30 March 2012 - Senior staff from UNODC and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) met today to discuss ways to cooperate and coordinate their activities.
Opening the session, the Executive Director of UNODC, Yury Fedotov, stressed the importance of their two mandates and called on staff present to find ways in which UNODC and OSCE can add value to each other's work.
"Our two organizations have much to offer each other in the way of building programmes and delivering assistance in the field," said Mr. Fedotov.
He described issues such as drugs and crime as threats that require global solutions. Integrated regional programmes offered a platform for building political commitment and delivering practical action for the international community, not just UNODC, he said.
Mr. Fedotov expressed the hope that the forum could be used to discuss emerging issues in a number of regions. All of which, Mr. Fedotov noted, had an impact on the OSCE regions of Europe and Central Asia.
In his remarks, the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier stressed the need to explore linkages and possible synergies in addressing transnational threats, including corruption and money-laundering: "OSCE and UNODC are key partners in addressing transnational threats in the OSCE region, and I am fully committed to further strengthening coordination and cooperation in a pragmatic manner - both in Vienna and in the field."
Following the opening, staff delivered presentations on fighting illicit drugs, terrorism, transnational organized crime, corruption and money-laundering, among other issues.
Both sides agreed that the discussions had been helpful and expressed willingness to start preparations for the drafting of a joint action plan for 2013-2014.
UNODC and OSCE have met for many years to review the results of their cooperation; however, the relationship was formalized in 2010, when Mr. Fedotov met with the then OSCE Secretary General, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, to agree on a joint plan of action to improve planning and operations.
