VIENNA, Austria: The 63rd Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) kicked off in Vienna on Monday with Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Organizations in Vienna Mansoor Ahmad Khan in the Chair.
The Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi is leading the Pakistan delegation to the Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs from March 2-6, 2020.
The Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Heads of various UN organizations in Vienna were also present in the opening ceremony.
Opening the meeting, Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan emphasized that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs signified commitment of the UN in combating global drug problem, including the threats from new psychoactive substances. He urged member states for making an effective contribution into the work of this session in pursuit of this shared objective.
In Pakistan’s national statement, the Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi reiterated Pakistan’s commitment for continued efforts to eliminate the threat of drugs which was seriously affecting Pakistan, particularly as a transit state in the region. In this regard, he underlined the importance of capacity building and technical assistance, especially for member states like Pakistan which are in the forefront of the fight against illicit drugs.
Pakistan’s Chairmanship of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs reflects recognition of Pakistan’s leadership role in steering the agenda at the multilateral institutions including the United Nations organizations and subsidiary bodies.
