Chair: Welcome back to our session.
Namibia: Congratulate chair and elected members of the Bureau. Commend the UNODC secretariat. Namibia aligns herslef with Africa group and G77 statements. Many countries were impacted by the third wave of the COVID. It’s a relief that the omicron wave hasn’t been that deletarious. However, we were impacted by travel bans that harmed our economy.
Mister chair, the menace of drug abuse is prevalent. It’s unfortunate that many transit countries have become consumer countries. Namibia has been one of these cases. The increase of drugs seized have increased. In spite of our efforts, the problem remains as the production of drugs continues, and narcotics continue to reach people who are vulnerable. About 70% of all drug use is cannabis related. In addiction to cannabis, other substances are under increase in Namibia and globally. [List of drugs seized continues]. The fight against illicit drugs is a shared responsibility. We need to uphold the principles of multilateralism. The 2019 ministerial declaration, the SDGs, and the 2016 UNGASS Outcome Document are our guiding documents.
In order to achieve these aims, we have updated our national drug plans. We are also guided by the Africa Union Plan of Action and the 2016 UNGASS Outcome Document. We will continue implementing action plans. The ongoing international trend to liberalise cannabis will continue impacting our efforts. Whatever countries do, must be guided by science and by cost-benefit analysis.We must make sure that there are meaningful engagements at all levels to engender common understandings. In conclusion, Namibia reaffirms its commitment to address the drug problem together with the international community.
Norway: Thank you Chairperson, Executive Director, Excellencies, representatives of Civil Society, Ladies and Gentlemen, Firstly, let me welcome you, Ambassador, as Chair of the sixty fifth session of the CND. I can assure you of Norway’s full support. Chairperson, Norway condemns Russia’s attack against Ukraine in the strongest possible terms. The Russian aggression is a clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Norway is aligned with all EU sanctions against Russia. Distinguished delegates, Drug related problems have massive consequences for individuals and society. It is our common concern and responsibility to address this in a renewed manner and our main policies are: Prevention and health promotion must take place in all areas of society. Drug users have the right to a dignified life and to the necessary health care, regardless of substance. We need a change in the current drug policy. People suffering from substance use disorder should be met with help and treatment instead of criminal reactions. Prevention, saving lives and securing dignity must be the number one priority. This calls upon a public health approach as the preferred framework. At the same time, we oppose to legalize cannabis and a general decriminalization of illicit drugs. To conclude, Norway will strongly promote; prevention and public health, full respect of human rights, liberty, democracy, equality and solidarity, substantive support for the SDGs, proportionality of sentencing for drug offences, abolition of death penalty for drug related crimes, ending of practices which are not in line with the rule of law and the principles of human rights, removing stigma, respectful inclusion and participation of civil society, close cooperation with all relevant UN agencies, availability to controlled medicines. I thank you.
New Zealand: NZ condemns the agression against the people of Ukraine. CND is an important forum for international drug policy. NZ has a health-based response to drug use which we have built on recent years. We have urged the state to not prosecute drug possession for personal use, instead we seek to refer them to health. We have also legalised drug checking through world-leading regulations Drug checking can only contribute to warning systems globally.
NZ is committed to preventing the importation and manufacturing of ilelgal drugs. We wlecome international cooperation to address the world drug situation. We recognised the need to protect vulnerable people in sitaution, particularly indigenous peoples. Like many other countries, we are very concerned by the death for drug offences, and we continue to advocate for its abolition.
Malta: Let me express Malta’s full solidarity with Ukraine, and we condemn aggression against it. Every single day illicit drugs kill around 1000 days. Millions of precious life are ruined. Malta has not been spared, and in recent years we have saught to address this through measures that seek to mitigate the harmful impacts of durgs. In 2015 we introudced the tretment not imprisonment act. The best way toa address these challenges toa dopt a human rights-based appraoch. Our focus is to provide treatment for user. Users are not criminal. Keeping this approach, my govt usually adopted a responsible legal cannabis law, keeping the well-being and health of users at the heart of our policies. Our cannabis auhtority has also been mandated to run educational campaign, while also addressing the harmful stigmatisation. We will work hand in hand with law enforcement to prevent abuse and penalise criminal organisations. Our support for the international conventions remains resolutie. We will conduct impact assessment studies aimed to analise the effects of these measures. Health and welfare are two overarching objectives to Malta’s drug policies. Our approach continues to be multifacted, through action to ensure access to treatment and rehabilitation services. Please join our side event.
Finland: Expres full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We fully support its independence, soverignty, and territorial integrity. Condemn Russian aggressian and its flagrant violation of international law. We need reliable data to back our policy decisions. Experience has taught us that in order to achieve best results on health well being and safet we need to seek cooperation between social, health, law enforcement, and other stakeholders such as people who use drugs and civil society. Human rights need to be taken into account. Drug policies need to be implemented comprehensively while respecting human rights, and well being. We align ourselves with advocates that condemn death penalty and extrajudicial acitviites. Let me finish by sharing INCB’s concern over the lack of access to controlled medicine sin Ukraine. We need to ensure that there are enough substances and simplilfy procedures.
Paraguay: As I am the first woman in Paraguay when it comes to the fight against drugs. It’s a real point of pride for me to note development on the topics of gender on the agendas of different cooperation partnerships that we’re working with. Paraguay is a landlocked country, and also considered to be a country of transit, which means our national government has had to fight drug trafficking on the one hand, but on the other hand, carry out actions to reduce demand through reducing supply and in terms of reducing supply. In 2021 activities carried out led to property damage of $241 million
for instance, eradicating 6925 tons of marijuana.
And so far in 2022, we have made among other significant seizures a very significant seizure in which we have broken down structures of organized criminal activity from start to end, causing so far damage of over $100 million
as well as making record seizures. On the other hand, we mustn’t forget the comprehensive and sustainable alternative development. And this is a process that we’re carrying out with the industrial hemp value chain, for example, as well as medicinal use cannabis. We’ve achieved all of this with strong international cooperation. And this is something that we always consider to be at the heart of this fight. against the scourge of drugs. Thank you Chair.
Tajikistan: we are at the forefront of the struggle against drug trafficking along the northern route. The drug situation in Tajikistan varies depending on the drug situation in Afghanistan, with which we share a border spanning almost 1400 kilometers. The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, drug production and trafficking have increased in 2021, our law enforcement and security agencies seized 68% More illegally trafficked narcotic drugs than in 2020. More than half of all of the seized drugs in the country can be attributed to areas that are situated along the border with Afghanistan in 2021, seizures of synthetic psychotropic substances, including psychotropic tablets increased by 250%, which is extremely concerning. Despite our efforts to strengthen Tajikistan, Afghanistan border smugglers often explore new ways of getting their drugs into Tajikistan which is the leader of the nation. President has adopted a set of urgent measures to stabilize the drug situation to shut down drug smuggling channels and to reduce illegal drug trafficking and drug use. Accordingly another important instrument in this regard is the national drug strategy for 2021 to 2030. Its main purpose is to protect Tajikistan In the face of the drug threat and its adverse consequences as well as to enhance measures to counter drug trafficking, which is one of the sources of international terrorist financing.
In 2021, Tajikistan had 4749 registered drug dependent persons, which is 350 less than in 2020. This amounts to 51 drug persons per 100,000 people, distinguished delegates due to the upward trend and drug production trafficking from Afghanistan, and also to the consequences of COVID-19. We request partner countries and international organizations to assist us in strengthening our border with Afghanistan by building new installations in our areas near the Afghanistan border, and by enhancing the equipment of law enforcement, allow me to use this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to partner countries and to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for their unfaltering support in combating the drug trafficking threaten Tajikistan Thank you
Ghana: Ghana remains grateful and reaffirms its unflinching support and cooperation to the Commission in addressing and countering the world drug situation. Mr. Chair, Ghana believes that addressing the challenges is a shared responsibility. And we must share ideas as member countries still committed to Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. A new drug law is a product of the close relationship between government and civil society. The law in this forward looking state views drug use as a public health issue, rather than a criminal justice concern. The law has put in place alternatives to incarceration for people who use drugs and proposed evidence based treatment and prevention programs. Ghana is taking cognizance of the increase in exploitation in the West African sub region as a class imports for illicit drug money laundering. That region is granting the rise of non medical use of medicinal and pharmaceutical opiates. There is a solid need to classify efforts to adopt appropriate evidence based strategies to address the situation. Reducing supply and law enforcement are both vital, diverting and controlling chemical precursors and reducing violence associated with drugs. We still face challenges through the trafficking of small quantities and related violence. Let us be reminded of the need to intensify harm reduction based strategies in addressing the drug problem. Facts on drugs save lives. Let us continue to involve people with facts on drugs to help them make informed decisions, and right choices to save lives.
Iran, Islamic Republic Of: Since the previous session, new and important developments have unfolded throughout the world, and particularly in West Asia, that can negatively affect the all out campaign against volt drug problem. Therefore, it requires serious attention by the global community. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to begin reporting of my country’s measures and activities with a verse from the Holy Quran, which states that whoever saves a human life, indeed saves all the mankind. This divine command has been the guideline of measures adopted by the Islamic Republic of Iran taking into account the well being and prosperity of all humans regardless of their religion, gender, color, race and nationality. In line with this all inclusive campaign against the world drug problem the Islamic Republic of Iran succeeded in 2021 to carry out approximately 5000 operations and aren’t on an old confrontation to discover some 1100 cones of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Last year, 14 members of the Iranian law enforcement agencies were martyred in combating narcotic drugs and 26 others in fighting bandits and terrorist elements. It should be noted that more than 9000 authorized treatment and harm reduction clinics provided relevant services to more than 1.4 million people in 2021. Special attention has been given to the establishment of rehabilitation and Empowerment Centers for women and the use of capacity of non governmental organizations. Ladies and gentlemen, according to the UN ODC reporting, 2021 drug cultivation and production have increased in Afghanistan. Serious and immediate action and oversight are necessary in this regard. Mr. Chair, allow me to draw your attention to the issue. of sanctions. the United Nations in numerous resolutions has condemned selective approaches as well as the imposition of unilateral coercive measures, such as unilateral sanctions the measures by sought by certain countries in imposing tyrannical sanctions against Iran politicizing international cooperation and disrupting Iran’s relentless fight against international drug networks are tantamount to the flagrant violation of international law, human rights, and UN resolutions.
Philippines: Countries around the world are facing different challenges. What is alarming that despite covid, the drug problem persist. We do our best to promote programs and adapt to the changes to address illegal drug issues. Our government was governed by our strategy that has been institutionalized by an executive order by President Duterte. The implementations on prevention and control of supply and demand echoes the UN fundamental principles of comprehensive balanced integrated approaches as expressed in the 2019 declarations. In our country, the reduction efforts are articulated in our programs, targeting the elimination of cultivation, production, manufacture, sale, trafficking and distribution of drugs. On the ground, our policies clearly outline offences and penalties. This is supplemented by various programs and community initiatives that turns drug traffickers into law abiding members of society. Judicial action and alternative development are key to promote well-being and the elimination of poverty. Several of our initiatives promote a drug free world, and we established a youth council. We developed protocols for handling children and consolidated rules to upscale access to treatment, community based re-education and similar interventions. The full implementation of our strategy is at the heart of the Philippines ‘success to reduce supply and demand reduction. We remain committed to do our part in the global fight against drugs as we believe this is our common and shared responsibility.
Indonesia: Congratulation to our new chair and bureau. The drug problem continues to be one of the biggest global challenges and the pandemic further complicates this issue. In addressing the problem, we implemented several measures – utilizing all stakeholders on the implementation of our 2020-2024 strategy and action plan. We currently have 49 administrations and 142 regulations on regional level and over 100 task forces across the country. We revised our policies to include necessary measure to increase effectiveness of law enforcement, treatment, adding additional sanctions for NPS involved crimes; we tightened border security to improve physical resilience by improving infrastructure and surveillance around entry points; we improved our information collection and sharing. We are a candidate for CND membership for a next period and we call for your support in this. We are committed to work with the international community to tackle the World Drug Problem.
Uruguay: The world over the past few years has dealt with a global pandemic that had significant consequences on global health and our economies. As MS continued to fight against illegal markets, we passed our national strategy following a consultation process and inter-institutional work with various stakeholders linked to the topic of drugs. We go forward with a comprehensive vision with a human rights perspective, putting the person and their health and freedom at the heart of the policies. Our market regulation initiatives aim to manage risks and harms. We adopted a strategy in the direct fight against money laundering which is an international phenomenon that requires international cooperation. it is essential to build peaceful societies that are based on the rule of law and progress together towards the 2030 goals. Within the framework of our strategy, we commit to achieve SDGs, especially regarding education and developing resilience and prevent problematic use of drugs, with a focus on the most vulnerable members of society. We are focused on really not leaving anyone behind and taking care of those experiencing gender-based violence or homelessness. We place great importance on multilateralism and legal equality, we seek to promote open dialogue with different states and international organizations and in particular various agencies within the un system.
Argentina: It is an honour to represent my country at this sixty-fifth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Argentina ratifies its vocation to continue reflecting on the most appropriate practices and policies to address the World Drug Problem, under the principle of common and shared responsibility, with a multidisciplinary, comprehensive and evidence-based approach, in full compliance with international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, within the framework of the three international drug control conventions. In our country, drug policies are addressed as a comprehensive multi-agency policy between the Secretariat for Comprehensive Drug Policies (Sedronar), the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Health together with civil society organisations, understanding the importance of differentiating care practices for people who use drugs and the prosecution of organised drug trafficking crime. Substance use problems are related to the particularity and life history of individuals, to their context and time, insofar as the body, subjectivity and social relations are affected. Establishing comprehensive policies requires work on prevention, care, questioning consumption practices and guaranteeing accessibility to treatment. The pandemic has left us with pain, losses and lessons learned in relation to the need to strengthen States in comprehensive health and equity policies. We have learned that the confinement and conditions of uncertainty that we have experienced have increased people’s excessive relationship with substances and mental illnesses. In this sense, Sedronar’s Federal network of care grew by 60% to reach more people. Regarding the restriction of the illicit supply of drugs, we are working on the “Federal Plan to tackle Organised Crime 2021-2023”, which aims to prevent, identify, neutralise and dismantle serious crimes carried out by criminal organisations. Argentina is also committed to the availability of internationally controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. In this regard, we have a National Register of Chemical Precursors. The post pandemic leaves us with the urgency of working with the most vulnerable populations in accessibility policies, generating strategies with a gender perspective to strengthen youth and populations whose rights have been violated. Argentina will focus on researching, training and accompanying those who suffer, in processes of expanding rights and democratic participation with the constant persecution of crime in the framework of the paradigm of democratic security. Original statement in Spanish.
Russia: Congrats on the opening of the session. This conference has a history of operating along the Vienna consensus. Thus, it has proven its relevance. Over all these years, the 3 conventions constituted a strong foundation for the international drug control regime. This year is symbolic as we celebrate the anniversary of the amendment to the 1962 convention. We are gravely concerned by the efforts of some countries to legalize the trading of Cannabis. Much to our deep regret, several EU states are also contemplating violating their obligations to the three conventions, which we consider unacceptable. Compliance under the conventions is a requirement of the smooth functioning of the international drug control regime. Russia asserts that only those MS have the moral right to participate in the work of CND that, in good faith, abide by the treaties. CND is the prime policy making body. The pandemic brought to light weak spots in national drug policy regimes. This situation needs enhanced cooperation, and this is the reason of our proposed resolution. On the 16th of march we have an event about combatting the laundering of drug proceeds (…) Social isolation enhanced people´s vulnerability to drug abuse, especially among the youth. We have to be honest and look at the adverse effects of drug abuse. We will continue to support UNODC´s youth initiative that promotes healthy lifestyles among youth. The Russian drug control policy, during the pandemic, has prioritized uninterrupted access to medicine for the population. We welcome the decision of the commission to focus on this issue. We are deeply concerned by the situation in Afghanistan. Due to the freezing of the assets, opium production and sales is essentially the only source of income for many within the Afghan population. In December last year, the Paris pact was born (Moscow mtg). We strongly encourage efforts to build law enforcement institutions ‘capacities. We continue to expand out geological scope to combat drug threats. We are bewildered by the persistent attempts of some MS to politicize this session. We reject this politisation on the work of the CND, we condemn the black campaign PR not related to the mandate of the mission. Such attempts merely harm this session and undermine the trust of the international community. We support discussions to enhance our joint efforts to enhance our joint fight to counter the world drug problem.
Kenya: The challenge of drug abuse, illicit production and trafficking continues to be a major threat to the health, security and general well being of the people. The effects of substance abuse, substance use disorders are unforgiving, disrupting communities and families with many paying ultimate price of losing their lives through drug related crime and illnesses. Tragically, these effects have been worsened by the COVID 19 pandemic that has seen many people progress from drug use, to addiction to many other initiated to drug use, because of the pressure and stress associated with closed down of most economies and the pandemic restrictions. The emergence of new psychoactive substances, and synthetic drugs, including ATS have further complicated the drug problem for us. The geographical proximity of ATF from Southern Africa and MENA region leaves us vulnerable to trafficking and eventually misuse of these drugs. The effects have undermined the global commitment to attain the Sustainable Development Goals whose objective is to end poverty, protecting the and ensuring healthy life and well being of all people including those who use drugs. In Kenya, we have experienced increased levels of illicit drug trafficking and abuse with numerous outcomes including security challenges, substance use disorder, grain mental illness, HIV infections, drug overdose, as well as cases of premature deaths. To address this challenge. Kenya has adopted a multi pronged approach that focus on both demand and supply reduction. This response is guided by a national policies and legislation. that are aligned to the three international convention on drug control, the political declaration, plan of action and other relevant international recommendations. Some of the strategies employed in demand reduction include targeted mass media campaigns, less kills strong families, and workplace prevention programs, alongside treatment and rehabilitation of persons with substance use disorders on supply reduction coordination amongst security agencies, and the criminal justice system has enhanced control measures, thus facilitating effective surveillance enforcement, investigation and prosecution of drug related offenses. We must strengthen and expand treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration programs. These measures will ensure that persons with substance use disorders receive much deserved care and support and most importantly, that they’re they recover in dignity with family and community support. Chair, our experience has demonstrated that a strong national coordination framework and a multi agency response to the drug problem is the most effective way to counter today’s challenges of drug trafficking and abuse. such frameworks should be all inclusive, providing for the participation of all stakeholders, both the public and private sector. The magnitude of the world’s drug program is complex and dynamic, especially to developing countries as it requires heavy investment in building technology, technology, technical and infrastructural capacities. That support effective investigations, prosecution and other criminal justice processes. It is against this background that both the political declaration and plan of action and the UNGASS outcome document among others urge developed countries and the international community to provide both financial and technical support to developing countries. We therefore call on the international community to provide the much desired support to developing countries. Upon request for the unified response against the world’s drug problem. Chair. In appreciation of the importance of the regional collaboration, and in support of the work of the subsidiary bodies cannot offer to host the heads of national law enforcement agencies in September 2020. But this was not possible due to the COVID 19 pandemic and related restrictions. Considering that COVID-19 situation has improved, Kenya wishes to extend to offer to host the meeting this year, and hereby welcomes all member states of the African group and other relevant agencies to take part in the meeting and benefit from witnessing Kenya’s diverse and unique culture
Netherlands: The Netherlands condemns Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its violations of international law, including international humanitarian law in the strongest possible terms. This Russian aggression has many consequences. But it has also consequences on the work that we are discussing here. For example, in the context of people using drugs for the supply of controls medicine. We call therefore, on Russia to mute the season’s military activities in Ukraine and withdrawal from Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory. This aggression comes on top of the COVID crisis, and today we see the impact of the pandemic and of the measures taken to curb the infection rates in our societies. Major pre existing societal challenges have become increasingly visible and are accelerated today. Whilst the modeling on all the crisis was and is particularly burdensome on vulnerable and marginalized members of society, including people facing serious substance use disorders. The Netherlands fully aligns itself with the ambition of the 2022 high level political forum on sustainable development to build back better after the COVID-19 crisis. In this period, the Netherlands calls on governments to decriminalize the use of drugs, and to introduce evidence based policies, interventions and harm reduction services to reduce the drugs related deaths and overdoses in particular. decriminalizing the use of drugs is key to breaking down barriers to access addiction care and harm reduction services. In this context, we recall the decriminalization is allowed under the 1961 convention. In September last year, the Government of the Netherlands vowed to add 435 million euros each year to programs on countering and preventing organized crime, especially in the area of illicit drugs. key focus areas of this new impulse are dismantling drugs trafficking and money laundering routes, related cybercrime and illicit drugs, stricter border controls and preventing us from getting involved in drugs related crime, but also enhance international cooperation and enhance international cooperation. For example, related to our main ports in the Netherlands has a few gateways to Europe is really essential. Mr. Chair, our fight against drugs related crime is balanced at the same time with a strong policy based on evidence and is focusing on the protection and promoting of human rights. International collaboration on the exchange between United Nations bodies, state parties, civil society and also the scientific community is of utmost importance to attain our common goals. And in this context, we look forward to the briefing on the work of the United Nations system coordination task team, as well as to the presentation of the chair operator of Human Rights Council Working Group on the arbitrary detention later this week.
Albania: the Republic of Albania also as UN Security Council member has condemned and wishes to reiterate its concern at the fact that the values of peaceful coexistence among peoples human rights and democracy have been severely violated by the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Just before the global outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic. The Commission adopted the ministerial declaration reiterating that efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals and to effectively address the wall drug problem are complementary and mutually reinforcing. Two years after such efforts have become more arduous with additional challenges, adverse circumstances and impediments demanding normative and resilient approaches to pursuing effectively our shared goals. Considering the integrated nature of the goals and the inter linkages between them and efforts to address drug related issues, the government of Albania has pursued a comprehensive and concerted approach by promoting interventions in the field of prevention, early intervention, social reintegration, alternative development and social or use of confiscated as deriving from drug related illicit activities. Our ongoing initiatives place appropriate emphasis on individuals, families and communities with a particular focus on women and youth. We are pleased to have joined forces with a global partnership on drug policies and development to promote economic growth of farmers and families living in areas affected by or at risk of cannabis illicit cultivation by supporting them in using better available natural resources. To conclude, let me stress that the major forms socially supported by the government of Albania, including reforming the judicial system and strengthening law enforcement agencies guarantee sustained progress towards safe, peaceful just and inclusive society, free of drug abuses and harms.
Peru: our national drugs policy in Peru is oriented towards creating the required conditions for the development of legal economic activities for small scale cocoa farmers, secondly, reducing the production and trading cocaine and three reducing problem drug use. Aware that in spite of great efforts made by the Peruvian state to meet our obligations, when it comes to supply reduction, we have not been able to achieve a significant reduction in the cocoa growing space. We firmly believe that in order to achieve this goal, we need two conditions to be met. Firstly, we need to reduce and contain the international drugs demand. Secondly, we need to increase Technical Cooperation cooperate the commercial rather and financial activities to facilitate access to alternative Peruvian product products on international markets at fair prices. Therefore, the Peruvian state will be strengthening its alternative development model based on new relationships with different populations in the Andes Amazon region. And so in parallel with activities that prohibit and promote alternative development we are driving through an EU social citizen a compact which is legally binding and which is based on a commitment made between the state and coca leaf producers who will voluntarily agree to receive the benefits of the alternative element program avoiding the socio social consequences of forced coca eradication. These populations have to commit to voluntarily progressively reducing cocoa production and to start to work legally in exchange receiving support from the state and international cooperation. This new policy will also aim to defend the rights of indigenous peoples in the face of the uncontrolled growth of drug trafficking and deforestation, soil erosion, and environmental changes. We believe that the most effective way to progress in our fight against illegal drug trafficking is through detection. And seizure of goods which have been obtained illegally. We are convinced that only when producer and consumer countries work together in under the principle of common and shared responsibility are we able to obtain better progress in the global fight against drugs trafficking, which affects society on a global level
Japan: Congrats to the new chair and bureau as well as the Secretary. Russia´s aggression against Ukraine offends their territorial integrity. It shakes the un charter and the foundation of international cooperation, Japan condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s actions and calls them to stop their actions and come back to the path of diplomacy. We gathered here in good faith to learn from each other. We should explore comprehensive measures to combat drug related issues including illicit manufacture, trafficking, supply, etc. We should also talk about ensuring access to medicines. Protecting our most vulnerable communities should be at the front of our priorities. We are committed to carry out our work within the framework of the 3 conventions. We call others to follow suit, but we acknowledge disparities among countries. We appreciate international cooperation, education, training and education of healthcare officials, law enforcement and other officers under the guidance of UNODC, INCB and WHO. We appreciate UNODC´s work in Afghanistan. We continue to support UNODC´s mandate and it´s programs. Thank you.
Cuba: The scourge of drugs is a global problem that generates cycles of poverty, illness, inequality (…) This problem is increasing as new methods of trafficking appear as well as substances and online markets. We must apply the principle of common and shared responsibilities. If we continue to criticize each other, we will. We do not support the approach of the unwillingness of some states to disobey the conventions – it is a characteristic of a selfish and unequal international order. Our government firm commitment to zero tolerance, an effective legal system, social rehabilitation, and international legal cooperation are the basis upon which our successes lie. We ratify our commitment to the documents of 2009, 2014, 2016 and to the vision of a society free of drugs.
South Africa: We associate ourselves with the statement made by the African group and the Group if the 77 and China. We are still recovering from the consequences of the pandemic. The massive economic carnage it has cause has brought forth new challenges and exposed vulnerabilities globally but more so in the developing countries… Trafficking and exploitation by criminals is on the rise. We introduced the discussion with India about vaccine equality (…) to ensure we can get back on track to implementing the 2030 Agenda. We appreciate the assistance of the UNODC. We reprioritized our public spending – I am pleased to inform the commission that we allocated extensively more budget to health responses. We established a fusion center where various experts sit together to fight against covid19 and related difficulties. We are gradually loosening restrictions posed on our population and we are building back better. Africa is reinstated as a hub for vaccine (…) Illicit financial flows are a critical enabler of drug traffickers and has an incremental effect on development. Our continent is among the most vulnerable and has been used as a transit point by criminal groups, especially taking advantage of our youth. We welcome the recommendations of the WHO ECDD especially in dealing with the most prevalent and dangerous substances as well as precursors. We welcome the continued attention of the ED´s office to the AIDS pandemic so it is not lost in the fight against COVID19.
Czech Republic: We align with the statement made by EU and we express our full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We strongly condemn Russia´s actions. The AIDS epidemic situation has been critical in Russia and Ukraine – Russia has not only been ignoring science but also has been imposing it´s policies on neighboring countries. We are very concerned that the recent progress in Ukraine might be reversed [due to the occupation]. Recent studies point towards Russian speaking criminal gangs and the connection between highly placed governmental figures and the connection to criminal systems… We reaffirm our commitment to the 2016 UNGASS outcome document as well as the 2009, 2019 declarations. Policies should focus on human rights, proportionate sentences and alternatives to coercive sanctions to improve the situation of PWUD. We believe in the efficacy of a controlled market model over blind prohibition, especially with the knowledge of the low risk of cannabis consumption. There seems to be no added danger in countries that experiment with this model and decriminalize people who need support and made treatment more accessible, moreover it seems to increase the well-being and informedness of citizens. This is more in line with our commitment than harsh penalties and exclusion. Harm reduction should become an overall concept in legislation as well as service provision. Care and public health go hand in hand – in this regard, civil society is a key player so we strass again that cooperation in all decision making is a must. Our national approach encourages research and further development that addresses addictive behaviour regardless of legal status. We are exploring controlled market and other effective policies – in the context of the Czech Repoublic, and our regio, methamphetamine problems (…) we are committed to multilateralism to effectively address this world drug situation.
Burkina Faso: The Burkina Faso aligns itself with G77 and Africa group statements. We are deeply concerned by the scourge of drugs. The WDR2021 shows us that 275 million people consumed drugs in2019. 36 million people have suffered problems linked to drug use. Projection shows an increase in the number of drug use in developing countries, including Africa. This will make countries more fragile. While our country tends to be known as a country of traffic, we are facing an increasing use of cannabis and other substances and tramadol, which leads to serious consequences for young people and increases gang violence. There is a strong link between terrorism acts and illegal drugs trafficking. The government is carrying out prevention activities through raising awareness amongst young people. We have seized kilos of cannabis. It is more urgent than ever to strengthen international cooperation. Trends towards relaxing control for cannabis can be harmful. My delegation would like to applaud the efforts made by UNODC and other partners. Within this framework, we would like to welcome the opening of a new office by UNODC in Burkina Faso. Finally, we would like reiterate our determination to work with all delegations towards the success of this session.
Honduras: (Congrats) We would like express our concern about Russia´s military operation in Ukraine and would like to call for a way out through dialogue and diplomacy in order to keep peace. Multilateralism is the mechanism to deal with and respond to global challenges such as the drugs phenomenon. We are aware that the approach to dealing with the problem must be a common, shared but different responsibility. We abide by the 3 conventions and the documents of 2009, 1024 and 2016, 2019. By reducing demand and supply as well as combatting money laundering, our main goal is to build an equitable country. We need urgent assistance from the UN and its bodies – an immediate intervention regarding restructuring of police investigations, court proceedings, institutional anticorruption projects. Our country has suffered and we have to deal with serious structural and social issues. As a transit state, we deal with multifaceted challenges although this scourge is a global challenge. We must recognize new trends and social demands as well as increasing our bilateral and multilateral cooperation. We are also facing low availability of substances under international control for medical and scientific purposes, eg. pain relief or palliative care. We hope efforts and policies will not just deal with control but look after people´s health and well-being. Honduras, in line with the work of CND, will minimize the adverse effects of the world drug problem. We appreciate the support of UNODC.
Romania: We align with the EU statement. We express our full solidarity with Ukraine and the brave people of the country against this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russia – we call for an immediate stop to this humanitarian disaster. Russia has to respect their commitment to international law and provide assistance to civilians fleeing this aggression. Since our last meeting, the pandemic continued to have serious effect on our societies, especially looking at the consumption rates rising and the proliferation of the market. Following the adoption of the EU drug strategy, Romania is updating its national policy framework to adapt European priorities to the local needs. In terms of efficient response to the drug phenomena, we think drug policies should respect al human rights and fundamental freedoms; UNGASS outcome document is essential in achieving this; reliable data and statistics is needed to have a realistic picture of the situation; UN conventions remain the cornerstones of our systems and we need to be committed to their implementation; INCB needs to be strengthened in a balanced manner; innovative approaches are needed for prevention, treatment and care with the involvement of civil society organizations and representatives. We need to achieve concrete results; therefore we welcome a number of resolutions geared in this direction.
Thailand: (congrats) Based on the principle of common and shared responsibilities, we believe the CND is essential in building back better after the pandemic. Our new narcotics control code came into effect last December and our new strategy comes into effect 2023-2027 that aims to increase seized assets, developing national and regional databases. Thailand has been strongly supporting the work of the UNODC in the last 5 years – we have a strong determination towards the CND membership, and we will continue to advocate for evidence-based policies. We also seek support from other MS. In conclusion, UNODC, INCB, WHO and other concerned entities in the UN system have our full support.
Venezuela: We support the statement made by the 77 and China and reiterate that CND is the only governing body of the international drug control system and highlight the leadership of INCB. We believe we have to have shared principles emanating from our work, striking a balance between action and commitment, between transit and production countries. For us, combatting drug trafficking means accepting that we share a border with the largest cocaine producing country in the World. It has to be a priority to keep our territories free of illicit crops – which we have successfully achieved in the last 15 years. We reject international coercive measures – cooperation, capacity building and technical assistance are key, so we call for impartiality in receiving this support. This year, have seized tons of drugs, the highest amount in years and our military operations destroyed illegal laboratories and landing strips more than ever before. We organized training courses and established a national statistics center and held our first international drug policy conference. We insist on complying on this commission’s mandate and that we don’t move away from our agenda because of political motivation – we need all states to work on the topics that are in CND´s mandate.
Angola: We support the statement made by the 77 and China and the African group. We align with those countries that prohibit the manufacture, production, sale of illicit drugs. Traditionally, these sessions take place during the international month of women so I call your attention to the suffering of women (…) Young people must be protected and our policies must focus on human health.
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Tunisia: We align ourselves with the statement of the Group of African Countries and G77 + China. My country, aligning itself to the different conventions, submitted a report on the recommendations put forth by the INCB after the visit conducted to our country in October 2018. It looked at the implementation of the Tunisian state to prevent drug addiction and rehabilitation; especially when facing problems in prison. INCB commended the professionalism and skills of the Tunisian officials. With regard to the legal framework, amendments for judges to look at cases with regards to consumption and texts will be updated if they’re obsolete or don’t go hand in hand with recent commitments and new trends, including marketing through the dark web. We will also soon update the Table B of Law 52 92 and the Special List of Dangerous chemicals whilst looking at means of disposal and distribution. Tunisia addresses mental health during rehabilitation. We are working to introduce alternative treatments to opioid addiction, and working with our national office to ¡collect data on drug addicts. Centre opened to provide prevention and rehabilitation programmes. We work internationally to replicate this project in different parts of the project. In 2021, we launched the strategy of prevention, reduction of risk and treatment of harms related to drugs in the community and prisons for 2021-2025. Important role of UNODC in this regard and we look forward to the implementation of this strategy with the support of international organisations, donor countries and civil society. We are still going through exceptional circumstances due to the COVID pandemic, additional repercussions in prevention and drug control; which calls for more cooperation and collaboration to reduce the impact of pandemic on youth.
Saudi Arabia: 65th session is convened and the world is still suffering from the COVID pandemic. Whether illicit drug trafficking, prevalence, use or addiction. Here, we would like to reiterate that we are committed to all international conventions to address the world drug problem including the conventions. To address and respond to the drug risks. We save no effort to address the problem of drugs and reduce harms and adapt to the new circumstances and mitigate their repercussions and adapt to the new developments as a result of COVID-19, chemical precursors and their use in manufacturing illicit drugs, and the use of information technologies for trafficking purposes. We have seized 22 tons of cannabis. And 470kg of crystal methamphetamine. We have also seized a significant amount of captagon exceeding local consumption. During COVID-19, Saudi Arabia witnessed an increase in smuggling substances at quantities that exceed local demand. Authorities in Saudi Arabia are fulfilling their role in terms of treatments for people with addiction under high quality medical supervision, including preventative programmes, education programmes for schools and education in the workplace, media and new media programmes – to educate families, workers and students on the harms of drugs and means to prevent and protect against it. We also ensure acquisition of controlled medications for scientific and medical purposes. We need to commend regional and international efforts among all agencies to confront the question of drugs.
Republic of Korea: UNODC is the leading entity to tackle the illicit spread of drugs, effectively coordinating global efforts, building capacity and supporting the achievement of a world safer from drugs. Global drug markets and distribution networks are becoming more sophisticated. In the past two years, under COVID 19, in particular, things have worsened. Last year, the amount of narcotics and psychotropics seized increased by more than 700%. In addition, drugs and substances are becoming more mobile. International flights decreased, so drug traffickers resorted to delivering through EMS shipping and international courier services. The number of cases tripled. The amounts of seizures are under 10 grams. A growing number of people use international mailing services to source drugs. Korea adopted a measure to control drugs in November of last year, taking down online marketplaces, and introducing controls of new or similar substances. We also take a closer look at crypto-currency transactions. We are ready to strengthen our contribution to counter the challenges of illegal substances. Korea is determined to play a constructive role to facilitate cooperation to combat the world drug problem.
India: We pledge our full support to the success of the session and appreciate the work of the Secretariat in highlighting the latest trends in the WDR 2021. It highlights new challenges related to the impact of COVID 19, including in relation to treatment and also trafficking. In pursuing the commitments made in the policy documents, it is imperative that we keep abreast with the ramifications of this situation and take proactive steps to ensure the availability of controlled substances for medical purposes. We have amended our regulations to ensure an uninterrupted supply to ensure domestic and international trade. Concrete measures for drug demand reductions as well as primary prevention, early intervention and social reintegration, which are effectively implemented. Treatment and rehabilitation, counselling, expanded and strengthened to reach the vulnerable. Drug free India campaign has helped create mass awareness, identify stakeholders and achieve vibrant participation of youth and women. The seizure of heroin cargo in our coast shows expanded use of Arabian Sea for drug trafficking. We emphasise that bilateral and multilateral cooperation as well as capacity building will make us better equipped to tackle maritime trafficking as well as courier trafficking among others. We reiterate active participation in countering the WDP. This session will give new impetus and momentum towards realising our shared objectives in dealing with the world drug problem and comprehensive development.
Nepal: We align ourselves by the statement of G77+China and Group of Asia-Pacific Groups. The ongoing health crisis and economic downturn related to COVID have compounded challenges. As we recover, we need strong commitments and solidarity to battle against this complex problem. The pandemic has hindered access to legitimate supply and exacerbated injurious effects like mental health disorders and illicit drug trafficking. Building back better advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is difficult, so we need to intensive your global and domestic efforts. We subscribe to the international conventions, enhancing domestic legislation including the Narcotic Drugs Act 1976. Similarly Drug Act 1978. Effective drug control strategies tailored to our unique reality. We are fully committed by the goals stated in the 2009, 2016 and 2019 political documents. A significant reduction of drug abuse and ensuring the availability of substances for medical purposes is part of our commitment. IN these challenging times, we request the international community and UN entities to supply capacity building and technical support to implement strategies in support of our commitments. We can achieve a drug-free world.
Turkey: We appreciate the work of the UNODC Secretariat in preparing this session. I reiterate that Turkey is fully committed to the 3 international drug conventions. Their full and universal implementation is crucial for our success. CND is the primary policy making body. We attach utmost importance to UNODC playing an independent role in these endeavours. Same INCB. Turkish law enforcement continue to seize a significant portion of illicit drugs trafficking through our territories. 22.2 tons of heroin. 64.1 tons of cannabis. 2.8 tons of cocaine. 5.5 tons of amphetamines. 36.2 ltrs of acetic anhydride. Millions of amphetamine tables and ecstasy tablets. Turkey is one of the legal and reliable opriate raw material suppliers and applies strict measures to avoid diversion. We assist many countries in capacity building. The drug problem can only be tackled through a multisectoral approach and strong intergovernmental work. Close partnership with civil society, particularly the Turkish Green Crescent Society. Terrorist organisations are involved in drug traffickign throughc onnections in Europe. Large amounts of illegal drugs have been seized, along with weapons. Cultivation and production of drugs will be negative for the struggle against financing terrorisms. We are also concerned by the use and legalisation of cannabis in some countries, including in the youth. Production, trade and use of substances are strictly limited for medical and scientific substances, this is not a. This is not the right time to discuss the interpretation of conventions. Our discretion and practices should not undermine the conventions or cooperation internationally will be damaged. With respect to the situation in Ukraine, we underline our official statements. We are against military aggression and support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia are our neighbours. We expect first and foremost a ceasefire. We will continue to deploy all possible efforts to descaltate.
Syria: Technical issues. Will try later.
Dominican Republic: Thanks the Chair and the UNODC ED and Team. As the WDR 2021 says, drug markets were resistant to the changes induced by COVID 19. In fact, after initial interruption at the beginning of the pandemic, organised groups adapted quickly. At the beginning of 2021, drug trafficking continued at the same rate pre-pandemic or increased. Since the beginning of the pandemic, especially since 2021, our efforts have increased to combat the abuse of illicit drugs in all forms, always having people’s health and respect for rights and gender perspective at the core of our work. Our Drugs Council has achieved much in this regard regarding institutional capacity building and capacity building – regional councils to decentralise drug policies. We set up a training school for drug policy to certify specialists to build their competencies. We extended institutional capacity in programmes based on families, building families and paternal skills. We continue to professionalise the health service providers with training packages for staff in contact with drug users. Plans to adapt the international standards of quality for the care of our drug users. The accompaniment of UNODC in implementing these programmes has been key, for prevention, HIV AIDS, juvenile delinquency, etc. Such as AirCop, the global container control programme, the SMART global programme, EWS, projects to strengthen criminal investigation throughout the cocaine route and WEst Africa (crimjust) among others. We are working on a technical assistance programme to our statistics office with UNODC. Also, our national drugs council is starting to reform our Law 588 on Drugs and Controlled Substances with the technical assistance of UNODC. Apart from strengthenind the legislative framework for preventiona dn prosecution of money laundering and financing of terrorism, our govenrment is hoping to soon approve the nonconviction based forfeiture so we can seize assets of illicit origin to end impunity. Despite notable progress made, there is still a long way to go. Our geographic position means that we are the target of transnational drug trafficking groups who pay cash to local criminal organisations working in micro trafficking. We have to renew our support for initiatives from multilateral fora to work together in the knowledge that combating abuse and trafficking cannot be done purely in a national capacity. We need to coordinate our action to provide long term responses to a phenomenon that goes beyond borders. We reiterate our commitment to the work of CND, INCB and international legislation to combat drugs and political commitments assumed by our governments.
Syria: We support the statement made by the 77 and China as well as India and their group. The problem of drugs has gotten worse in Syria recently because of the terrorist activities of certain groups controlling the borders. This provides a breeding ground for illicit trafficking and demonstrates the highlight the link between drugs and terrorist. The capacity of these criminal groups is concerning as they are getting more and more inventive, they are advanced in using sophisticated technologies in regards to manufacture as well as trafficking. We have to step up our international collaboration, keep up information and equipment up to date, monitor the border points efficiently. We have seized millions of pills; tons of cannabis and these successes are despite the lack of our resources and drug detection equipment. There is a blockade against our country which is hampering our efforts to control illicit trafficking. It is concerning that nonmedical legalization of cannabis seems to be a trend – this counters the UN convention and we warn the world about the strict interpretation of our commitments.
Algeria: We are facing a world-wide problem due to the impact on public health. Our country is committed to strictly observing the guidelines of the conventions. We think it is primordial to have cannabis and resin restricted under strict control. Recreational use is a violation of international law and remains a serious concern for many countries. Cannabis has been reconfigured with new strains, hybrids containing high concentration of THC. Enormous quantities of drugs are seized in Algeria every year, including Cannabis – this goes to show the dangers that particularly our youth are exposed to. The fact that drug addicts are taken in hand on a free bases (sic) we have to elaborate our national drug addiction strategy on the basis of an integrated and holistic approach. We take care of the affected people. We are concerned with the effect of COVID on already existing problems.
Jordan: We support the statement made by the 77 and China and the Asian group. We underline the critical role of CND and stress the need to respect the 3 drug conventions, the legal benchmarks of our work. Jordan aims to strengthen our anti-drugs policy to secure our borders as our kingdom has seen an increase in trafficking. We continue to combat all forms of drug trafficking. We have seen an increase of 80% in arrests, but we still need support to deal with the emerging challenges. We are implementing training programs for national institutions and law enforcement, but we need that for rehabilitation centers as well. We hope to launch more awareness campaigns targeted at young people. Conflicts and socio-economic impact of the pandemic means the need for more international cooperation than ever. We continue to support the UNODC and related UN bodies.
UAE: (…) empower organizations providing prevention and awareness raising programs. Challenges continue and our efforts are doubled. Illicit activities related to drugs are also increasing and so law enforcement agencies built capacities to confront these groups in line with the relevant treaties. (…) against all drugs that all MS should comply with (…) social reintegration programs. UAE also established a digital platform to train practitioners to work with controlled medicines. We also launched a program to test water to identify hot spots of drug use – this technique was used also to detect the spread of the corona virus. We reiterate our commitment to the political documents of 2009, 2016 and 2019.
Poland: We align ourselves with the statement of the EU but in our national capacity, we call on Russia to immidately stop the unprovoked attack on innocent humans in Ukraine. We condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. It is a violation of international law and many UN charters.
We continue to oppose drug related crimes being punished by death penalty as we place a high importance on human rights in Poland. The pandemic resulted in the universal deterioration of health and economic crises, limitation of development, opportunities especially for children and youth – exacerbated by alcohol. This must be understood in the broader frame of healthcare. A holistic approach to addiction sees addiction as a complex legal social and psychological problem and we think it should be considered as such. Our governmental body for addiction is placing high importance on mental health. The pandemic time is not only lost time but it required innovative responses from us, for example we have to implement our programs with the means of electronic media. Many known and implemented solutions have proved successful and we want to extend our appreciation to NGOs. Civil societies have been at the front lines of harm reduction, and we think NGOs should be permanently part of tour system and provided financial support from governments. Regional and global partnerships must be strengthened. In Poland, all individuals are provided state supported substation programs that need it. UNGASS 2016 while not losing sight of the future. We must protect the health and security of all.
Switzerland: It seems difficult for me to start this statement without referring to the situation in Ukraine. We condemn the military attack and call upon Russia to de-escalate the situation and withdraw immediately. As per the Geneva convention, parties must ensure the safety of the civilian populations, parties must observe the rules, attacks must not be aimed at civilian facilities. The present circumstance is a major challenge to the Vienna spirit. We call upon the observance of the Vienna spirit and for MS to take all necessary steps. Placing the human in the heart of our policies is key – there is scientific evidence that harsh punishments are not a sufficient deterrent factor. In a world that goes from one crisis to the next, it is necessary to build a viable future that benefits humanity at large and this concerns everyone, including those using drugs.
El Salvador: According to our recent national drugs report, more than 8 thousand people were treated for (drugs related health issues) and more than 282 were under the age of 18. Following the decree of our president, our resources are mainly focused on the wellbeing of our citizens. We have the obligation to combat the drug problem and all associated crimes. Due to our geographic location, we are a vulnerable country to transit, storing and social violence as local gangs have access to dangerous precursor chemicals. We cannot face this alone – we are committed to work in cooperation, and we reaffirm our commitment to earnestly respond to emerging challenges in cooperation with other MS. Our national strategy works with territorial supervision plan, a launchpad to combat trafficking – this is linked to the president´s security strategy. We have seized several types of drugs thanks to our national police, armed forces, and the navy. We have worked in a sub-regional cooperation with neighboring countries to seize precursors in a coordinated manner. We work with international airports and the global container program. We are working on our first specialized addiction treatment that will be residential – a first of its kind in Central America. We will work together with civil society who will pay a leading role. Our highly trained interdisciplinary teams are hard at work, El Salvador is doing its best to work in cooperation with UNODC and we thank the EU and friendly countries for their steadfast support of El Salvador.
Pakistan: We support the statement made by the 77 and China and the Asian group. We are concerned with the wide-ranging negative effects of the world drug problem – it undermines the rule of law, harm families and the society as a whole, it finances criminal groups. The pandemic has further complicated this challenge. We have achieved significant progress on the SDGs. We work to reduce supply and demand while observing human rights and placing a high importance on the protection of women and children. We have seen the emerging danger of some countries legalizing recreational use of certain scheduled substances. This is in breach of the 3 conventions that constitute the framework of our global control system (…) We should announce practical measures towards drug abuse, rehabilitation, recovery, and treatment. We believe that the key to success lies in sufficient resources and consistent work. We recognize the UNODC´s work, but more needs to be done, mased on the needs of the respected regions.
Chair: Russia invoked the right of reply.
Russia: Yes, rule 45. It seems that certain western countries decided to address the matter of Ukraine in this highly specialized platform. This is not in accordance with the CND´s rules and spirit. These countries demonstrated an irresponsible approach. We recall that CND, under article 68, is a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (EcoSoc) with the role to be a depoliticized platform. CND´s mandate is set clearly in EcoSoc resolutions dating back to 1991. The UN General Assembly calls upon members of the EcoSoc to keep their discussion to their mandate. Delegations have been recommended to link their statements to the main issues of 2022: how can we address the challenges of the pandemic and how can we emerge from this in terms of drug control issues. Indeed, this is the essential importance of this commission. Other measures relating to the operations in Ukraine are beyond this mandate. Addressing issues as such are in the breach of the UN charter and we would like to point out that Afghanistan, Syria or Pakistan have never imposed their issues on this commission (in similar situations). If we were to address the consequences of the situation in Ukraine on our work, we have to have this conversation take place in the appropriate international platform and not here, where our work has nothing to do with the Ukrainian situation. I would like to point out the hypocrisy of some of the MS taking the floor today. We have raised the Donbass issue for several years and MS have closed their eyes to this truly damaged population. Thousand of women, children and elderly have died as a result of shelling and artillery attacks by Ukrainian nationalistic formations. This is a matter that caused many fatalities and 28 civilians were injured. I thank those delegations who are sticking to a depoliticized approach and who are committed to true international cooperation in terms of countering the drug problem. I would like us to take into our hand the matters that are WITHIN our mandate. Russia stands ready to collaborate.
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