CND 55th Session (30/03/2012)

The 55th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs took place in Vienna from 12 to 16 March 2012. The Ambassador of Spain, H.E. Ms Carmen Buján Ferire, chaired the Plenary Session, while H.E. Antonio García Revilla, Ambassador of Peru, chaired the Committee of the Whole, where the resolutions were drafted and then adopted.

During the CND session, four EU statements were delivered. In addition to the Plenary statement, the EU delivered 3 statements during the Session, all of which were well received:

  • Statement on Agenda item 4b: International Narcotics Control Board (two parts);
  • Statement on Agenda item 6a: Implementation of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem: demand reduction and related measures;
  • Statement on Agenda item 6b: Implementation of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem: supply reduction and related measures.

The Committee of the Whole began its work already on the first day, under the chairmanship of H.E. Antonio Garcia Revilla, Ambassador of Peru. The EU tabled 4 resolutions:

  • Promoting international cooperation in responding to new psychoactive substances;
  • Promoting strategies and measures addressing specific needs of women in the context of comprehensive and integrated drug demand reduction programmes and strategies;
  • Developing an international electronic import and export authorization system for licit trade in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances;
  • Promoting measures to prevent drug, in particular opioid overdose.

France and the Russian Federation tabled the resolution "Follow-up to the Third Ministerial Conference of the Paris Pact Partners on Combating Illicit Traffic in Opiates Originating in Afghanistan".

In total the Plenary Session of CND adopted 12 resolutions, all of which the EU was able to cosponsor.

During the Plenary debate, many delegations, through the delivery of national statements, stressed the importance of transnational cooperation and the role of the UNODC in the fight against drugs.

In his final speech, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr Yuri Fedotov, emphasized the crucial role of the three drug conventions.  The CND session ended urging international cooperation to curb the new drug trends.