New York, September 4, 2024 — While emphasizing the principle of common and shared responsibility, Pakistan has highlighted the need for deploying greater political will to address the global drug problem. It acknowledged a critical role of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in enabling the member countries to mitigate the drug-related crimes through a comprehensive approach marked by an all-spectrum action from controlling illicit cultivation to demand reduction.
Ambassador Usman Jadoon, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the U.N, made these remarks while delivering a statement during a side-event on the topic of a unified approach on addressing the world drug problem. The side-event, held at the UN headquarters today, was co-hosted by the Permanent Missions of the Russian Federation, China, Cuba, Egypt, Singapore, Pakistan and Uzbekistan and UNODC.
Ambassador Jadoon expressed Pakistan’s concerns about the world drug problem, which poses a serious and persistent global challenge in terms of its ill-effects on health, safety, security, socioeconomic development and well-being of the society at large.
Pakistan’s deputy UN envoy said that as a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan is pursuing a comprehensive legal, policy and administrative framework to counter the world drug problem.
He said the Government of Pakistan is working on a zero-tolerance policy in combating the global challenge of illicit drugs as part of and a comprehensive counter-narcotics strategy.
Ambassador Usman Jadoon stated that despite limited resources and technological gaps, Pakistan continues to demonstrate leadership in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse, standing as a frontline state in addressing the spread of opiates and synthetic drugs originating from the region.
“Pakistan remains resolute in its efforts to safeguard society and the world from the devastating impact of illicit drugs. We will continue to work in close collaboration with the international community to combat this issue with unwavering determination,” he explained.
DPR Ambassador Jadoon also threw light on key components of Pakistan’s counter-narcotics initiatives, which include stringent precursor control regime; drug demand reduction campaigns; enhanced treatment and rehabilitation; bilateral, regional, and international cooperation; and gender strategy and advocacy plan.
