UNODC Supports Knowledge Sharing at the Regional Level in the Field of Drug Demand Reduction
Opening ceremony with participation of the UN Resident Coordinator, UNODC Representative, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and 150 participants from governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan 8 February 2015 - Regional Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) Management Training and Consultation brought together experts from governmental and non-governmental organizations from the countries of the West and Central Asia for a three-day training in Tehran. 
From left to right: Mr. Esbjorn Hornberg, Chair, Vienna NGOs Committee; Mr. LeikBoonwaat, Representative,UNODC Iran; Dr. Alireza Jazini, Deputy Secretary General of DCHQ; Mr. Abass Deilamizadeh, Chairperson, ADNA Network; Dr. Parviz Afshar, Deputy Director General, Drug Demand Reduction, DCHQ. This training which aims to train the treatment experts from the regional countries on the management of the emerging problem of ATS, has been organized with the support of the newly established Asian Drug Demand Reduction/ Harm Reduction NGOs Association (ADNA), Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ), the State Welfare Organization (SWO) of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as part of the Regional Programme of Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries.
The event was inaugurated with a brief introduction by Mr. Abbas Deilamizadeh, the Executive Director of the ADNA about this network. "ADNA established in 2014 as the culmination of the Second Regional Consultative Meeting towards Networking of Drug Demand and Harm Reduction NGOs which was held with the support of the DCHQ and UNODC" he said. The opening ceremony started with welcoming remarks by Dr. Alireza Jazini, Deputy Secretary General of the Drug Control Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In his speech, Dr. Jazini stated that management of the ATS use is one of the main priorities for DCHQ. He further added that accessibility and affordability of this drug contributed to its considerable increase and use all over the world. 
Addressing the opening ceremony, the UNODC Representative in Iran, Mr. Leik Boonwaat, stated that ATS constitute the second most commonly used group of illicit substances worldwide and Central and South-West Asia are emerging as new markets. He added that considering this rising trend, apposite respond should be utilized. He pointed out that since its establishment in 1999, UNODC Iran has been a strong supporter of advancing drug demand reduction and harm reduction efforts in Iran with the involvement of non-governmental organizations, both at the national and regional levels. Mr. Boonwaat added that the Iranian DCHQ has been encouraging the involvement of NGOs in drug demand reduction and harm reduction issues, and that these organizations are working in all areas of demand reduction and HIV control. Mr. Esbjorn Hornberg, Chair of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) also highlighted the important role of the non-governmental organizations in the field of drug demand reduction while explaining that VNGOC is going to bring the voices of civil society to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS) in 2016. The Deputy of Drug Demand Reduction and Public Participation of the Drug Control Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, highlighted the change in the drug use pattern and hoped that this three-day training would help the experts in management of the ATS use. Dr. Parviz Afshar further explained that Islamic Republic of Iran has a valuable experience in the field of Drug Demand Reduction which will be shared with the participants during this training. On the closing notes, Dr. Homayoun Hashemi, Head of the State Welfare Organization emphasized on the importance of the community based initiatives in the field of drug demand reduction. He further added that accurate information should be disseminated at community level and awareness programmes to be valued. Following the opening ceremony, the training started with participation of the experts from governmental and non-governmental organizations of Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
This activity was supported by EU. |
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