On June 26, under the chairmanship of Andranik Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia and Chair of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), a high-level event was held at the Vienna International Centre to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The event was titled “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses.”
Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan and Dr. Monica Kathina Juma, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), delivered opening remarks.
The event featured presentation of the 2026 World Drug Report. Prepared by the UNODC, the report provides a comprehensive overview of developments in the global drug market, trends in illicit drug trafficking, and the principal challenges shaping global drug control policy.
In his remarks, Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan emphasized the crucial responsibility of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to assess progress made in addressing the world drug problem, identify developments in the field, anticipate emerging threats, and, where necessary, adopt collective decisions to strengthen the global drug control system. He also underscored the importance of the World Drug Report in consolidating and coordinating these efforts, while helping to guide future action.
The event also featured statements by Sevil Atasoy, President of the International Narcotics Control Board, Dr. Lorraine Nolan, Executive Director of the European Union Drugs Agency, as well as numerous heads of permanent missions accredited in Vienna and representatives of international and civil society organizations.
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Embassy and Permanent Mission of Armenia in Vienna