OSCE-UNODC experts work to more effectively combat the illicit trafficking of opiates from Afghanistan

More than 110 experts gathered on 17 April 2024 in an effort to strengthen regional initiatives for combatting illicit trafficking in opiates originating in Afghanistan at the Expert Working Group of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Paris Pact Initiative hosted by the OSCE. The Paris Pact initiative is an international coalition for combatting illicit trafficking in opiates originating in Afghanistan.

Participants discussed the latest trends and the impact of the opium ban introduced in 2022 by the de facto authority in Afghanistan. They also explored ways to improve law enforcement networks for countering the threat of drugs from Afghanistan, build counter-narcotics capacity through training and other assistance, address financial aspects of drug-related crimes, promote regional co-operation and better understand the links between drug trafficking and other forms of organized crime.

“The importance of cross-border co-operation in counter-narcotic operations takes on heightened significance, particularly in the challenging context of Afghanistan. As the discussions at this Expert Working Group meeting underscore, collaborative efforts play a vital role in the global fight against the illicit drug trade,” said Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director of the UNODC Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs.

Collaboration is at the heart of the Paris Pact, said Riku Lehtovuori, UNODC’s Paris Pact Initiative Coordinator. “Over the years, the representatives of Paris Pact partners have worked together to provide updated recommendations across all four thematic pillars of the Paris Pact, drawing from the principles outlined in the Vienna Declaration adopted in 2012.” The four pillars focus on enhancing co-operation for regional initiatives, detecting and blocking drug-related financial flows, prevention related to manufacturing of opiates, and reduction of drug abuse and dependency.

“The threat of smuggling opiates and synthetic drugs from Afghanistan is very serious. The world drug problem remains a major challenge for the international community, threatening security and undermining human, economic and social development in many regions of the world,” said Alena Kupchyna, Co-ordinator of OSCE’s Activities to Address Transnational Threats. She underscored how the OSCE continues working closely with its participating States in Central Asia to address the security impact of the situation in Afghanistan, including through an OSCE cross-dimensional project, run in close co-ordination with UNODC, on enhancing youth crime and drug use prevention through education on legality and awareness campaigns addressing threats of organized crime and corruption.