Regional and International Cooperation
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Iran, through the Country Partnership Programme in Iran (2016-2019), facilitates participation of experts at senior and technical level from relevant national organizations in different regional and international conferences and seminars, with the aim of promoting dialogue and experience exchange at the bilateral, regional and international level, along with the promotion of international conventions, standards and best practices.
- Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was established by Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 9(I) in 1946, to assist the ECOSOC in supervising the application of the international drug control treaties. In 1991, the General Assembly (GA) expanded the mandate of the CND to enable it to function as the governing body of the UNODC. ECOSOC resolution 999/30 requested the CND to structure its agenda with two distinct segments: a normative segment for discharging treaty-based and normative functions; and an operational segment for exercising the role as the governing body of UNODC.
- Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)
The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 1992/1, upon request of General Assembly (GA) resolution 46/152, as one of its functional commissions. The Commission acts as the principal policymaking body of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. ECOSOC provided for the CCPCJ's mandates and priorities in resolution 1992/22, which include improving international action to combat national and transnational crime and the efficiency and fairness of criminal justice administration systems. The CCPCJ also offers Member States a forum for exchanging expertise, experience and information in order to develop national and international strategies, and to identify priorities for combating crime.
- International Narcotic Control Board (INCB)
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is an independent, quasi-judicial expert body established by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 by merging two bodies: the Permanent Central Narcotics Board, created by the 1925 International Opium Convention; and the Drug Supervisory Body, created by the 1931 Convention for Limiting the Manufacture and Regulating the Distribution of Narcotic Drugs. INCB has 13 members, each elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of five years. INCB members may be re-elected. Ten of the members are elected from a list of persons nominated by Governments. The remaining three members are elected from a list of persons nominated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for their medical, pharmacological or pharmaceutical experience. Members of the Board shall be persons who, by their expertise, competence, impartiality and disinterestedness, will command general confidence. Once they have been elected, INCB members serve impartially in their personal capacity, independently of Governments.
- Mini Dublin Group
The Dublin Group is a flexible, informal consultation and coordination body concerned with the global, regional and country-specific problems of illicit drugs production, trafficking and demand. It is comprised of the 27 Member States of the European Union, Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, the United States, the European Commission and UNODC. The Dublin Group operates on three levels: the central level, the regional level and the local level (Mini Dublin Group).
The Mini Dublin Groups monitor all aspects of the drug control situation in the host country, including the legal situation and the organization and facilities of the anti-drugs authorities, particularly in relation to national masterplans strategies, where these are in place. This also includes the assessment of the political will of the host country to conduct a comprehensive and resolute anti-drugs policy.
The Mini Dublin Groups conduct a dialogue with the host country, develop initiatives and pass on any proposals from the host country. When appropriate, officials of the host country can be invited to meetings of Mini Dublin Groups.
In close cooperation with the UNODC field offices (if UNODC is present in the country), the mini-Dublin Groups maintain a current inventory of existing and planned anti-drugs activities in order to enable identification of needs and to avoid duplication.
The chair is held by the Head of Mission of the country holding the regional chairmanship. The Mini Dublin Groups hold regular meetings, at least twice a year. The meetings are prepared in cooperation with the UNODC field office if it exists. The chair draws up the minutes and informs the Dublin Group members not represented at the meeting. In case the regional chair is not represented and in other exceptional cases, an ad hoc solution has to be found based on the principle of mutual assistance.
The Mini Dublin Group in the Islamic Republic of Iran has the main tasks of compiling local situation reports, facilitating coordination on drug policy and assistance, conducting a dialogue with the host country on drug control, drawing up recommendations, and implementing the orientations of the Central Dublin Group and regional chairs.
The Mini Dublin Group in Tehran consists of representatives from the embassies of the member states, while other countries take part as observers, and is currently chaired by Germany. The UNODC Country Office in the Islamic Republic of Iran provides MDG with expertise and technical and secretariat support.
- Paris Pact Initiative
Since its inception in 2003, the broad international coalition known as the Paris Pact Initiative, made up today of 58 partner countries and 22 organizations, including UNDOC, has evolved into one of the most important frameworks for combatting illicit traffic in opiates originating in Afghanistan.
As a well-established platform for consensus building, the Paris Pact functions as an essential bridge between political commitment at the highest international levels and the ground. It is a multilayered initiative that defines and strengthens linkages between various counter-narcotics actors at the global level. The partnership aims to define policy and provide stronger evidence for coordinated action by all Paris Pact partners.
A particularly challenging period lies ahead in light of evolving international political agendas coupled with the Transformation Decade for Afghanistan. Numerous drug and crime related resolutions and political declarations of the UN General Assembly and Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) emphasize the important ongoing contribution of the Initiative in the fight against opiates.
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Triangular Initiative
In June 2007, UNODC brokered a new regional forum to seriously tackle the Afghan opiates challenge called the Triangular Initiative (TI), bringing together drug control authorities and counter narcotics police of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. The TI umbrella of cooperation aims to operationally engage the three countries in finding field-oriented solutions to the transnational threat posed by the trafficking of Afghan opiates and the diversion and smuggling of associated precursors. The response agreed and implemented under the TI umbrella aims to target, at the source, the smuggling of Afghan opium, morphine and heroin, two thirds of which is trafficked through Iran and Pakistan territories to the regional and European markets.
The Triangular Initiative divides its umbrella of operations into different drug control areas, including inter-alia: (i) Joint Planning Cell (JPC) in Tehran to serve as a platform for information/intelligence exchange and joint operations; (ii) intelligence-based operations against narcotics traffickers; (iii) Border Liaison Offices (BLOs) in selected locations on selected borders; (iv) regional maritime security cooperation; (v) alternative development and job creation initiatives; (vi) illicit flow of cash and anti-money laundering; (vii) drug demand reduction and advocacy; and (viii) holding Ministerial and Senior Officials meetings.
TI has three aspects of significance: (1) political value, (2) confidence building, and (3) technical cooperation. It must be remembered that these three countries could hardly be persuaded to sit in the same room despite facing common challenges where cooperation is essential. These countries have many overarching geopolitical tensions and some of the borders are not agreed, therefore making issues related to anti-trafficking measures and border control linked to core national security considerations. This has made regional cooperation on drug control very difficult. The significance of the TI should be understood in terms of its political value to engage the three countries around one table and for bringing the members into constructive dialogue with international community through efforts for reaching a concrete regional drug control framework.
TI Strategic outcomes
- Renewed commitment to operationalize agreements and strengthen existing trust and confidence building processes among Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan in order to boost counter-narcotics and border control policies.
- Reaching agreements among the TI members and international community through UNODC technical support to engage in broader areas of cooperation such as through mutual legal assistance, illicit cash flow, and anti-money laundering regimes, and reducing the impacts of negative socio-economic consequences of illicit drugs including its abuse. This move towards broader cooperation to complement law enforcement cooperation will be supported in the framework of the Regional Programme.