EU Statement on the occasion of the launch of the UNODC 2026 World Drug Report, 26 June 2026

Distinguished Chair, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.

The European Union and its Member States thank the research branch of the 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 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 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. 

Mister Chair, 

The European Union and its member states, guided by the new EU Drugs Strategy and Action Plan against drug trafficking, address the drug situation through an evidence-based, integrated, balanced, multidisciplinary and human rights-centred approach. We are committed to deepening cooperation with partner countries and organisations, particularly those along key trafficking routes, in the fight against drug trafficking and the criminal organisations 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 equality and non-discrimination for vulnerable and marginalised persons, while advancing sustainable development.

The EU remains deeply concerned about the dramatic increase in the application of the death penalty for drug related offences 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 EU and its Member States are committed to strengthening their strategic cooperation with UNODC. Today, 26 June, the UNODC and the European Union Drugs Agency signed a working arrangement. We believe 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, 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 framework.

Thank you, Chair.