf of INCB, I congratulate Ms. Juma and the staff of UNODC on the launch of the 2026 World Drug Report. On this International Day Against Drug Abuse, on drug use and illicit trafficking, we reiterate that the world drug problem remains both persistent and rapidly evolving. As reflected in the 2026 World Drug Report, long-standing challenges are compounded by the proliferation of synthetic drugs, the exploitation of digital platforms, and increasingly complex trafficking networks. The international drug control conventions continue to guide us with a clear goal: safeguarding the health and welfare of humankind. INCB remains committed to supporting member states in implementing these conventions through dialogue, monitoring, and cooperation with governments. We work to promote balanced implementation, ensuring availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes while preventing diversion and misuse. We also support countries in strengthening their national control systems and in addressing emerging challenges in line with the shared responsibility that underpins the international drug control system.

We must continue to pursue balanced, health-centered responses grounded in cooperation Innovation and human rights.

Together we can build safer, healthier societies for all. Thank you very much.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:10:48]:

Thank you. Next on my list is European Union, and we have two speakers here. His Excellency Ambassador Karl Halligan, to be followed by Ms. Lorraine Nolan, Executive Director of the European Union Drug Agency. Please, Ambassador.


EU · EU · Ambassador · Karl Halligan [1:11:07]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Madam Executive Director, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. It's my honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states on this International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, and Ukraine aligned themselves with this statement. The European Union and its member states thank the research branch of UNODC for the presentation of the 2026 World Drug Report. This flagship report is an irreplaceable data source for the international community. Every year, it provides a solid evidence base for our global response to the drug phenomenon. The report highlights that the widespread availability of illicit drugs is having an increasingly negative impact on health and safety, particularly novel substances for which scientific and public understanding of the risks remains limited. Additionally, drugs can cause serious harm to the environment. The drug situation is causing serious challenges in the EU. Opioids and stimulants, usually in combination with other substances, remain the leading cause of drug-induced deaths in Europe. The EUDA, the European Union Drugs Agency, estimates that there were at least 7,600 overdose fatalities in the EU in 2024. Drug-related intimidation and violence remain a concern, including the exploitation and recruitment of vulnerable young people by criminal groups. Drug-related crime has become a source of growing insecurity in several European cities. In this context, multilateralism and international cooperation in the field of drugs through the CND and with UNODC, in collaboration with other relevant UN agencies and entities, is more important than ever. We remain committed to the implementation of the outcome of the 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem, as well as to the implementation of the complemented UN Guiding Principles on Alternative Development as adopted by this year's Commission. Mr. Chair, the European Union and its member states, guided by the new EU Drug Strategy and Action Plan Against Drug Trafficking, address the drug situation through an evidence-based, integrated, balanced, multidisciplinary, multidisciplinary and human rights-centered approach. We are committed to deepening cooperation with partner countries and organizations, particularly those along key trafficking routes, in the fight against drug trafficking and the criminal organizations behind it, to address its devastating health, social, and security consequences. We promote a human rights-based and gender-responsive approach to reduce the harms associated with non-medical drug use. This approach ensures full compliance with international human rights law, including the principles of, of equality and non-discrimination for vulnerable and marginalized persons while advancing sustainable development. The European Union remains deeply concerned about the dramatic increase in the application of the death penalty for drug-related offenses in recent years. We would like to strongly reaffirm our unequivocal opposition to the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances. And recall the importance of the international guidelines on human rights and drug policy in this regard. We call on member states to implement measures that aim to address the root causes of drug trafficking instead. The European Union and its member states are committed to strengthening their strategic cooperation with UNODC. Today, this morning, the UNODC and the European Union Drugs Agency signed a working arrangement We believe that this new framework will increase cooperation in key areas and help deliver a more coordinated international response to the evolving drug situation. With your permission, Mr. Chair, I would like to briefly hand over the floor to Ms. Lorraine Nolan, Executive Director of the EU Drugs Agency, to elaborate further on this new FRAG. And thank you very much for joining us today, Lorraine.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:15:23]:

Please.


EUDA · Executive Director · Lorraine Nolan [1:15:24]:

Thank you, Ambassador, Chair, Excellencies. Good morning, Excellencies and distinguished colleagues. It is an honor to join you today for the launch of the World Drug Report. And as you have heard, I am particularly pleased this morning the European Union Drugs Agency and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime signed a new working arrangement.

This is an important milestone in our cooperation, reaffirming our common commitment to addressing drug-related challenges through evidence, partnership and shared responsibility.

It also builds on a long-standing and proactive cooperation between our organizations, which has been successfully implemented over many years under a Memorandum of Understanding, which has laid a solid foundation of both trust and collaboration.

The arrangement provides a structured framework for cooperation across a number of areas, including data exchange, early warning, new psychoactive substances, drug demand reduction, and civil society engagement. But today's signature is not just about formalizing cooperation. It is about creating practical mechanisms to help us work better together and delivering greater value to countries.

A key priority moving forward will be cooperation on data exchange and research.

Together, we want to reduce unnecessary necessary reporting burdens, improve coherence between our monitoring systems, and support European Union member states in providing relevant information to the United Nations system in an efficient and coordinated manner. And this is essential if we want to strengthen the global evidence base while making the best use of our national resources.

We also look forward to strengthening our ongoing collaboration on early warning systems and emerging threats.

As you have heard, drug markets continue to evolve rapidly, making timely information sharing, risk assessment, and preparedness more important than it has ever been before.

By bringing together our respective expertise and networks, we can better support countries in identifying and also responding to new risks. Another important priority is drug demand reduction.

Through our cooperation, Including work linked to the Scale-Up Initiative, we aim to support the dissemination of evidence-based prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery approaches, ensuring that knowledge is translated into practical action and better outcomes for communities. Finally, both organizations recognize the importance of meaningful engagement with civil society.

Stronger cooperation in this area will help in ensure that policies and interventions remain informed by the experience of those who work closest to the affected communities.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the UNODC Executive Director, Ms. Monika Juma, the UNODC Chief of Drugs, Laboratories and Scientific Services Branch, Dr.

Justice Teti, and the teams of both organizations for their constructive collaboration.

We very much look We look forward to translating today's signature into concrete results that strengthen preparedness, improve knowledge, and support effective responses to drug-related challenges worldwide.


Chair [1:18:37]:

Thank you. Thank you. Next on my list is Australia, also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand. Ambassador Jan Beeks, you have the floor, please.


Australia · CANZ · Ambassador · Jan Beeks [1:18:57]:

Thank you, Chair. The countries of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand thank the UNODC Secretariat for the official launch of the 2026 World Drug Report. This year's World Drug Day theme, "World Drug Problems: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses," aptly captures both the persistence of longstanding multifaceted challenges and the rapid evolution of the global drug landscape. Harms associated with substance abuse remain deeply entrenched, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations while organized criminal networks continue to adapt and expand their reach. It is also important to recognize that drug trafficking harms go beyond the drugs themselves enabling organized crime to profit and inflict further suffering on our communities and to undermine domestic and international security. The report points to concerning regional trends, including the expansion of methamphetamine markets in the Indo-Pacific and in North America, the continued harms from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and emergence —of nitrosines and orphines. Of particular concern is the trafficking of drugs into the Pacific, including through emerging methods such as semi-submersible vessels, which underscores the growing vulnerability of Pacific Island countries and the wider region. These developments demand responses that are agile, innovative, grounded in evidence,, and in compliance with international law. CANZ emphasizes the importance of focusing efforts on what works, approaches that are evidence-based and gender responsive, that reduce harm and safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of our communities. Encouragingly, 83% of reporting countries have established alternatives to conviction or punishment for drug use offences. This reflects a growing recognition of the value of proportionate, reviewable, and health-focused responses that support the possibility of rehabilitation and reintegration and are balanced with public safety priorities. All responses to the world drug situation must be grounded on human rights. CANZ remains firmly committed to this to this principle in all aspects of drug policy. In this regard, we reiterate our strong opposition to the death penalties in any— in all cases and under all circumstances, including for drug-related offenses. We encourage countries that have not yet done so to institute a moratorium on executions for drug-related offenses, joining the majority of states that have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. Chair, this year's theme also reminds us that no country can address these challenges alone. Strengthened international cooperation, data sharing, and collective learning remain essential to responding effectively to the evolving drug situation. The World Drug Report continues to play a critical role in providing the evidence base that underpins these efforts. As we confront both enduring and emerging challenges, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand remain committed to working in partnership with others to pursue innovative, evidence-based responses that prioritize health and safety, uphold human rights, comply with international law, counter the expansion of illicit markets, and reduce harm. Thank you, Chair.


Chair [1:22:46]:

Thank you. Next on my list is Italy, Her Excellency Deborah Lepre.


Italy · Ambassador · Deborah Lepre [1:22:52]:

Please, Ambassador, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Italy welcomes the special event and thanks UNODC for the presentation of the World Drug Report.

And with the UNODC, you, Chair.

The global drug situation continues to pose serious and evolving— we've heard that and we all agree about that.

Organized crime is increasingly exploiting new technologies, making drug trafficking more sophisticated and harder to counter.

Our response must therefore go beyond one recipe only, one enforcement alone, for example, and address the social and cultural factors that fuel drug demand, particularly among young people. Italy remains firmly committed to a balanced a balanced, comprehensive, and evidence-based approach fully consistent with the 3 international drug control conventions in which prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and law enforcement reinforce one another. In recent years, we have not simply allocated more resources. As Italy, we have built together with the EU a new way of working based on shared responsibility and coordinated actions involving families, schools, public services, therapeutic communities, universities, law enforcement, the judiciary, the media, and of course international partners, especially partners like UNODC.

We have placed particular emphasis on prevention among young people and on the role of therapeutic communities, which remains essential for long-term recovery and social reintegration.

At the same time, effective law enforcement remains indispensable.

Italy, for example, adopted on international fentanyl and other synthetic opioids plans— a plan 2 years ago strengthening monitoring and trafficking routes. We underline the central role of UNODC in supporting member states through data analysis and capacity building. In this regard, the World Drug Report remains a key tool for evidence-based policymaking.

We look forward to exploring in depth the 2026 addition and its further insights on illicit drugs, their trends, and digital trafficking.

Italy will continue to support UNODC mandate and work with all partners to strengthen international cooperation and be up to the challenge.

Thank you, Chair.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:25:09]:

Thank you very much. Next on my list, Israel, His Excellency Ambassador David Rohet, please. It seems Ambassador is not in the room. Let us move to the next one. Pakistan, His Excellency Ambassador Mohammed Kamran Akhtar Malik. Please, Ambassador.


Pakistan · Ambassador · Mohammed Kamran Akhtar Malik [1:25:35]:

Thank you, Chair. First of all, we would like to thank the UNODC for the presentation of the World Drug Report, which is a key tool in terms of evidence-based policymaking, and we look forward to further interaction with the UNODC Secretariat with regard to the situation in various specific regions as well. On this World Drug Day, Pakistan renews its firm resolve towards building safer, healthier, and drug-free societies. We thank UNODC for the preparation of the report. This annual publication remains a useful tool to evaluate emerging trends and challenges on the international drug landscape. The report's findings are a sober reminder that the world drug problem is persistent, complex, and evolving, with illicit drug markets becoming increasingly diversified, technologically sophisticated, and operationally convergent with other organized crimes. We are also worried to note the reported 34% increase in drug abuse worldwide during the past decade, unevenly affecting the young people, women, and girls. These concerning trends should serve to reinforce our abiding political commitment that enhanced international cooperation— anchored in the three international drug control conventions, should remain the mainstay of a comprehensive, balanced, and effective global response strategy. As one of the drug transit states, Pakistan is fully committed to continue its cooperation with the international community and with its own counternarcotic efforts. Only last year, our law enforcement agencies seized 319 metric tons of narcotic drugs and precursors and participated in 36 intelligence-based operations in international jurisdiction, leading to the arrest of 102 drug traffickers. It is in this context that we take note of the report's findings about Afghanistan. We share concerns even highlighted last week by the UNODC country representative in Afghanistan that poor economic and humanitarian conditions have increased risk of resumed opium cultivation there, while there is a reported surge in manufacture of synthetic drugs and precursors in flow into the country. The international community should therefore take due cognizance of these early warning signs. Mr. Chair, technical assistance has been a strategic enabler of our collective efforts against world drug problem, which is at risk of being affected by the UN liquidity crisis. As we enhance efficiency and effectiveness to navigate these financial realities, we should continue to attach high importance to the priorities and needs of beneficiary countries, especially those which are developing. It is only through common and shared responsibility that we can effectively advance health, safety, and well-being of our present and future generations. Operations. I thank you.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:29:13]:

Thank you.


Pakistan · Ambassador · Mohammed Kamran Akhtar Malik [1:29:15]:

Now I give the floor to His Excellency Ambassador José Antonio Zabalgoitia, Mexico. Please, Ambassador.


Mexico · Ambassador · José Antonio Zabalgoitia [1:29:23]:

Muchísimas gracias, señor presidente. I want first of all to acknowledge and thank the United Nations Office of Drugs and Mr. Prime, for this one more year of delivering to us, the states, the member states, one of our most useful inputs for our policymaking and decision-making instances regarding fighting the world drug problem. I also want to personally thank Ms. Korenblik because the work one more year is outstanding. Understanding. And this is— maybe many of us will say that this is a key element for our decision-making and policy design at the national level, but also at the regional and the global level. The World Drug Report from the UNODC is really a very substantive input for all our governments. Mexico is located in North America. We are neighbours to the US and Canada. We are sharing with them the largest trading bloc in the world. We are sharing with them a 3,000-kilometre border with the US. The US has almost as large a border with Canada. And drugs flow and firearms flow and money, proceeds from drugs and crime flow through those two borders in a very challenging way for the three governments. There is no way— no country that can fight this problem by itself, and there is no country— I dare to to say that there is no country in the world that is not suffering from production, consumption, and trafficking at the same time in different proportions, probably, each one of these three things. So, with the U.S. and Canada, we not only trade, we not only manage migration flows, but also work together in fighting the— the drug trafficking problems and the consumption of drugs in our, in our three societies. So this, this input is highly valuable for the three of us in order to fine-tune and to streamline and to align our policies regarding not only fighting production and trafficking but also on the health the health issues side of taking care of the drug problem. So with that, I would like to mention or highlight a couple of things that I find particularly relevant of this year's World Drug Report. The first one is that, as we have been saying for some years now, the main challenge comes from synthetic drugs now. It is basically there where we, at least in our part of the world, it is there where we have the main challenge and we need to engage precisely to confront the synthetic production of drugs. And in this aspect, Mexico is also located in a in a geopolitical situation that makes it indispensable to contribute with source of precursor countries and with the main consumption centers. The other— the second point I would like to highlight is that in our opinion, When we see the chapter on impact on drug use and on safety and security, we would like to stress that we should not place all the blame on the users because that increases criminalization and stigmatization, but also we need to be aware that the health dimension prevention aspects of combating the world drug problem take a central role and need to work better on that part. And my final point is that, as is shown or was mentioned in the presentation a few minutes ago, there is a special vulnerability in women and there is a lack of resources and a lack of treatment for women. So with that, I Probably overstepped my 3 minutes or 2 minutes, I don't know, but thank you very much, Mr. President.


Pakistan · Ambassador · Mohammed Kamran Akhtar Malik [1:34:28]:

Thank you very much. Next on my list is El Salvador, His Excellency Kennedy Reyes. Please, Ambassador.


El Salvador · Ambassador · Kennedy Reyes [1:34:36]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Madame Executive Director, distinguished Excellencies, dear colleagues. El Salvador welcomes this special session of the occasion on the commemoration of this important international day. El Salvador also welcomes the presentation of the latest World Drug Report by the UNODC. We commend UNODC for its continued effort to provide evidence-based analysis that support member states— in addressing the evolving challenges on the world drug problem. The report finding remind us that the global drug problem remains increasingly complex. The expansion of synthetic drug, the emergence of new psychoactive substances, the diversion of precursor chemicals, and the growing adaptability— of criminal networks continue to threaten public health, security, and sustainable development across all regions. In this context, El Salvador remains firmly committed to strengthening its national capacities. Since 2020, our National Early Warning System on New Psychoactive Substances has enabled timely identification and assessment of emerging drug threats through coordinated action, health, regulatory, forensic, and law enforcement institutions. Likewise, our National Drug Information Network supports evidence-based policymaking and national monitoring efforts. El Salvador also is strengthening regulatory controlled medicines and precursor chemicals through modern electronic monitoring system, helping to prevent diversion while ensuring access for legitimate medical and scientific purposes. At the same time, we continue advancing through the modernization of school-based prevention programs, treatment and rehabilitation services, policies guided by public health scientific evidence and respect for human rights. Mr. Chair, El Salvador reaffirmed its commitment to the International Drug Control Convention and underlines the importance of multilateral cooperation, regional coordination, and shared responsibility. We stand ready to continue working UNODC and all member states to address the world drug problem and promote safer, healthier, and more resilient societies. I thank you.


Pakistan · Ambassador · Mohammed Kamran Akhtar Malik [1:37:31]:

Thank you very much. Next on my list is France, Her Excellency Delphine Fourneau-Poesat. Please, you have the floor.


France · Ambassador · Delphine Fourneau-Poesat [1:37:41]:

Chair, Madame Executive Director, Excellencies, Bonjour. Good afternoon. I would like to thank you and ODC for the organization of this event and for this presentation. The global drug problem is a top priority for the French government. We remain fully committed to implementing a comprehensive and balanced strategy that combines prevention, arms reduction, treatment, law enforcement, and the fight against criminal organizations. France welcomed the release of the UNODC World Drug Report and underlined the quality of the analytical work that has— that was done on trends and threats related to narcotic drugs and their precursors. Indeed, any effective action against the global drug problem must be based on robust scientific evidence. In this regard, the World Drug Report is an invaluable tool. Analysis of drug trends and risks, particularly the increase in seizures of cocaine and synthetic drugs globally, serve as an essential barometer for identifying the national, cross-border, and international measures that need to be implemented and strengthened. At the national level, French authorities have strengthened measures to combat drug trafficking, notably through the June 2025 law. The French— the French, sorry, Prime Minister will also present in the coming weeks a new national plan to combat drug trafficking. Besides, we have also, together with Italy, initiated the European Coalition Against Drugs. And within the framework of our G7 presidency, our governments France has made the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking one of its top priorities with 5 work strands that we will want to work with international partners and which I would like to very briefly mention on this International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. These work strands are strengthening maritime and port security, countering the infiltration of institutions criminal network, supporting international and regional partners to combat drug production and transportation, enhancing policy measures for reducing the demand and minimizing the consequences of drug use on our communities, and finally tackling other forms of transnational organized crime and illicit financial flows associated with drug trafficking, which is also part of of this year's report. To close, I would like to reiterate the importance we attach to the work being undertaken to give UNODC a new strategy, which will identify challenges and provide guidance on the actions to be taken, particularly in the fight against drugs. France stands ready alongside other member states to contribute to discussion on the office's strategic priorities. Thank you very much.


Speaker 23 [1:40:46]:

Mr. Chair. Thank you very much.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:40:50]:

Next on my list is Jordan, His Excellency Mr. Mohammad Samir Salem Hindawi. Ambassador, please.


Jordan [1:40:59]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will be making the statement on behalf of His Excellency Hindawi. Mr. Chair, Madam Executive Director, Jordan thanks UNODC for this important briefing on on the World Drug Report 2026 and commends UNODC's continued effort in providing Member States with evidence-based analysis to better understand the evolving nature of the world drug problem. The findings of this year's report remind us that illicit drug markets are becoming increasingly complex, adaptive, and transnational. Their impact extends beyond public public health and poses serious challenges to security, social cohesion, and sustainable development. Jordan remains firmly committed to the objectives of the international drug control conventions. We continue to pursue a comprehensive and balanced approach that integrates prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and effective law enforcement. Jordan has intensified its effort to protect society, particularly young people, from the dangers of drug abuse and illicit trafficking through the strengthening awareness and prevention programs, enhanced institutional capacities, and reinforcing its response to emerging drug-related challenges. Jordan continues to confront the growing threat posed by transnational drug trafficking networks operating across our region. These developments underscore the importance of enhanced international cooperation, information sharing, capacity building, as well as support for countries on the front lines of addressing these challenges. Jordan stands ready to continue working with UNODC and all member states to address the evolving drug threat and advance effective responses to the world drug problem. No problem. Thank you, Mr. Chair.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:42:57]:

Thank you very much. Next on my list, Ghana, Her Excellency Miss Matilda Onamatu Osei-Agyeman. Please, Ambassador, you have the floor.


Ghana · Ambassador · Matilda Onamatu Osei-Agyeman [1:43:07]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Madam Executive Director, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. As we celebrate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, allow me to express my gratitude to the UNODC ODC for presenting the World Drug Report 2026. Mr. Chair, this year's theme, persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses, reflects the realities of my country, like many on the African continent. On the persisting issues, Mr. Chair, as long as poverty persists, as long as jobs are scarce for young people, as long as families are struggling with economic hardship, and as As long as treatment is not available, demand will meet supply. If the social and economic foundations are not strengthened, the gains in enforcement can be lost within a year. The international community should more purposefully embed drug control in the global development agenda and fund it. On the new challenges, today's substances are— that are threatening Ghanaian youth are not the same substances that the laws were made to combat. Now, tonnages of pharmaceutical opioids such as tramadol and its many derivatives are being seized. In 2025 alone, the Narcotics Control Commission of Ghana destroyed more than 5 million tablets of tramadol. Synthetic cannabinoids like kush, novel psychoactive substances, and methamphetamine are becoming more prevalent in our urban communities than we had expected. These threats are global. They demand global responses, faster scheduling under the international conventions, and stronger cooperation on precursor diversion and online drug commerce. On innovative responses, Ghana has, since the enactment of the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020, structured its national response into 3 pillars. Supply reduction, demand reduction, and harm reduction. Mr. Chair, the international drug control system serves us all best when no member state is left to combat— to confront these challenges alone. My delegation therefore reiterates Ghana's commitment to the three international drug control conventions, to work— to the work of this Commission, and to the operational and technical partnerships with the UNODC, which has been of immense value to Ghana's institutions. We urge partners and donors to understand that the demand reduction, treatment infrastructure, and recovery support in many developing countries, including our own, are under-resourced, and that this must be addressed if the credibility of the global drug control regime is to be maintained. Mr. Chair, Ghana is ready to continue to work with this Commission our African partners and the rest of the international community to report on updates by this time next year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:46:03]:

Thank you. Next for the speech, I have registered Ambassador of Venezuela, Her Excellency Miss Claudia Salerno Caldera. Please. But I don't see Ambassador in in the room. Maybe we can move to the next speaker. I have Kenya next, His Excellency Mr. Edwin Afande. Ambassador, please.


Kenya · Ambassador · Edwin Afande [1:46:34]:

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues. I take this opportunity to thank you, Mr. Chair, and the UNODC for convening this special event to commemorate the International Day Against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. I also take up cognizance of the launch of this year's World Drug Report, which serves as a key reference for informed policy responses. The IDADA commemoration is an important event which provides member states and other stakeholders with an opportunity to reflect on the global drug situation and to evaluate the effectiveness of our collective efforts in addressing the negative impacts of illicit drug trafficking and abuse in the community. I applaud this year's theme, World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses, that clearly resonates with current realities confronting the international community. The emergence of new psychoactive substances, proliferation of synthetic drugs including fentanyl and methamphetamine, increased demand and supply of illicit drugs, as well as the adoption of sophisticated methods of drug trafficking by transnational organized criminal networks. Distinguished colleagues, as you are aware, the global drug landscape is rapidly evolving. Criminal organizations are becoming more adaptive, employing advanced technologies and using new trafficking routes to evade detection. By law enforcement agencies and expand their illicit operations. This underscores the need for equally adaptive, innovative, and coordinated responses. Kenya, like many other countries, has not been immune to these emerging threats. We have witnessed increased supply and demand for illicit drugs, particularly amongst the youth and the middle-aged. These developments continue to pose serious public health security and socioeconomic challenges. In response, the government has therefore intensified law enforcement efforts to ensure that Kenya remains ahead of criminal gangs. These efforts yielded remarkable results on October 25th, 2025, when Kenyan authorities, through a coordinated multi-agency operation, successfully intercepted a stateless narcotics trafficking dhow in the western Indian Ocean. During this operation, approximately 1,024 kilograms of 98% pure crystal methamphetamine, valued at an estimated Kenya shilling 8.2 billion, was seized and 6 crew members arrested. This operation represents the largest narcotics seizure ever intercepted in the Indian Ocean. And demonstrates the importance of effective national, regional, and international cooperation. Distinguished colleagues, Kenya remains committed to implementing a balanced, comprehensive, evidence-based, and human rights-centered approach to addressing the world drug problem in line with the recommendations contained in the 2016 UNGASS outcome document. In this regard, we have launched the National Policy on the Prevention of Alcohol on Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Use, which provides a comprehensive multi-sectoral framework for preventing, mitigating and controlling the harmful effects of alcohol, drug and substance abuse. We are also implementing preventive— prevention programs in schools, workplaces and communities, and have equally embraced treatment and rehabilitation of persons substance use disorders, providing a myriad of services including medication-assisted therapy, harm reduction, treatment for blood-borne diseases, psychosocial support, and community reintegration aimed at restoring dignity and enabling long-term recovery. Mr. Chair, as we commemorate this important day, let us also reflect on the commitments we have collectively undertaken through the various resolutions and declarations adopted over the years. To effectively address the evolving drug challenge, we must also invest in robust data collection and evidence-based research. Reliable data maps of trends and points at solutions. We have equally— we equally need to enhance international collaboration, intelligence and information sharing, build institutional capacities, as well as leverage innovative technologies. If we are to stay ahead of the traffickers. As I conclude, allow me to reaffirm Kenya's unswerving commitment to the 3 international drug conventions, which remain the cornerstone of the international drug control framework and pivotal to our collective efforts in addressing the world drug problems. I thank you, Chair, for giving me the floor. Thank you.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [1:51:32]:

And now I give the floor to Colombia, Her Excellency Marcela Tovar Thomas. Ambassador, please, you have the floor.


Colombia · Ambassador · Marcela Tovar Thomas [1:51:40]:

Gracias, Presidente. Thank you, Chair, Executive Director, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. Colombia, first of all, thanks UNODC, the research branch, and the entire World Drug Report team for their rigorous work, which remains an essential reference for our policies. This year's report confirms what my country knows very well: drug use keeps rising—331 million people in 2024, a third more than a decade ago—and cocaine demand is at record highs, with markets growing in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Yet the debate still focuses on supply and country countries of origin. Consider one figure: in 2024, South America accounted for 64% of global cocaine seizures, the highest share in— since 1984, and nearly 7 times the amount seized in North America. This is not chance, nor any single country's achievements. It reflects an operational, institutional, and human burden that falls mainly on producing and transit regions, made worse by violence of record cocaine production across our continent. Colombia reads this evidence differently. While demand grows in consumer markets, the efforts and the costs stay at the source. Correcting that imbalance is exactly what common and shared responsibility requires. The report also shifts the center of the debate. Synthetic opioids are now the deadliest drug group. Nearly three-quarters of all drug-related deaths made close to consumer market, not in any field of crops. The imbalance is clear. The countries that most demand eradication host the systems where money is laundered, the markets where demand grows, and the industries that that make these drugs. The press for tougher action on crops and production while ignoring laundering, precursors, and demand is not a strategy. It shifts responsibility onto others. Colombia has paid a heavy price. We have buried women, young people, police officers, soldiers, prosecutors, judges, and I can carry on the list. Caught in the crossfire of a conflict fueled by illicit economies. That gives us the experience and the moral authority to say here that shared responsibility must be real or is just a convenient fiction. Colombia is also proposing a different vision while delivering results. Our National Drug Policy 2023-2033 weakens criminal structures while changing the conditions that, that let illicit economies survive. We're acting decisively, and the results are historic. By May 2026, Colombia has seized the largest amount recorded anywhere in the world of cocaine. We have dismantled thousands of laboratories and raised aircraft interdictions. Yet we do not We cannot and must not measure success by seizures. We pursue these results while expanding human rights approach through alternative development programs that treat rural farmers as partners to include, not offenders to punish, because lasting security is built with communities. Also, under our public utility law, women had Heads of household have replaced prisons for minor drug offenses with community service, easing overcrowding. We're scaling up community-based harm reduction programs and opened the first low-risk consumption spaces in South America. Our experience confirms that balanced approach—security, rural development, voluntary substitutions, access to services and care, and stronger institutions works better. Shared responsibility must also be measured in health and, as we already said, human rights centers. Only 1 in 12 people who use drugs gets treatment. Among women, 1 in 23. The gap is stark. Low- and middle-income countries carry nearly 80% of severe suffering but reach only 14% of medical opioids. Closing these gaps must be part of the shared responsibility we call for. For these reasons, we reaffirm our convictions: alternative development is not an expense but an investment in security, governance and stability. Lasting results come from state-present legal opportunities. Communities are partners, not targets. Drug policy must put public health care and human rights central approach first, with harm reduction as an essential part of an effective response. Above all, the goal is not to maximize hectares eradicated, but to reduce violence and stigma, environmental damage, and human suffering. Colombia does not come to shift responsibility onto others, but to ask that global effort go where it has the greatest impact. Shared responsibility must be more than words in declarations. It must show in how we allocate resources, set priorities, and measure accountability. We also need better measures of success. Indicators that track disrupted financial flows, dismantle money laundering networks, prosecutor control, and failing demand alongside lives saved, access to treatment, respect— in respect to human rights, social inclusion, gender approaches, reducing stigma, and developing not only hectares under cultivation and production. In that regard, the establishment of the expert panel under CND Resolution Resolution 686 provides a timely opportunity to review the implementation of the international drug control system, including how we define and measure success, so that our policies are guided by human rights, evidence, effectiveness, and genuine shared responsibility rather than by outdated assumptions. That is the real and measurable shared responsibility we seek, and Colombia has already assumed soon. Thank you very much, Chair.


Chair [1:58:32]:

Thank you very much. Now I give the floor to Uruguay, His Excellency Alejandro Garofalli Acosta. Ambassador, please, you have the floor.


Uruguay · Ambassador · Alejandro Garofalli Acosta [1:58:42]:

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Uruguay thanks the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for the preparation of the World Drug Report 2026 and welcomes its launch on this occasion. We also welcome this this year's theme of a special event convened here today, which invites us to consider the world drug phenomenon through the lens of recurring problems, new challenges, and innovative responses. This reflects the complexity that any effective, proportionate, and sustainable policy must address. In this design— in the design, implementation, and evaluation of drug policies, Uruguay maintains a historic comprehensive balance an interdisciplinary approach with a gender intersectional and human perspective. People, their well-being, their health, their freedom remain at the center of our policies, which are oriented towards prevention, harm reduction, and the protection of public health. In this spirit, that is that Uruguay in May this year adopted its National Drug Strategy 2026-2030, conceived from the outset as a collective endeavor and shaped through the participatory process that we announced before this forum one year ago. The strategy was built with and for the people. It was conceived around 7 strategic axes and seeks to advance a public policy model that is robust, sustainable, and based on scientific evidence, accompanied by— an action plan that sets out concrete goals, responsible institutions, and indicators, strengthening the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of drug policy through more coordinated, transparent, and results-oriented management. Uruguay has followed with interest the thematic chapter of this year's report devoted to the impact of drug use on safety and security, with a particular note of one of its key findings. That the most adverse safety and security outcomes are avoided where there is sufficient access to health and social services, including evidence-based treatment, and where policies address the underlying social determinants, among them poverty, exclusion, exclusion, and the stigmatization of people who use drugs. This confirms a conviction that Uruguay has long upheld: public security and public health are not opposing objectives but complementary ones, and responses based solely on— only on repression do not yield lasting results. Mr. President, in an increasingly polarized international environment in which technical debates are too often politicized, Uruguay underscores the importance of preserving the common multilateral space grounded in scientific evidence public health, human rights, and the full body of international commitments of the United Nations system. Finally, and in line with Uruguay's longstanding commitment in this field, we reiterate our aspiration that future editions of the report include a dedicated chapter on drugs and human rights. Thank you very much, Mr. President.


Chair [2:01:53]:

Thank you. I give the floor to Ambassador of Burkina Faso, Her Excellency Maimounata Oudara. Please.


Burkina Faso · Ambassador · Maimounata Oudara [2:02:02]:

Thank you, Chair. Mr. Monika Djouma, Executive Director of UNODC, distinguished delegates.

I would like to congratulate the UNODC, particularly the research branch and policy analysis Public Affairs Directorate also for the effort in data collection and analysis of the publication— for the publication of the 2026 World Drug Report despite the liquidity crisis that has a negative impact on its work.

The data in this report clearly show— shows a growing number of drug users in the world, 33.1 million in 2024, which constitutes a major issue for humanity. I am particularly concerned about data related to the use of cannabis, 2 million, 52, 56 million in 2024, and the harmful consequences on health, as well as the link between illicit drug trafficking and organized crime that affect the security of population and state institutions. Fighting against the world drug problem remains a common and shared responsibility. Burkina Faso would like to lay emphasis on prevention, as it is better than cure.

Let's be innovative while strengthening our actions at the international level to prevent and combat the link between—

the links between illicit drug trafficking and other forms of crime, including above all terrorism. Burkina Faso also calls for the strengthening of international efforts to guarantee access to controlled medicines at affordable costs for adequate care of patients and to ensure that no one is left behind. Furthermore, my country recommends the 19CND Resolution 60/6 expert panel members and urge them to work independently to really strengthen the global drug control system toward an effective implementation. I thank you.


Chair [2:04:31]:

Thank you. Now I give the floor to United Kingdom, Her Excellency Sonia Farahay.

Ambassador, please.


United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland · Ambassador · Sonia Farahay [2:04:39]:

Thank you, Chair. The UK welcomes this year's UNODC World Drug Report and thanks UNODC for its continued work to provide Member States with an authoritative evidence base on global drug markets and related harms.

This report This provides us with a comprehensive picture of the world drug problem and will be a vital source of evidence as we work together to address the challenges we face. Illicit drugs cause devastating harm to individuals, families, and communities.

Commemorating this day together reminds us of the challenge before us. We cannot simply respond to established drug markets. We must keep pace with organized criminal networks— that are faster and increasingly willing to exploit synthetic substances, technology, and global supply chains. In light of this, the UK's priorities continue to be to reduce drug deaths, to deliver sustainable public health responses that support recovery, and to disrupt illicit drug supply chains and the violence they create. We are facing new challenges in combating emerging synthetic substances and the growing health harms associated with ketamine use. We are committed to reducing drug-related deaths by investing £3.4 million over the next 3 years in harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services. A few key updates. Firstly, we continue to support opioid substitution treatment and are supporting access to long-acting medicines medicines to improve stability and recovery. Across the UK, naloxone is more widely available to prevent overdose deaths. Secondly, in England, we have expanded our Individual Placement and Support Employment Programme, helping people affected by drug and alcohol dependence to find and keep paid jobs. Thirdly, we are committed to controlling novel harmful substances, acting on advice from our experts scientific body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. This month the UK took emergency measures to place 7 morphine opioids under control, and we have announced our intention to enact a class-based control of morphine in the near future. Finally, and in closing, we encourage all member states to strengthen the sharing of data and intelligence, invest in evidence-based treatment and recovery, deepen operational cooperation against transnational organized crime groups. If we are to prevent harm, protect communities, and disrupt those who profit from addiction and violence, we must take faster legislative and enforcement action against emerging substances of concern such as synthetic opioids so that we can prevent harm from dangerous new drugs as quickly as possible. Thank you.


Chair [2:07:29]:

Thank you. Next on my list is Myanmar, His Excellency Min Thein. Ambassador, please, you have the floor.


Myanmar · Ambassador · Min Thein [2:07:39]:

Mr. Chair, Madam Executive Director, Excellencies, and colleagues. Myanmar welcomes the launch of the 2026 UNODC World Drug Reports and appreciates the valuable work of UNODC in providing evidence-based analysis of global drug trends and challenges. Today, as we commemorate the 39th International Day Against Drugs Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Government of Myanmar has instituted the seized narcotic drugs and chemicals worth over 630 $3 million in 3 different locations in Myanmar: Yangon, Mandalay, and Taunggyi. In terms of law enforcement measures, a total of 41 special operations were carried out from 2013 to 2025 on a national— nationwide scale, and Operation 42 is currently being implemented. As a result, from January 2025 to 31st May 2026, Myanmar seized large amounts of illicit drugs and Picasso chemicals worth over $680 million US, as well as 20 drug manufacturing sites and 41 tablet press machines used for producing psychotropic substances. These operations led to more than 7,500 seizure cases, the arrest of over 10,000 offenders. In addition, more than 11,000 acres of opium poppy fields were destroyed during the 2025 2026 UPM cultivation session. As part of drug control measure, the supervisory committee of drug control, Prikasa Chemical, under the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control, is supervising the import, import of prohibited chemicals through their pre-export notification PAN system and non-prohibited chemicals, the PAN Online Light system. Currently, Myanmar controls 149 narcotic drugs, 173 psychotropic substances, and 16 controlled chemicals. At the same time, Myanmar recognized that law enforcement measures alone are are not efficient. Therefore, Myanmar continues to implement alternative development programs in open growing areas, promoting sustainable livelihoods through agriculture, livestock development, community-based projects, and market access initiatives. We appreciate the support of UNODC and development partners us in these efforts. Alongside alternative development initiatives, Myanmar continues to promote drug prevention and awareness through schools, community outreach, and various media platforms. Myanmar also plays great importance on international cooperation. We work closely with UNODC, neighboring countries, ASEAN member states and other international partners through information sharing, border policing mechanisms, capacity building programs, and joint efforts to strengthen drug control and enforcement activities. Mr. Chair, despite these efforts, Myanmar continues to face significant challenges. Drug production and and trafficking are carried out by the ethnic armed groups and insurgent groups in the border areas under their control. They use the proceeds from these illicit activities to finance their operations and acquire weapons. As Picasa Chemicals and Equipment used in the manufacture of Illicit drugs are not produced in Myanmar. These groups illegally import such materials across porous borders to facilitate drug production. The drug program— the drug problem in Myanmar is closely intertwined with armed conflict and instability. Therefore, addressing Its root causes require effective governance, the rule of law, and lasting peace and stability. Therefore, the Government of Myanmar continues its efforts to promote dialogue and negotiations with ethnic armed organizations aimed to reduce armed conflict and advance sustainable peace. Mr. Chair, why While challenges persist, Myanmar remains committed to strengthening national and international cooperation to address the world drug problem in a comprehensive and balanced and coordinated manner. In conclusion, Myanmar stands ready to continue working closely with UNODC and all partners in advancing our common objectives of a safer, healthier and drug-free future. Thank you, Mr. Chair.


Chair [2:13:34]:

Thank you very much. At this point, I would also like to remind everyone to limit their statements kindly to 2 minutes since we are running out of time. Next on my list is Austria Ambassador, Her Excellency Gabrielle Zeller. Please, you have the floor.


Austria · Ambassador · Gabrielle Zeller [2:13:54]:

Thank you, Chair. Chair, Executive Director, Austria is fully aligned with the statement made by the European Union, and I'll— I add a few facts from a national perspective. The Austrian anti-drug strategy is based on the implementation of the three international drug control conventions, as well as, as a people-centered and human rights-based approach, fully respecting the importance of prevention, rehabilitation, and social reintegration without discrimination or marginalization. We stress the role of health and education and reiterate our support for initiatives targeting supply and demand reduction. Especially education is an important aspect of prevention work. Informing, teaching, and strengthening understanding from an early age are key to raising generation, generation aware of the risks of drug use. Let me highlight the important work realized under the UNODC CHAMPS initiative, which Austria remains a firm supporter of. We welcome the World Drug Report during, including the outlook and positive elements like decrease— of the use of cannabis among adolescents, and of course would welcome more information on how it came about this in the future reports. We also welcome the information on the issue of drug use and safety and security. Finally, Austria underlines the importance of closer international cooperation and appreciates the signing of a working agreement between the EU Drugs Agency and UNODC. I can assure you of Austria's continued commitment to supporting UNODC as the leading entity in the UN system in the global fight against drug use. Thank you.


Chair [2:15:57]:

Thank you, and thank you for keeping your statement within the 2 minutes allotted time frame. Next on my list is Singapore. Mr. Clovis Tan, please, you have the floor.


Singapore · Clovis Tan [2:16:10]:

Thank you, Chair, for giving me the floor. Singapore welcomes the launch of the World Drug Report 2026 and joins others in commemorating the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. At the outset, Singapore wishes to thank Chloe, Anya, Kamran, and the UNODC RAB team for their continued efforts in producing the World Drug Report. We recognize that this year's report was prepared against the backdrop of a challenging financial environment facing UNODC. The successful delivery of another high-quality edition of the report under these circumstances is especially commendable. Reliable data and evidence-based research are essential for governments governments to develop effective drug policies. The global dialogue on drugs must be informed by sound evidence if we are to better understand the world drug problem and develop effective responses. In this regard, Singapore is pleased to once again sponsor a thematic chapter in the World Drug Report. This year's chapter examines the impact of drug use on safety and security, building on last year's chapter on the impact of drug use on health. We hope it will continue to contribute to a deeper understanding of the harms associated with drug use and support the development of data-informed and effective responses. No country can tackle the world drug problem alone. International cooperation remains indispensable. Singapore therefore remains committed to supporting the important work of the Commission the INCB and UNODC. In our region, Singapore continues to work closely with our ASEAN partners towards our shared aspiration of a drug-free ASEAN. This year, in fact today, ASEAN will jointly observe the inaugural ASEAN Drug Victims' Remembrance Day alongside the World Drug Day. This initiative seeks to honour and remember all those affected by drugs, including family members,— loved ones and the wider community. While our approaches may differ, our common objectives remain the same: to protect our communities from the harms caused by illicit drugs. Singapore remains committed to working with the international community to advance prevention, support evidence-based strategies, and to protect lives. Thank you.


Chair [2:18:37]:

Thank you. Next on my list is Brazil. Mr. César Augusto Vermiglio Bonamigo, please, sir.


Brazil · César Augusto Vermiglio Bonamigo [2:18:47]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The World Drug Report is a very important resource for governments, academia, and civil society, and we commend the United Nations and in particular the research branch for its continued efforts to produce the report despite the current budgetary family and personal situations. Brazil supports drug policies that address in a balanced manner supply and demand, as well as the rule of law, public health, and sustainable development. We support policies that are evidence-based, people-centered, and fully consistent with human rights. Brazil is concerned about increasing —production, trafficking, and use of illicit drugs, which is affecting the safety and security of individuals, families, communities, and wider society, as well as the environment. Brazil believes that drug— drug use disorders can only be effectively addressed through an inclusive, rights-based, and non-discretionary treatment, healthcare, harm reduction, social protection, and rehabilitation, provided in the context of health systems that guarantee non-stigmatization. Brazil strongly supports prevention policies, and we are proud to be among the first countries to implement the UNODC CHAMPS program. I also highlight the concept of amplified intervention that Brazil has presented during the last CND and which we are applying domestically. We're also grateful that during the last CND, the concept of alternative development in urban settings, a well-established practice in Brazil, has been recognized in the UNODC works. Brazil is concerned that major gaps remain in the access, availability, and affordability of pharmaceutical opioids for pain management and palliative care, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We are also concerned that access to prevention, treatment, care, and social integration continue to be insufficient, especially for the most vulnerable, uh, populations. Brazil also opposed to death penalties related to drug trafficking. I could go on, Mr. Chair, but in view of the time restraints, I will stop here. Thank you so much.


Chair [2:21:34]:

Thank you, and thanks for understanding. Next on my list is Russian Federation, Mr. Danil Moky.


Russian Federation · Danil Moky [2:21:44]:

Thank you, distinguished Mr. Chairman, distinguished Executive Director, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. We appreciate the opportunity to share views on the World Drug Report 2026. As clearly shown in the report, the world drug problem becomes more and more complex. The number of drug users increased by 34%. Cannabis abuse increased— by more than 40%. The global production in cocaine reached a new record level. There are risks of shift to more potent and dangerous synthetic opioids as substitutes to heroin. Drug traffickers are quickly adjusting themselves to control measures, discovering new trafficking routes, and exploiting technological innovations. All these challenges clearly require more consolidated international cooperation and law enforcement measures at the global level. However, such cooperation has been continuously degrading for many reasons, also as a result of politicized approaches or artificial ideological disputes. All such contradictions are conducive to further proliferation of drug-related crimes throughout the globe and do not serve interests of any member state. There is a dangerous contradiction between policies and reality. Some countries implement more than robust law enforcement measures on the ground, while paradoxically, or Consciously, they promote other issues in the political discourse within the UN, including in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. So we may look as fighting the wrong battles while overlooking the fundamentals. Thus, the UN may lose credibility and effectiveness. In this regard, we would favor more just, fair, clear, consistent and truly comprehensive, as many stated, approach which corresponds to existing risks and real urgent needs on the ground and is rooted in international law in terms of implementing obligations and commitments in good faith. The principle of pacta sunt servanda should be respected by all state parties to the conventions without any excuses or exceptions. We have to be clear that the legalization of cannabis for non-medical purposes is a fundamental breach of legal obligations under the UN Drug Control Conventions, as repeatedly stated by INCB. We hope that INCB will remain vigilant in this regard. The report provides evidence that countries which legalize legalizing cannabis even partially or temporarily appear to be increasingly used to source cannabis for illicit markets outside, outside their national borders. Thus, legalization of cannabis creates additional burden on law enforcement authorities of countries which comply with provisions of international drug control conventions. Another important finding of the report is that public awareness of harms related to cannabis abuse in some countries which legalized it is increasing. We hope that the public awareness of risks related to cannabis abuse will be translated into policy action in compliance with the Convention. The Russian Federation is fully committed to strengthening unbiased, honest international cooperation and provided technical assistance to countries countries at the forefront of countering illicit drug trafficking on a depoliticized and fair basis. Together with UNODC and INCB, Russia implements and will continue implementing counter-narcotics projects all over the world for Asian countries, including Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan, DPRK, Latin America, and Africa. We are willing to expand this cooperation and continue continue to provide our financial, political, and expert support to UNODC to effectively counter the drug scourge and promote a society free of drug abuse. One of the important elements of this work is promoting healthy lifestyles among young people, including through the successful UNODC Youth Initiative and Regional Youth Network in Central Asia funded by Russia. Thank you very much.


Chair [2:26:27]:

Thank you. Next on my list is Switzerland, Mrs. Amanda Salzinski.


Speaker 49 [2:26:33]:

Please.


Switzerland · Amanda Salzinski [2:26:34]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues. Switzerland is honored to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

We would like to thank the UNODC staff for the constant effort in compiling this comprehensive overview.

2026 report continues to highlight a sobering reality: the global drug situation is becoming increasingly complex. To address these evolving challenges, Switzerland firmly believes our response must prioritize public health and human rights.

The work of the independent expert panel this year is crucial in proposing reforms that will help us shape forward-looking and human-centered policies for the future.

Mr. Chair, no one chooses to develop a substance use disorder, and punishing people who use drugs does not work. Drug dependence is a health condition that must be treated with ethic and dignity. Switzerland thus strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, especially for drug offenses, as it violates international law and lacks any deterrent effect. True progress requires a balanced approach. Comprehensive health interventions must work in complementarity with proportionate law enforcement efforts that target illicit trafficking networks. As recognized in the historic CND Resolution 69/4 passed in March this year, both harm reduction and treatment are needed for an efficient public health response. Switzerland's supervised consumption rooms, drug checking, and opioid agonist therapy do not encourage substance abuse. They reduce overdoses, offer a compassionate bridge to healthcare, and contribute to reducing acquisitive crimes. Highlighting an expert quote in the report's thematic chapter, Switzerland is convinced that, and I quote, "Health and social intervention that aim to engage people who use drugs, reduce harms, and reintegrate them into broader social environments are more promising for improving safety and security." Thank you, Mr. Chair.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:28:51]:

Thank you. Next on my list, Kingdom of Netherlands, Mr. Erik Hilbernik, please.


Netherlands (Kingdom of the) · Erik Hilbernik [2:28:59]:

Thank you, Chair. Mr. Chairman, the Kingdom of the Netherlands fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by Ambassador Halligard on behalf of the European Union, and I wish to add the following remarks in my national capacity. Let me start by expressing our appreciation for the important work of UNODC and its contribution in understanding the world drug situation. The scientific evidence that is provided to us through the World Drug The World Drug Report is an important source to get better insights into the problems. The World Drug Report makes clear that numerous challenges remain. One of these challenges which is of grave concern to the Netherlands is the emergency— is the emergence of new psychoactive substances. A recent amendment to the Dutch Opium Act that enables us to ban entire groups of dangerous substances rather than individual substances one by one is a step into the right direction to tackle this problem. But criminals adapt quickly and devise new ways to make money. For instance, substances are offered as research chemicals or pharmaceuticals, often counterfeit. For these dangerous new psychoactive substances, early warning systems should be in place, and we applaud the recent CND resolution introduced by Kyrgyzstan in this regard. Chair, both the INCB report published several months ago and the World Drug Report we have on the table today also point out a sore spot for the Netherlands, and that is the supply side of the drug scene in my country. Examples include the production of synthetic drugs and the trafficking of cocaine. I'm not going to challenge this, as it is a fact. We know. But I can assure you that our law enforcement agencies are working on it. Two examples are the effective efforts to cut access to our ports for criminal traffickers and to dismantle dozens of illegal labs producing substances such as metafenmatine in the recent past period. However, the problem cannot be solved by focusing on supply reduction alone. We also need to reduce demand for those substances, thereby disrupting criminal business models and improving public health at the same time. We need to protect our vulnerable youth who are being drawn into a life of crime by ruthless criminal groups, and we need to protect our environment. The Netherlands is committed to contribute to this balanced and holistic approach.. But it is clear that no country can do this alone. We need to learn from each other and to work closely together to cut supply and reduce demand. In this context, international cooperation in the field of drug policy through UNODC, CND, and the other relevant UN entities is more important than ever. Chair— Mr. Chairman, let me conclude by saying that the Netherlands has the opportunity to make an an important contribution by chairing the CND in 2027. We are highly motivated to make a success out of it together with all countries in the room. Thank you, Chair.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:32:12]:

Thank you.

Next on my list, China. Mr. Dong Song, please.


China · Dong Song [2:32:16]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. China welcomes the launch of the World Drug Report 2026. To mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which provide a very useful reference for improving our understanding of the evolving trend in global drug problems. We would also like to express our appreciation to UNODC for the professionalism and dedication in preparing this report. At the present, global drug governance faces increasingly severe challenges. The Chinese government maintains a zero tolerance attitude to drugs and remains committed to the implementation of its international obligations. We have been working with the international community to jointly fight against drug crimes, address new challenges posed by synthetic drugs, and actively contribute to global drug governance. China stands ready to work with all parties to make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity free from the harm of drugs. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:33:39]:

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Japan, Mr. Nobuyuki Kikuchi, please.


Japan · Nobuyuki Kikuchi [2:33:46]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Japan wishes to thank Executive Director Jummer and the entire UNODC team for the 2026 World Drug Report. The report delivers a stark message: the drugs are becoming more potent, more diverse, and more lethal. The trafficking routes are becoming more complex and adaptive. New markets are emerging. Criminal networks are expanding their reach. With this, Japan views drugs are not only human individual— human individual and family. A profound human tragedy in its own, though, they are clothing the communities, weakening institutions, and undermining the national and international security. No country is immune. With the vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, or FOIP, we remain committed to working with partners to address illicit drug trafficking and organized crime. We aim preserving open and free societies where people can live safely, prosper economically, and enjoy the dignities and opportunity for the future. The report emphasis on youth is particularly important. When drugs penetrate the younger generation, their costs are measured not not only in the health outcomes, which is also profoundly important, but in lost potential and weakened societies and diminished national resilience. This is perhaps the most costly risk that must not be ignored. Japan shares the sense of urgency. Japanese government have strengthened our legal framework, the prevention and awareness efforts, particularly for young people. Japan stands ready to share our experience and lessons learned with the international community. Finally, these reports provide something indispensable: facts, analysis, and insight in confronting A challenge of this magnitude, knowledge is one of our strongest weapons and that makes possible innovative responses. And the knowledge of this quality does not emerge on its own. It is built through the tireless efforts of UNODC personnel in the field and beyond, often working in difficult environment, traveling to the front lines of these challenges, gathering evidence, monitoring emerging threats, and transforming fragmented realities into actionable understanding. We commend their dedication, courage, and professionalism. UNLAC brings us together around a common purpose. I pay tribute to Executive Director Juma and the directors and their deputies, chiefs, regional and country representatives, and all UNODC personnel who continue to do their vital work on the front lines of these challenges. Japan highly values your leadership, dedication, and counts on the UNODC to continue the leadership in the years ahead. Thank you very much.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:37:35]:

Thank you. Next on my list is Turkey, Mrs. Dilan Bilgin Unal.

Please, you have the floor.


Türkiye · Dilan Bilgin Unal [2:37:44]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like to first of all thank the UNODC, particularly Research and Trend Analysis Branch, for the preparation of the 2026 World Drug Report, providing a comprehensive overview of global drug Drug Trends and Key Issues, which assists us in addressing these threats and mitigating their consequences. The report clearly demonstrates that the global drug market is becoming more synthetic, more decentralized, harder to detect, and potentially more dangerous. Türkiye shares the assessment presented in the report, especially regarding the urgent threat posed by emerging synthetic substances. Which require more adaptive health and enforcement systems, stronger international coordination, early warning systems, and more effective information sharing between states.

Türkiye is emerging as one of the most strategically exposed countries in a rapidly changing global drug market because of its location between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. We are confronting simultaneous threats from methamphetamine expansion, heroin market disruption, synthetic opioid emergence, and increasingly adaptive transnational criminal networks. While there have been no domestic seizures of fentanyl or methazine derivatives to date, Türkiye closely monitors the risk of these substances migrating towards its borders given its position along traditional trafficking routes.

The collapse of the Syria conflict economy has disrupted long-established Captagon trafficking networks. As Captagon production declines in Syria and Lebanon, criminal organizations are likely to seek new trafficking corridors, potentially increasing pressure on our border security.

At the national level, our experience confirms that an effective response to such threats requires a balanced and comprehensive approach. While we continue to to take firm action against drug trafficking organizations and their financial networks through large-scale international operations and asset confiscation measures. We also recognize that individuals affected by addiction must be approached through treatment, rehabilitation, and social reintegration policies. In this regard, Türkiye continues to strengthen its national capacity through expanded addiction treatment strengthened infrastructure, nationwide prevention programs, and rehabilitation mechanisms that prioritize recovery alongside public safety. The findings of the World Drug Report once again remind us that no country can counter the impact of the world drug problem on health, governance, and security alone. Combating this scourge requires shared responsibility, international cooperation, and the balance strategy that combines law enforcement, public health prevention, and sustainable rehabilitation. As a demonstration of our commitment to international cooperation, we have provided a training hub in the region and beyond. The Turkish International Academy Against Drugs and Organized Crime, TADOK, and Turkish Counter-Narcotics Training Academy, NAYA, have trained over 15,000 law enforcement officers from over 100 countries through more than 700 international training programs. Türkiye reaffirms once again its commitment to continuing this collective effort together with the international community. Last but not least, I would like to reiterate our support to UNODC, CND, and INCB for their vital role in steering international drug policies. And on this occasion, I would like to congratulate Professor Dr. Sevil Atasoy on her reelection as the President of the INCB this week.

Thank you.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:41:32]:

Thank you. Next on my list is Thailand, Mrs. Kalthira Kumpirochana. Please.


Thailand · Kalthira Kumpirochana [2:41:44]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thailand wishes to express our sincere appreciation to the Chair convening this special commemorative event to mark the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. We also extend our appreciation to the UNODC for presenting the World Drug Problem this year, which continues to provide member states with timely and evidence-based analysis of the evolving global drug situation. The findings of this year's report remind us that the world drug problem Drug trafficking remains one of the most pressing and complex global challenges. The continued expansion of synthetic drugs, particularly methamphetamine, the emergence of new psychoactive substances, and the increasing misuse of digital technologies by transnational organized criminal groups are reshaping illicit drug markets and posing significant risks to public health, social security, and sustainable development. To better cope with these challenges, We need stronger international cooperation, innovative responses and policies that are firmly grounded in science and evidence. Thailand remains committed to a balanced and comprehensive and people-centered approach that integrates law enforcement, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and sustainable development. We believe that addressing the underlying social and economic drivers of the global— of the world drug— is essential to achieving lasting and sustainable outcomes. We firmly believe that evidence should guide policy. In this regard, Thailand has continued to work closely with UNODC and international partners to advance the objectives of CND Resolution 68/2, co-tabled by Thailand and Norway, on promoting research and scientific evidence-based interventions for the treatment and care of stimulant use disorders. Building upon this important achievement, we remain committed to strengthening research, promoting the exchange of knowledge and good practices, and expanding access to quality and evidence-based treatment. And beyond treatment and care, Thailand has long supported development-oriented approaches to addressing the root causes of the world drug problem. Thailand deeply values the important contribution of the late Her Royal Highness Princess Pasharakadeeapaa Narienthirathepyawadi, who passed away 2 weeks ago, to advancing Thailand's engagement in international drug policy, particularly her role in promoting the adoption of the United Nations' Guiding Principles on Alternative Development. These guiding principles continue to provide an important framework for addressing the root causes of the world drug problem through sustainable and people-centered development. Recognizing that the world drug problem knows no borders, Thailand places great significance on strengthening regional and international cooperation. And this year, Thailand is honored to host the 47th ASEAN Senior Official on Drug Matters Meeting and other related meetings. And we look forward to working closely with member states and UNODC and the wider international community to enhance information sharing, strengthen capacity, and develop coordinated responses to emerging drug threats. Thank you, Mr. Shah.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:45:03]:

Thank you very much. And I would like to take this opportunity to once again extend our condolences to the passing away of Her Highness and acknowledging her important role in supporting CND and CCPJ. Thank you. Next on my list is Peru, Mr. Carlos Sanchez. Please, you have the floor.


Peru · Carlos Sanchez [2:45:26]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and good afternoon, Excellencies and distinguished colleagues. Peru also welcomes this special event on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, and particularly the presentation of the World Drug Report 2026, as well as commend UNODC for its comprehensive and evidence-based assessment of the evolving world drug problem at a time marked by geopolitical instability, UN reform, and liquidity constraints. This year, the report— this year's report confirms the scale and complexity complexity of the current challenges that have been duly presented in today's sessions. For Peru, these trends reaffirm the urgency of preserving a balanced, comprehensive, people-centered, and effective international response firmly grounded on the international drug control conventions and the principle of common and shared responsibility. Our global response must integrate four essential pillars: public health, security, including supply reduction, human rights, and sustainable development, including alternative development, while strengthening international cooperation against transnational criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and related crimes. At a national level, Peru remains firmly committed to this effort through sustained supply reduction, reducing 5,000+ hectares of illicit coca cultivation between '22 and '24 and eradicating 36,000+ hectares in 2025 on an environmental responsible manner and in close coordination with the affected communities. At the same time, Peru continues advancing alternative development as a strategic pillar of our national policy. The adoption at the 69th CND of the resolution and appendix complementing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development marks an important milestone in this regard. While initiatives such as Sencabir Malongo Partnership between women coffee producers and the private sector demonstrate the potential of alternative development to generate illicit and sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable communities. Unfortunately, Mr. Chair, none of these possible positive results were mentioned in this year's report. Peru also promotes regional responses, innovative regional responses by leading the South American Ports Alliance to strengthen operational cooperation against evolving trafficking routes, including the recent establishment of a container control unit at the Port of Chancay, the fourth unit in Peru, which will enhance risk profiling, inspections, and intelligence sharing at one of the region's emerging strategic logistic hubs. To conclude, Mr. Chair, Peru reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the global efforts to address the water problem in full respect of international law, human rights, the rights of Indigenous peoples, and the protection of the environment, while working together with member states and relevant stakeholders to build a stronger and more effective multilateral system. Thank you very much.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:49:09]:

Thank you. Next on my list is Malta, Mr. Nathanel Cauci Jones, please.


Malta · Nathanel Cauci Jones [2:49:17]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will deliver a shorter statement in the interest of time. We align ourselves with the European Union and want to deliver some remarks in our national capacity. At the outset, also, let me thank the UNODC for their work in producing and publishing the World Drug Report for 2022. 26. The ever-evolving world drug situation, the growing drug markets, the continuing increase in drug use, and the proliferation of synthetic drugs need to be addressed through effective, people-centered, and human rights-based multifaceted responses which involve public health authorities, social services, and law enforcement bodies, as well as academic and civil society organizations. While There is no one-size-fits-all approach to address the current wild drug situation. Malta supports policies that reduce stigma, expand access to evidence-based services, and place the health and welfare at the center of drug policy. In this regard, we call for the universal abolition of the death penalty, including for drug-related offenses. In Malta, our national drug legislation is aimed to address the complex health and social needs of people who use drugs and enhance the overall well-being and resilience of our society. We are investing in all parts of the continuum of care: prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and rehabilitation. We also recognize that drug trafficking remains a significant driver of transnational organized crime and continues to fuel violence and instability. That— this is why we're strengthening law enforcement responses, which remain indispensable, particularly in countering the newly and increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks. We are committed to disrupt and dismantle these organized criminal groups, particularly by enhancing international cooperation and also interoperability with all sectors.. In light of the rapid evolution described in the report, our collective response must remain agile, coordinated, and grounded in ensuring a better health and welfare for all. I thank you.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:51:33]:

Thank you. Now I give the floor to Iran. Mr. Mohammad Ghanei, please, you have the floor.


Iran (Islamic Republic of) · Mohammad Ghanei [2:51:40]:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we As we commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, I express my appreciation to UNODC for its dedicated efforts, especially for preparing the World Drug Report 2026 and its informative presentation today. Iran has long been a major partner of the UNODC and a significant contributor to addressing the world drug problem. Iran has adopted a comprehensive and balanced approach in its national efforts and remains firmly committed to strengthening regional and international cooperation in this regard. My country has a long record of making the largest seizures of illicit drugs in the world. In 2025 alone, Iran seized 356,000— tons of illicit drugs. We stand ready to share our experiences and good practices. While Iran continues to pay a heavy price at the frontline, including with thousands of martyrs, the international community should also shoulder its part. We further express our concern regarding the funding challenges and shortfalls adversely affecting the work of the UNODC, including for the preparation and quality of future editions of the World Drug Report. Finally, we welcome the introduction of the new thematic chapter in the World Drug Report and believe that examining the various impacts of drug use on individuals will make a valuable contribution to a deeper understanding of the problem. I thank you.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:53:26]:

Thank you. Next on my list is USA, Mrs. Kate Nanavaty. Please, you have the floor.


United States of America · Kate Nanavaty [2:53:32]:

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, and thank you to the entire UNODC team involved in preparing the 2026 World Drug Report. The United States welcomes the opportunity to comment on this important publication. I won't restate the drug problem, which is well laid out in the highlights which all my distinguished colleagues have elaborated on today. I'll just say everything that has been said demonstrates that criminal networks are clearly thriving, that we cannot afford complacency, and we call on the UNODC to focus on its core mandates, including strengthening law enforcement cooperation in combating transnational organized crime and drug trafficking networks. The World Drug Report remains the most definitive source of information and data for member states to design policy and programmatic responses to the World Drug Programme. As a result, extreme care must be taken in the way the report characterizes the problem and the effectiveness of efforts to counter it. Words matter. And the World Drug Report must not dismiss the potential for counter-drug interventions to show results. We are concerned that the report minimizes the importance of erecting barriers to the availability and cost of precursor chemicals and equipment to stop the spread of synthetic drugs, describing these, these measures, and I quote, as increasingly inconsequential. While we acknowledge the highly adaptive nature of the adversary The United States continues to believe that international cooperation in chemical control remains our best tool to respond to the proliferation of synthetic drugs. We will continue to lead through the CND and elsewhere to prevent the trafficking of precursor chemicals and the materials and equipment used to illicitly manufacture deadly synthetic drugs every chance we get. For In future editions of the report, we look forward to seeing how efforts undertaken through the CND, including the U.S.-sponsored resolution strengthening supply chain integrity to prevent the diversion of drugs, precursors, and related equipment, contribute to measurable outcomes. Finally, the United States welcomes the ongoing report— ongoing work of the CND expert panel on enhancing the effective implementation of the international drug control conventions. Working within the scope of its mandate, the panel can help identify practical recommendations to support member states in implementing the conventions and addressing these urgent and emerging challenges. We look forward to working with Executive Director Juma, UNODC, and our fellow member states to strengthen our collective response to the, to the global drug problem. I thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:56:30]:

Next on my list is Belgium. Mr. Mika Kemps, please.


Belgium · Mika Kemps [2:56:35]:

Thank you, Chair. I will also be brief, mindful of the time. Uh, Mr. Chair, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, uh, on this occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Belgium wishes to express its appreciation to you, Mr. Chair, and to UNODC for convening this special event today. Today's event is particularly timely and relevant as we welcome the release of the World Drug Report 2026. We especially want to extend our gratitude to UNODC's Research and Trend Analysis Branch for its efforts in producing this landmark publication, especially in the context of increasingly limited, uh, budgetary resources. Belgium wishes to underscore the fundamental importance of UNODC's data collection and analytical work as the foundation underpinning our common global— efforts in addressing the world drug situation and our common fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. The report highlights the ever-growing complexity of global drug markets, pointing to the rise of highly potent substances and new consumption patterns, as well as increasingly adaptive trafficking dynamics and the diversification of trafficking routes. Together, these trends pose significant challenges to public health and security and make enhanced collective action against those who to control the illegal drug market more important than ever. Finally, when it comes to access to and availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, we regret that despite progress made in recent years, persistent and significant inequalities remain. We call on all member states to build on the efforts undertaken within the CND and to ensure that no patient is left behind. Thank you.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [2:58:10]:

Thank you. Next on my list is Syria. Mr. Yamin Yassouf, please, you have the floor.


Syrian Arab Republic · Yamin Yassouf [2:58:17]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for your able leadership of today's meeting, and let me express my appreciation to all distinguished panelists for their valuable presentations. Mr. Chair, the Syrian Arab Republic expresses its appreciation to UNODC for the preparation and launch of the World Drug Report 2026, which serves as an important reference for understanding emerging challenges and strengthening international cooperation in addressing the world drug report— drug problem. My delegation attaches particular importance to the finding of the report concerning development in the Syrian Arab Republic, The report confirms that the Syrian authorities have succeeded in bringing about a tangible transformation in the dynamic of Captagon production and trafficking and in weakening the criminal networks that flourished during the years of war. This reflects the determined efforts undertaken by the Syrian authorities to combat drug trafficking and strengthen law enforcement. Mr. Chair, the organized criminal groups continue to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances. This underscores the importance of strengthening international cooperation, enhancing capacity building, and promoting the exchange of information and expertise in enable states to respond more effectively to emerging threats. The Syrian Arab Republic reaffirms its full commitment to the implementation of the relevant international conventions and its readiness to continue constructive cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and all member states based on the conviction that addressing the world drug problem is a shared responsibility. Requiring international partnership founded on mutual respect, respect for sovereignty and common responsibility. Thank you, Mr. Chair.


CND · Chair · Hofkani-Chan [3:00:31]:

Thank you.

Now we move to the list of non-governmental organizations, and first on my list is Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs. Mr. Matej Kosir, please, you have


VNGOC · VNGOC · Matej Kosir [3:00:45]:

Mr. Chair, Executive Director Juma, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, it's an honor to speak today on behalf of Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, a global network representing more than 450 civil society organizations from over 110 countries. At the outset, let me warmly congratulate Executive Director Dr. Monika Djuma on her appointment. We thank Ms. Djuma for the opportunity to meet with the Vienna NGO/CS earlier today, and we look forward to working closely with you and your team to strengthen the long-standing partnership between UNODC and civil society in advancing balanced, evidence-based, and people-centered drug policies. Every year, the World Drug Report reminds us that behind every statistic A human story, a family, and a community. The report provides us with an invaluable global picture of emerging trends and challenges. However, its value— its true value lies not only in the data it presents, but in the actions it inspires. Today's World Drug Report confirms that drug markets are evolving rapidly, with record levels of cocaine production, expanding synthetic drug markets and increasingly complex health and security challenges. These findings underline why timely data must be matched with health and human rights-centered drug policies with the meaningful engagement of civil society and affected communities in shaping responses on the ground. Civil society organizations play a unique role in translating global evidence into local action. We are often are often the first to identify emerging trends, the first to respond to new challenges, and the first to witness the real-life impact of both successful and unsuccessful policies. Through prevention, treatment, recovery support, harm reduction, family services, broader health and social services, research, advocacy, and work with affected communities, including people who use drugs, people in recovery, indigenous communities and youth, civil society contributes knowledge that cannot be captured by statistics alone. This is precisely why meaningful civil society participation within the UN system is more important than ever. We recognize the financial pressures currently affecting many international organizations. However, as today's report clearly demonstrates, drug markets are evolving faster than ever before, with increasingly diverse substances, production methods, and trafficking routes. This is precisely why now is not the moment to reduce opportunities for dialogue and collaboration, but rather to strengthen them. Regular engagement through the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, including thematic discussions and other participatory processes, enables governments, UN entities, and civil society to engage in practical experience, exchange practical experience, identify emerging issues earlier, and develop more effective responses together. These spaces for dialogue are investments in better policymaking and stronger implementation. As the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, we remain fully committed to supporting UNODC, Member States, and all stakeholders by bringing forward the voices, expertise, and lived experience on our global network. Work. Let us ensure that the next chapter is written together, with governments, UN agencies, and civil society working as equal partners to improve the health