7 March 2017 - Today, UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov, met with the Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations in Vienna, Ambassador Mitsuru Kitano, to sign a funding agreement of almost $23 million. The agreement supports several projects which aim to tackle illicit drugs, and to bolster terrorism prevention and law enforcement in Africa, Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries, South and Southeast Asia, among others.
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Fedotov expressed UNODC's appreciation for the support provided by the Government of Japan in past years and for the upcoming period. In 2017, the country's supplementary budget contribution to UNODC is of $22.8 million - a 40 per cent increase compared to 2016. "Japan is a committed partner to UNODC's global efforts against the interrelated challenges of illicit drugs, transnational organized crime, corruption and terrorism. I warmly appreciate the support it provides and look forward to future cooperation as we move closer to the United Nations Crime Congress to be held in Japan in 2020," Mr. Fedotov said.
Speaking at the signing event, Ambassador Kitano commended UNODC's work and expressed his hope that his country's contribution would further strengthen the close collaborative approach which UNODC and Japan have developed.
As the host country of the next United Nations Crime Congress in 2020, Japan reaffirmed its commitment to implement the Doha Declaration which confirms the importance of effective, fair, humane, and accountable crime prevention and criminal justice systems and the institutions comprising them as a central component of effective rule of law, as well as the importance of promoting a culture of lawfulness and strengthening public participation.
UNODC, with the support provided, can also promote an integrated approach for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global, regional, and national level as outlined in the 2030 Agenda. This UN-wide, long-term strategy intends to transform the development paradigm to ensure that all aspects of development are considered, including security, justice, good governance and the rule of law - indicators which are enshrined in SDG 16.
Part of the total amount - around $158,000 - was provided by Japan's Drug Abuse Prevention Centre (DAPC). UNODC and DAPC have been cooperating since 1994, and since then the Centre has raised some $6 million in support of the demand reduction work of UNODC. At the end of the signing ceremony, Mr. Fedotov presented to Mr. Kitano the report of the activities funded by the DAPC 2016 contribution.
UNODC's work on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
