United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

South Eastern Europe

Key Principles

The Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe (2016-2019) is grounded in a number of key principles:

• The inter-regional drug control approach
• Impact orientation, based on operational and practical results
• Strategy, integration and non-duplication
• Coordination, communication and cost-efficiency

3.3.1    Inter-Regional Drug Control Approach

In 2013, UNODC initiated a new Inter-regional drug control approach (IRDC) to stem drug trafficking originating from Afghan drug cultivation and production. Afghanistan and the wider concerned region (Central and West Asia, South Eastern Europe, the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, and Eastern Africa) provide a strategic geographical coverage where UNODC and its partners may develop synergies to maximize impact, and therefore enhance integration and inter-regional coordination among existing thematic, global, regional and country programmes. In this way, UNODC's umbrella approach can address the drug trade along traditional Balkan, Northern and Southern routes, as well as along new trafficking routes, including by sea.

The IRDC favours synergies and coordination by following a multi-dimensional approach through combined law enforcement measures and cooperation in criminal matters, including in the area of money laundering, to tackle drug trafficking and transnational organized crime activities in determined geographical areas. This platform of drug control cooperation fully responds to the call to raise awareness, mobilize collective action within and outside the UN, provide greater coherence to the UN's efforts, and serve as a platform for new initiatives.

The inclusion of South Eastern Europe into the IRDC is important in ensuring the comprehensiveness of the approach in light of the central role of the region in the modus operandi of crime syndicates in various criminal activities, including those related to drug trafficking and money laundering.

3.3.2    Impact orientation through operational and practical results

To ensure maximum potential impact, the Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe (2016-2019) will include support to priority areas that have been identified by the Governments from the region as useful and requiring UNODC's attention, especially in the fields of home affairs, justice and public health; as described in the Mid-term In-Depth Evaluation, the approach of the RP is "impact oriented in a strategic niche." [4]

Section 5 provides an overview of just some of the examples of impact made to date through the Regional Programme approach. Strategic partnership with the countries/territory of the region will be beneficial in strengthening the capacities of national institutions and fostering regional and inter-regional cooperation. In addition, this approach will build on best practices and experiences, to multiply the impact of successful initiatives at the national and regional levels.

3.3.3    Strategy, integration, non-duplication

UNODC recognizes that South Eastern Europe is a region where results have been achieved through the provision of bilateral and multilateral technical assistance. The countries of the region share a common goal of accession to the European Union, and the Regional Programme will contribute to this process, strengthening in particular the areas that require attention in the context of the negotiations under chapters 23, 24 and 28 of the EU acquis communautaires .

UNODC carefully monitors the yearly European Commission progress reports for each country, which provide a comprehensive assessment of achievements and remaining challenges in sectors related to UNODC's mandate. While the reports highlight progress by the governments in the region, UNODC also takes note of some of the issues still requiring attention. For example, some of the reports for 2014 indicate that some potential members, " will need to vigorously pursue judicial reform…; [that] corruption remains a serious concern in many areas; [that] the territory of the country continues to be used for transit and storage [of drugs]; [that] organised crime remains an issue of serious concern ", etc.

UNODC is consistently mindful of areas requiring continued attention, and in partnership with the governments of the region, is drafting support options in a focused manner, avoiding duplication and addressing only areas where required assistance can be provided by UNODC. Furthermore, within its Inter-regional drug control approach, UNODC will continue to play a unique connecting role in the enhancement of operational cooperation among the countries of South Eastern Europe and West and Central Asia in order to support the efficient tackling of drug and other forms of trafficking and transnational organized crime along the "Balkan route".

UNODC assistance is provided within a development context, with the overall objectives of the Regional Programme contributing to successful fulfilment of UN Development Assistance Frameworks ( UNDAFs) and the Common Development Plan (CDP) in the region.   The 2016-2019 Regional Programme will support and contribute through the Delivering as One approach of the United Nations, thus avoiding duplication in planning requirements for the national partners, while increasing synergy and complementarity . [5] UNODC operates in line with UNDAFs in the region and is currently involved in several new UNDAF processes in order to contribute most effectively to the achievement of national priorities, and it is useful to note that some of their timeframes will coincide with the new cycle of the Regional Programme. [6]  

As part of the integrated efforts aimed at further enhancing cooperation within the UN, UNODC has launched the United Nations Task Force on Drugs and Organized Crime within the UN Country Teams in the region (pilot tested in Serbia as of January 2015 and based on best practices rolled out in other countries of the region). [7] The Task Force supports the vision and the non-duplication approach of UNODC, ensuring coherence and mainstreaming UN anti-drugs and crime policies, technical support and cooperation programmes.

UNODC will further deepen its collaboration with existing partners and identify strategic joint operational windows of partnership to be implemented through concrete activities that will result in visible achievements. These partners include the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the South Eastern European Law Enforcement Centre (SELEC), the Regional Centre for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC), the Turkish International Academy against Drugs and Organized Crime (TADOC), the Secretariat of the Police Cooperation Convention for South Eastern Europe (PCC SEE) and other organizations. UNODC will continue working with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other UN agencies in South Eastern Europe. Furthermore, UNODC will continue to participate in donor coordination mechanisms for the region, including the Treptower Group meetings which provide valuable networking opportunities and information sharing on initiatives by different counterparts in the Western Balkans, as well as through the Mini Dublin Groups, which provide a forum for support to the counter-narcotics efforts in the Western Balkans by EU Member States and other countries.

Finally, UNODC will continue to work closely with and through the Paris Pact Initiative, as well as the Regional Programme for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries .

3.3.4     Coordination, Communication, Cost-efficiency   

A thorough Mid-Term Evaluation of the 2012-2015 Regional Programme welcomed the smooth communication and coordination processes achieved by UNODC through the "one window" approach. In the course of the implementation of the Regional Programme (2016-2019), UNODC will maintain these coordination, communication and management arrangements through the Regional Section for Europe and West/Central Asia at UNODC-Vienna in conjunction with its Programme Offices in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Skopje and Tirana. The detailed strategies on these arrangements are noted in Section 3.3.3 above (partnerships and coordination of action with external counterparts), and Chapter 7 below provides further detail.

Some of the activities contributing to efficient coordination, communication and cost-efficiency include the following:

• regular dialogue and updates for the South Eastern European representatives as well as other counterparts; 
• a network of the Programme Steering Committee members, Permanent Missions in Vienna and UNODC;
• regular meetings of the Programme Steering Committee;
• dissemination of quarterly newsletters and updates of a dedicated UNODC webpage; 
• regular UNODC programming missions to South Eastern Europe; 
• partnerships and collaboration with various partners;
• cooperation with local actors, including UN (inter alia in the context of UNDAF/UNCDP);
• fund-raising activities and donor briefings.