Brasilia, 14 March, 2023 – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Brazil accompanied the Brazilian delegation to the 66th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which took place at UNODC Headquarters from 13-17 April in Vienna, Austria. The delegation headed by the National Secretary for Drug Policy of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Senad/MJSP), Marta Machado, together with the Permanent Mission of Brazil in Austria, participated in a series of activities to articulate cooperation and regional dialogues.

One of the objectives of the extensive agenda was to reposition Brazil in the global debate on drugs and in the development of international drug policy. “Over the next few days, we intend to strengthen our ties with all countries, aiming to build consensus and develop drug policies that lead to a safer and more equal society," said Secretary Machado in her speech at the Plenary of the 66th CND.

Machado highlighted Brazil's priorities throughout the Commission, advocating the use of an integrated and multidisciplinary approach on the drug issue, which respects human rights, addresses social vulnerabilities and racial discrimination, and emphasizes health, environmental protection, and social perspectives. "We will pay special attention to groups disproportionately affected, such as women, indigenous and black people, children and adolescents, and the street population. We recognize drug use as a public health and social development issue and we will work, based on scientific evidence, to improve health and social protection systems," said Machado.

Pointing out the vulnerability of indigenous communities based in the Brazilian Amazon to negative impacts resulting from the intersection between drug trafficking and organized environmental crime in the region, Machado stressed the importance of strengthening the intelligence, noting that "these challenges require effective law enforcement, combined with environmental protection and the rights of indigenous peoples.”

Brazil also participated in the side event "Aligning Drug Policy with Environmental Protection", organized by the Transnational Institute (TNI); the 10th Brazil-European Union Meeting of Experts on Drug Policy, organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Brasilia; and the launch of the UNODC Global Cocaine Report 2023, which included data from Brazil provided by the Center of Excellence for Drug Supply Reduction (CdE), a partnership project among SENAD/MJSP, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).