Bangladesh: UNODC's cutting-edge tools boost law enforcement capacities and frontline resilience to counter the drug problem
Key national agencies—the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), Bangladesh Customs and Criminal Investigation Department, Bangladesh Police--were provided with 120 precursor and drug testing kits to enhance capabilities in the identification and testing of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. UNODC Regional Representative for South Asia, Mr. Marco Teixeira formally handed over the kits to senior officials in Dhaka, in the presence of Mr. Abdul Wahab Bhuiyan, Director General of the DNC and Mr. Tun Nay Soe, Interregional Programme Coordinator, Global SMART Forensic Programme, UNODC. Supplementing these cutting-edge identification kits, frontline officers combating the illicit drugs threat in Bangladesh were trained to rapidly identify illicit drugs and their precursor chemicals.
(Supported by the
US Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs)
Sri Lanka: UNODC empowers health practitioners with essential treatment skills in drug use disorders
In Sri Lanka, as in many parts of the world, drug use disorders present a multifaceted challenge requiring a nuanced and comprehensive approach. In this context, UNODC conducted two trainings on Treatnet Volume A in Sri Lanka for 45 practitioners from the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Ministry of Health, Department of Community Correction Service, Bureau of Commissioner General for Rehabilitation and civil society. The trainings prioritized inclusive learning, deploying real-time interpretation services and bilingual training tools to overcome language barriers. In addition, 30 facilitators from Sri Lanka's National Dangerous Drugs Control Board and civil society engaged with global trainers at a hybrid mentoring session focused on "Strong Families." This session facilitated the sharing of good practices and involved crafting impactful workplans to strengthen drug use prevention in communities.
India: UNODC champions discourse on access to justice at Regional Legal Aid Conference hosted by NALSA
UNODC experts presented good practices, international norms and insights from South Asia at the first regional conference on Access to Legal Aid hosted by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), in collaboration with the International Legal Foundation (ILF), UNDP and UNICEF. The conference was aimed at supporting partnerships to increase access to legal aid across the Africa, Asia and Pacific subregions of the Global South. Deliberations were held on key areas, including developing effective examples of people-centric justice systems and strategies for reducing pre-trial detention.
Maldives: UNODC promotes multi-disciplinary community-based approaches to counter violent extremism
In Maldives, UNODC delivered a national workshop on effective multi-disciplinary and community-based rehabilitation and reintegration (R&R) strategies, for over 40 participants from state institutions and relevant ministries, non-governmental organizations, and the academia. The workshop promoted the implementation of age-sensitive and gender-responsive R&R programming, while supporting the empowerment of local communities in the reintegration efforts. The Maldives workshop served as a crucial platform for practitioners, centred around the development and implementation of sustainable community-based R&R programs through a whole-of-society and multidisciplinary lens. An important aspect raised in the discussions was the role of civil society and communities in R&R efforts, emphasizing the need for inclusive environments and tailored approaches with age and gender-related considerations.
Bangladesh: UNODC fosters awareness and strengthens capacities of service providers on HIV prevention, Treatment, Care and Support for People who use Stimulant Drugs
40 officials from government, civil society and community-based organisations were trained on addressing HIV/AIDS among stimulant drug users and at-risk populations in Dhaka. The three-day training raised awareness while also equipping participants with foundational knowledge on working with stimulant drug users. Emphasizing a harm reduction approach, the training facilitated exchange of insights and good practices to help practitioners develop interventions for the prevention of communicable diseases. Participants provided valuable recommendations to UNODC, paving the way for the development of a pilot intervention tailored to the unique challenges faced by stimulant drug users in Bangladesh.
Building safer and healthier societies with education
Mr. Marco Teixeira, UNODC Regional Representative for South Asia and Communications Officer Mr. Samarth Pathak held enriching discussions with Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Secretary (School Education), Ministry of Education, Government of India on interventions to build integrity and lawfulness and prevent risky behaviours among young people.
Empowering wildlife guardians with technology
UNODC equipped the Bangladesh Forest Department with laptops, in an effort to enhance the capacities of the Wildlife Crime Control Unit. This technological infusion is part of ongoing discussions aimed at building collective responses against wildlife crime--supported by the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
Amplifying regional cooperation with knowledge sharing
With support of the Government of Japan, UNODC facilitated a study visit for 10 Sri Lankan officials to India, fostering cross-learning on drug prevention and treatment, supply, rehabilitation and good practices--a vibrant India-Sri Lanka exchange of ideas on countering the drug problem.
Shaping unified responses to the drug problem
UNODC and The Pema Secretariat organized a two-day expert group meeting, bringing together key government stakeholders and civil society. Experts assessed the draft National Response to Substance Use, paving the way for discussions on a comprehensive national strategy in January.
Join the UNODC Network in South Asia
Our Partners
Our activities in South Asia are possible
due to the generous support of:
Canada
European Union
Germany
India
Japan
Joint UN Program Fund
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States of America
UBRAF/UNAIDS
UN Secretary General's Peace Building Fund
UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund
Government Partners:
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Call for Partnerships:
Impacting Lives with Innovation
Advancing Crime Prevention, Justice and Health in South AsiaUNODC Regional Office for South Asia has developed a wide range of projects and initiatives on the following thematic areas:
-Building law enforcement capacities against drugs and organised crime
-Addressing drug use and HIV/AIDS -Enhancing multi-stakeholder responses to counter Trafficking in Persons -Engaging young people and educators on crime prevention, integrity, Global Goals and peace with educational interventions
-Promoting family skills to reduce risky behaviours among young people -Countering corruption -Addressing Gender-based Violence
-Strengthening responses to prevent and counter wildlife crime
-Countering cybercrime and promoting online safety
We seek activesupport to enable the implementation of these programs and to scale-up efforts to promote security, justice and health among vulnerable groups in South Asia. Our partnerships aim at building national and regional alliances on our mandates, which are closely linked to national, regional and global priorities as well as the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Let's join hands to enable and aid large-scale and impactful initiatives that help people lead safer and healthier lives . Your support can make all the difference!
To know more, please contact:
Mr. Samarth Pathak
Communications Officer
UNODC Regional Office for South Asia
Email: samarth.pathak@un.org Cellphone: +91-9811347927
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) assists Member States in their efforts to combat illicit drugs and international crime. Over the past two decades, the UNODC Regional Office for South Asia(ROSA) has been working with governments and civil society in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, providing specialized assistance to address challenges pertaining to drugs, organised crime, security, justice and health. The commitment to Sustainable Development Goals, human rights and the rule of law is at the core of our mandate.
Contact Us
C-97 (Ground Floor), Defence Colony, New Delhi-110024, India
Email: samarth.pathak@un.org
