Montenegro: UNODC and National Counterparts Agree Strategic Partnership Framework  

 

15 December 2023, Podgorica, Montenegro: From 11-14 December, a team from UNODC’s Regional Office for South-Eastern Europe undertook a program development mission to Podgorica, Montenegro. The mission served to present a new Montenegro-UNODC Strategic Partnership Framework to national counterparts and international partners.

“This framework is intended as a comprehensive blueprint for UNODC's engagement, collaboration, and partnership with Montenegrin national counterparts over the next five years at the national and regional level”, stated Danilo Rizzi, UNODC Regional Representative for South-Eastern Europe.

“UNODC intends to complement and enhance the implementation of Montenegro’s UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and support Montenegro’s goal of joining the European Union addressing, in particular, chapter 23 and 24 of the acquis Communautaire”, Rizzi noted.

During the mission, UNODC briefed counterparts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Interior/Police Directorate and the Ministry of Health. Meetings with UN sister agencies and international partners, such as the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre, OSCE, the European Union Delegation and various diplomatic missions, were also held.

This mission built on an initial mission conducted in September. Based on the conducted consultations, UNODC has developed the proposed Strategic Partnership Framework, which will feed into the development of the next cycle of the UNODC Regional Program for South-Eastern Europe.

The new Regional Program is currently under development and will be further discussed during the upcoming sessions of its Steering Committee in early 2024.