Ladies and Gentlemen,

"Over the past few months, I, in my capacity as Chair of the CND, have had the privilege of working with the UNODC and its governing bodies to devise the Medium Term Strategy for the UNODC 2008-2011.
As most of you know, NGOs and Community Based organizations have always been a cornerstone of the UNODC’s work on Drug abuse prevention and treatment.
Demand reduction has been and continues to remain a key aspect of the Office’s work. NGOs are, in many ways, like “antennae” for the Office, keeping it abreast of emerging trends in drug abuse and also the latest advances in treatment and prevention. Not only do NGOs have “their ear to the ground” so to speak, they are often repositories of creative and ingenuous approaches to tackling the drug problem."

"The UNODC strategy, which was recently approved by the CND and the CCPCJ, was developed in close consultation with NGOs, particularly the Vienna NGO committee on Drugs. It is significant that for the first time ever, the UNODC has articulated clearly, its commitment to working with and for the NGO community. Civil society entities are specifically mentioned as vehicles for programme delivery under a number of result areas."

"This is significant, because, as you know, in a number of countries, State structures are either too weak or too insular to allow for effective participation. The fact that the UNODC has chosen to approach the issue from this angle augurs well for greater involvement of civil society in places that most need it".

"This is important because very often, it is NGOs that have the agility and courage to try out new approaches to treatment and prevention that can then be scaled up through state structures. The fact the UNDOC strategy explicitly recognizes this role should lead to greater formal recognition for the value added by civil society to our joint efforts to combat drug abuse."

 
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