9 May 2013 - UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov has launched the new UNODC Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil together with the Secretary of National Drug Policy of the Ministry of Justice, Vitore Maximiano. Mr. Fedotov traveled to the country this week to formalize this new partnership with the Brazilian government: "The opening of a Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil is a very important moment in the development of UNODC's integrated response to illicit drugs and transnational organized crime".
UNODC has been operating in Brazil for over 20 years, and has been a Regional Office since 2001 covering Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The newly established Liaison and Partnership Office in Brasilia will operate in a new format focused on regional and inter-regional cooperation - including South-to-South initiatives - with an added emphasis on promoting collaboration and dialogue with other countries.
"UNODC's added value is its ability to work with Member States to build sustainable responses to the issues of illicit drugs, corruption and crime. The new Liaison and Partnership Office is a vital part of that strategy", said Mr. Fedotov. He expects that this format of a Liaison and Partnership Office will serve as a model for similar initiatives in other countries.
During the event, Maximiano declared: "This is a strategic partnership for Brazil and neighboring countries to act on decreasing supply and reducing demand for drugs."
The mid-term strategy of the UNODC Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil will focus on: transnational organized crime; illicit trafficking, including drugs; corruption; terrorism prevention; justice; drug use prevention and treatment; trend analysis; and support for research and policy development.
