Vienna (Austria), 11 September 2023 – Civil society plays a vital role in implementing international drug policy commitments and has contributed significantly to shaping policies and practices worldwide through engaging with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). To facilitate and further strengthen meaningful civil society participation in the upcoming CND thematic discussions, UNODC in collaboration with the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC), hosted a highly successful online workshop titled, "The Road Towards 2024 – how to effectively engage in the CND thematic discussions", which took place on 7 September 2023.
The thematic discussions, scheduled for 23-25 October and 4-6 December 2023, will serve as a comprehensive stock-taking of the progress made in the implementation of all international drug policy commitments to address the challenges identified in the 2019 Ministerial Declaration, and will help Member States to prepare for the 2024 Mid-Term Review. The annual CND Thematic Discussions, held since 2016, have provided a valuable opportunity for Member States and relevant NGOs to exchange ideas on effective strategies to address and combat the global drug problem. This includes discussions on good practices, challenges, and lessons learned.
In preparation for this year’s thematic discussions, one of the key objectives of the workshop was to guide NGO representatives, especially those who are new to this meeting format, on the process of engagement. This included insights into the speaker selection process and valuable tips on submitting relevant abstracts.
In her opening remarks, Mirella Dummar Frahi, Chief of the UNODC Civil Society Unit (CSU) highlighted past achievements and good practices relating to civil society engagement at the CND and drew attention to the land-mark Resolution 66/1 that gives the Vienna NGO Committee a clear mandate to coordinate civil society engagement in the upcoming 2024 High Level Segment of the CND.
Ms. Lucia Gonzales Lopez from UNODC Secretariat of the Governing Bodies presented the discussion guide to help participants better understand the challenges that will be discussed during the October thematic discussions.
Two VNGOC representatives, Mr. Matej Košir (Chair) and Ms. Penny Hill (Deputy Secretary) provided guidance on how relevant NGOs can apply to speak during the discussions. This practical insight into the application process was aimed at ensuring that NGOs are well-prepared to take an active role in the discussions. NGO representatives interested to speak were invited to fill out the online form by 17 September.
Throughout the workshop, ample opportunities for questions and answers were provided, allowing participants to seek clarifications and deepen their understanding of the process and the topics to be discussed.
The workshop reminded the registration for the October session is open until 18th October, and all NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC interested in participating in the CND thematic discussions are encouraged to seize this opportunity. For further details and to register, please visit the meeting website.
With a record number of registrations, the first-ever workshop on CND thematic discussions brought together more than 200 participants, highlighting civil society's strong commitment to actively engage in shaping global drug policies.
2023 CND Thematic Discussions including registration link (Deadline 18 October)
Discussion Guide for the 2023 CND Thematic Discussions (October & December)
Application to speak in the October Thematic Discussions (Deadline 17 September)
