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Tackling drugs, crime must be part of post-2015 development agenda, says UN official

Head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Yuri Fedotov addressing an ECOSOC panel discussion in Geneva.
Jean-Marc Ferré
Head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Yuri Fedotov addressing an ECOSOC panel discussion in Geneva.

Tackling drugs, crime must be part of post-2015 development agenda, says UN official

The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today stressed the links between combating these two significant threats and achieving a sustainable world, during discussions on the future global development agenda.

“If people are to have a hope of living free from fear, conflict and violence, we must tackle the global, interconnected challenges of drugs, crime, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, corruption and terrorism,” said UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov.

“Let us ensure that addressing these threats is part of promoting sustainable development and securing a peaceful and equitable future for all,” he added in his remarks at a panel discussion held in Geneva as part of the current session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The discussion focused on the “Vienna-based commissions” related to drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice – which are subsidiary bodies of ECOSOC – and their importance in the context of the ‘post-2015’ development agenda.

The international community has been engaged in elaborating a global development agenda beyond 2015, the deadline for achieving the globally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr. Fedotov discussed the report of the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which emphasized the importance of building “peace and effective, open and accountable institutions for all.”

“Simply put, security, justice and rule of law matter if we want to attain sustainable development outcomes,” he said, highlighting UNODC’s ongoing efforts to develop a monitoring framework to measure these issues as they relate to development.

He emphasized that the dialogue on the post-2015 development framework comes at a critical time, with high-level meetings to discuss global policies to combat drugs and crime also scheduled to take place over the next years.

“These events present an historic opportunity,” said Mr. Fedotov. “The dialogue which is taking place at the highest levels and with a broad range of stakeholders can help to ensure that the key issues of drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice do not fall by the wayside.

“ECOSOC has a vital role to play in this process, and it is my hope that the Council will continue to reinforce its engagement in these critical issues,” he said.