TEHRAN –Imposing unfair sanctions against Iran not only increases the costs of implementing treatment and harm reduction programs but also challenges developing effective strategies for combating drug trafficking, the Secretary General of Iranian Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ) has said.

Lauding the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) efforts, Brigadier General Hossein Zolfaqari, highlighted the perilous evolution of global drug problem, IRNA reported.

The official made the remarks while addressing the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which is being held from March 10 to 14 in Vienna, Austria.

Despite all efforts made to overcome the problem, national and international drug control systems are struggling with the rapid emergence of the new psychoactive substances (NPS), Zolfaqari stressed.

The official went on to propose some methods for treating drugs and drug-related issues more effectively, underscoring the need for expanding cooperation, strengthening mechanisms for information exchange, sharing experiences, providing technical assistance and equipment, and transferring needed technologies to countries affected by illegal production, transit, and consumption of drugs.

Diversifying treatment methods and facilitating access to drugs for medical purposes are among the top priorities of countries to reduce demand for illegal use of drugs. Hence, facilitating the exchange of the latest expertise and findings is essential, he added.

Referring to successful initiatives that have been ceased or are partially active, such as the agreement supported by the UNODC between Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, to cooperate in the area of counter-narcotics enforcement, Zolfaqari said international communities are expected to fund the UNODC to support such regional agreements.  

“In line with the implementation of numerous resolutions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Human Rights Council, we call for an end to sanctions and the procurement of effective technical and equipment assistance to countries on the front lines of the fight against drugs,” Zolfaqari further noted.

In addition to delivering a speech at a high level segment, Zolfaqari will hold bilateral and multilateral meetings with officials of the Narcotics Commission, the Executive Director of the UNODC, the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Jallal Toufiq’s, ministers, and heads of delegations from other countries, IRNA reported.

Moreover, with the support and participation of the UNODC, it is planned to share the country’s experiences in harm reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and reunification of recovered people with society and inform participants, specialists, and experts of the measures taken in this regard.

Commission on Narcotic Drugs

The CND is the central policy-making body within the United Nations system for dealing with all drug-related issues. It examines the global drug situation, promotes the international drug control mechanism, and identifies the satisfaction of international institutions in the field of drug control.

Through reviewing the global drug situation, taking balanced approach to interrelated issues of illegal drugs demand, supply and trafficking, monitoring the implementation of international conventions on narcotics, psychotropic substances and chemical precursors, providing recommendations to strengthen international drug control activities, facilitating scientific research and exchanging information, CND assists the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations in performing its tasks, and establish the policies governing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) activities, and its financial resources.

MT/MG