Central Asia's Unified Resolve and Cooperation to Effectively Address and Counter Drug-Related Challenges

A/RES/78/284No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 64Zone of peace, trust and cooperation of Central Asia, published in 2024.

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 topics

Central Asia Drug Control Drug Traffic Drugs of Abuse Regional Cooperation Technical Cooperation

What does this mandate say?

15 operative paragraphs

Acknowledges the efforts of the States of Central Asia to actively promote a society free of drug abuse by considering the development, implementation and evaluation of comprehensive, balanced, scientific evidence-based and multidisciplinary strategies aligned with the obligations under applicable international law, including the three international drug control conventions, and the international drug policy commitments, and also acknowledges the ongoing joint efforts in the region to implement specific practical measures in this direction, while stressing the importance of respecting, protecting and promoting all human rights, fundamental freedoms and the inherent dignity of all individuals and the rule of law in the development and implementation of drug policies;

Also acknowledges the commitment of Central Asian States to continuing to fully comply with their obligations, achieve the goals and objectives and implement the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988;

Acknowledges the strong intention of the States of the Central Asian region to improve national and regional cooperation on drug-related matters, including an enhanced integrated border management, and cross-border information exchange, especially along the trade and transit corridors to prevent drug trafficking and related illicit financial flows, the development of unified approaches to scheduling of controlled substances as well as the introduction of a regional electronic database of results of forensic chemical examinations of amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances, within the regional networks of interaction between law enforcement and judicial authorities and between them;

Invites Member States of the Central Asian region to consider enhancing cooperation among public health, education and law enforcement authorities when developing and implementing scientific evidence-based drug use prevention initiatives;

Underscores the importance of strengthening cooperation in Central Asia by considering and developing strategic initiatives and action plans to counter threats posed by illicit trafficking in opiates and synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine, as well as their precursor chemicals, at the regional and international levels;

Welcomes the efforts of Central Asian States to promote increased access to and availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing their diversion, misuse and trafficking, to achieve the goals and objectives as well as to implement provisions set out in the three international drug control conventions;

Calls upon the relevant United Nations institutions to assist the countries of the region, upon their request and within respective mandates, in countering the illicit production of and trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, and the laundering of proceeds of drug-related crime, in particular within the framework of the programmes of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as sustained activities of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, and to support the development of regional strategies and enhance regional cooperation through information-sharing and joint operational activities, using capabilities of regional organizations where feasible, and reinforcing national programmes in Central Asia aimed at providing non-discriminatory and voluntary access to drug-related prevention, treatment, education, care, sustained recovery, rehabilitation, social reintegration and related support services, in particular for people who may face obstacles when accessing those services, including, where relevant, those impacted by social marginalization, while mainstreaming a gender perspective into the development and implementation of those national programmes and services;

Calls upon the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and other relevant United Nations entities, to support countries of the region in taking effective and practical scientific evidence-based measures, including interventions related to prevention, treatment, care and recovery support, as well as other public health interventions, to address harm associated with illicit drug use as part of comprehensive, systematic and sustainable demand reduction initiatives, and addressing challenges related to drug use disorders and co-occurring comorbidities;

Encourages Member States to promote bilateral, regional and international cooperation with and technical assistance to States, including in Central Asia, affected by illicit crop cultivation and illicit production, manufacture, transit, trafficking, distribution and abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including synthetic drugs, in developing and implementing comprehensive and integrated policies, including through intelligence-sharing and cross-border cooperation, and by reinforcing national programmes aimed at education, prevention, early intervention, treatment, care, rehabilitation and social reintegration;

Encourages Central Asian States, with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant international and regional organizations and the donor community, subject to the availability of funds, to enhance data collection, research, the sharing of information and the scaling-up of studies on the impact of illicit drug trafficking and distribution on those affected by and vulnerable to illicit drug use, including youth and women, in support of the comprehensive scientific evidence-based and balanced decision-making and drug policies;

Welcomes the establishment of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Information Centre for researching and analysing transnational threats in the region related to drugs and crime with a view to enhancing data collection and understanding of the drug-related trends and driving scientific evidence-based policies;

Encourages the Central Asian States to establish partnerships, with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant United Nations entities, regional and international organizations, within their respective mandates, including the Information Centre for researching and analysing transnational threats in the region related to drugs and crime, as appropriate, other Member States and relevant stakeholders, including law enforcement, judicial and health-care personnel, by voluntarily establishing and strengthening partnerships or cooperation with civil society, academia and private sector entities, where relevant and in accordance with domestic laws, to conduct research and surveys to address drug-related public health and public security challenges related to the illicit production of and trafficking in drugs and all other aspects of the regional drug problem in Central Asia;

Also encourages Central Asian States to consider, including in the context of comprehensive and balanced drug demand reduction efforts, relevant interventions that prevent the transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases associated with drug use, as well as consider ensuring access to such interventions, including in treatment and outreach services, prisons and other custodial settings, and promoting in that regard the use, as appropriate, of the technical guide for countries to set targets for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users, issued by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS;

Further calls for strengthening common efforts of Central Asian countries on promoting the use of new technologies and means to counter illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and their precursor chemicals, including through the darknet, surface web and social networks as well as on preventing the use of electronic payment systems and virtual assets, including those provided by virtual asset service providers, and non-cash assets, for these purposes, in particular, through continued development and implementation of measures aimed at mitigating risks, associated with these assets, and preventing their misuse and abuse for illicit drug-related purposes;

Invites Member States, relevant United Nations entities, international financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders to enhance the provision of tailored, targeted, effective and sustainable technical assistance to the States of Central Asia, upon request, in the form of training, capacity-building, provision of equipment, sharing of knowledge, and transfer of technology on a voluntary and mutually agreed basis, through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant specialized agencies and bodies of the United Nations system, within their respective mandates and existing resources, and international and regional mechanisms, to implement the provisions of the present resolution in Central Asia.

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