In an attempt considered by many NGOs as a step to clarify his controversial speech at the opening of the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crimes (UNODC) 54th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of UNODC, called for an informal dialogue with NGOs representatives..
During this dialogue, NGOs expressed criticism of UNODC’s work around the world, while Fedotov defended his previous speech at the opening session when he rejected criticism that the 50-year-old 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is out of date and urged the international community to rejuvenate the convention.
In this informal dialogue Fedotov told NGOs representatives that for him not all drugs users are victims, but rather human beings who need help and assistance regardless of the role they play in the network of the drug procurement system. He stated that prevention is the best solution and he highlighted the role of the UNODC in keeping children away from drugs, as an example. Fedotov called on NGOs to develop more skills and family and community level programs to prevent drug addiction. Fedotov said, “it is not an acceptable way of life, together we need to raise a public campaign against taking drugs.”
Fedotov reflected on the meaning of the word “rejuvenation”, stating that 50 years after the adoption of the single convention, we are experiencing new ways of life, globalization effects and new problems. Therefore, we need to take into consideration the provisions of international law and global circumstances when applying the convention.
Fedotov said that what is needed today in terms of the war on drugs and drug prevention is a “shared responsibility doctrine” between the UNODC, governments, and NGOs. The Executive Director seemed to be calling on more cooperation with NGOs by stating that NGOs can reach places and people whom governments and the UN cannot. “No one can beat NGOs” he added. Some NGOs might well ask why, if this is a general feeling, the voices of NGOs are ignored so often.
Fedotov admitted that the number of participants from African NGOs is shrinking year after year in UNODC meetings due to low capacity and low resources. He pointed out that there need to be more African voices to start common action campaigns between the UN, local governments and NGOs to fight drug smuggling all over the world and especially in Africa.
