- Details
- Category: News
- Published: 12 December 2011
In the middle of December Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) holds a reconvened Session to approve budget and agendas for the next CND (55th Session in March 12-16, 2012) for the two coming years.
In connection to this event Vienna NGO Committee had a meeting on December 14.
Meeting agenda focused on planning for the offensive work representing NGOs at the next CND session in March 2012 and arranging a Civil Society Hearing that is proposed to take place on Tuesday, March 13, 2012.
The CND acts as a governing body that decides on the policies to be followed by the UNODC in the area of drugs and approves its budget for this work.
Vienna NGO Committee on drugs is growing stronger in cooperation with the UNODC and Civil Society Team. The Committee is now Austrian legal entity with a seat in Vienna ("Wiener Drogen Komitee" in German).
Members of the Committee are an important link between civil society and the UN bodies, as well as INCB and CND. This year many VNGOC members made contribution in form of contact networks in the countries that INCB chose for its field Missions (eg. Bolivia, Serbia, Turkey, Bangladesh).
NGO participation at the CND sessions in March is informal but there is a possibility to attract more attention to the vital issues through participation in the side events also next year. The number of side events that could be organised by the NGOs is reduced in 2012, which is unfortunate. However, side events are an actual possibility to influence CND agenda and NGOs will remain active, preparing for the CND. The topics of the round table discussions at the CND have been announced already:
a) Counter-narcotics efforts and the principle of common and shared responsibility: opportunities and challenges;
b) Measures to prevent diversion of substances frequently used in the manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances from domestic distribution channels, including by strengthening partnerships with the private sector.
Read more about the criteria for NGO selection to participate in the CND side events at www.unodc.org
ECAD has been an engaged member of the Vienna NGO Committee Board since 2009.