EU Statement on narcotic drugs (CND) - Vienna

Agenda Item 7: Policy Directives to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme


1. Thank you Madame Chairperson. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following acceding countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia, and the associated countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, associate themselves with this statement.

2. We would like to thank once more the Secretariat for the documentation provided (E/CN.7/2003/13) to Member States for this important session. We acknowledge the work undertaken to produce all the reports, which contribute to the goals adopted at the 20th special session of the General Assembly.

3. The European Union recognizes the UNDCP's catalytic role with regard to drug issues and supports a balanced approach to the Programme's activities.

4. The EU welcomes and supports the ODC's Executive Director's efforts to reform and reorganize the Programme, as well as to strengthen the dialogue between Member States and the Secretariat on the priorities and management of UNDCP. The EU appreciates the steps taken towards enhancing accountability, credibility and transparency and towards improving relations with stakeholders at the operational level. We also note with appreciation the importance that the Executive Director attaches to the implementation of the new operational priorities and guidelines for the medium term with a view to improving governance, funding, operational management, communications, staff management relations, as well as monitoring and evaluation. In this context it is important for the UNDCP to develop clear and measurable targeted outputs.

5. While drug issues go beyond their crime aspects -for example public health considerations are also very important in this regard- we take note with interest of the concept of an integrated approach to drug and crime issues and we are looking forward to a further exchange of views with regard to UNDCP's project planning and ODC's organizational structure.

6. We also welcome the improved staff selection system and the establishment of an ombudsman's function, which both serve towards enhancing fairness in the treatment of staff. The reprofiling of field offices, already under way, should contribute towards strengthening the operational capacities of the Programme and we are looking forward to discussing the results of this process.

7. The EU supports UNDCP's work on evaluation. We attach importance to project, programme and thematic evaluations, which are indispensable to assess their impact, to identify best practices in drug control and to develop results-oriented technical cooperation projects. We welcome UNDCP's plans to develop a Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and we are looking forward to its establishment as a priority matter.

8. The EU has always been in favour of broadening the donor base of UNDCP with the aim of enabling the Programme to discharge its functions in a better way on all drug-related issues. To this end, sound financing is important. We welcome the initiative of UNDCP to prepare a new fund-raising strategy in order to mobilize resources from a variety of sources, including through voluntary contributions, cost-sharing arrangements, and partnership-building.

Thank you Madame Chairperson.

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• EU Statement on narcotic drugs (CND) - Vienna (17/4/2003)