Welcome to the United Nations
Introduction
This contribution is submitted by H.E. Mirghani Abbaker Altayeb BAKHET (Sudan), the Chair of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) at its 62nd session, in response to a letter from the President of the Economic and Social Council of 26 November 2018, inviting the Commission to provide an input to the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which will meet under the auspices of ECOSOC at the UN headquarters in New York from 9 to 18 July 2019, on the theme “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”. It will also review the following sustainable development goals (SDGs): SDG 4 (Quality education), 8 (Decent work and economic growth), 10 (Reduced inequalities), 13 (Climate change), and 16 (Peaceful societies, justice and strong institutions) along with SDG 17 on Global Partnerships.
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs works on a large portfolio of issues. The ones addressed in this contribution do not reflect the work of the Commission in a comprehensive manner, but represent examples related to the 2019 theme and the SDGs under review.
2019 is an important year for the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. In the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem of 2009, Member States decided to establish 2019 as a target date for the goals set in the Political Declaration. In 2016, the General Assembly adopted an outcome document of its special session on the world drug problem, which contains over 100 operational recommendation on addressing and countering the world drug problem and recognizes that efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the effectively address the world drug problem are complementary and mutually reinforcing. Pursuant to its resolution 60/1, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs will have on 14-15 March 2019 a two-day ministerial segment in addition to its regular session, to take stock of the implementation of the commitments made to jointly address and counter the world drug problem, in particular in the light of the 2019 target date.
Member States has negotiated an outcome for the ministerial meeting that outlines the way beyond 2019. More information on the ministerial segment, including the Ministerial Declaration is available on http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CND/2019/2019- high-level-ministerial-segment.html
