Chair: Recall that at the 58th Session, we decided to include this standing item on the agenda focusing on contribution to the work of ECOSOC in line with GA resolution 68/1. In accordance, CND has been contributing as appropriate to Council’s work. In the UNGASS Outcome Document, member states welcomed SDGs and noted that efforts to achieve these and address the world drug problem were complementary and mutually reinforcing. Also encouraged CND to contribute to global follow up and thematic review progress of SDGs within its mandate, bearing in mind integrated nature of goals. Taking into account GA resolution 70/1. GA resolution 70/99 decided that the theme for the high level forum in 2017 would be eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world, with a focus on goals 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, and 11. Important to reflect deliberations and actions, and finalize our contribution to ECOSOC only after this agenda item. May wish to use this session to further consider how to contribute to follow up on 2030 agenda. Before I open the floor, call on UNODC for an introductory statement.

UNODC: Contribute to review of progress made on SDGs through functional commissions. 14 SDG goal indicators on crime, violence, access to justice, and trafficking. Providing methodological guidance and technical support. Providing analytical inputs and data. On poverty eradication, toll of drug problem varies across countries but it affects all. Social economic factors are important in illicit cultivation. Poverty also has strong links with drug use. Economically more vulnerable end up with drug dependences more often. International roadmap to address drug statistics is key to understanding drug situation at international level. The need to improve and coordinate data collection has been emphasized in a number of documents. UNODC working on roadmap to improve quality and availability of drug statistics. Statistical Commission has a five year work program. UNODC volunteered to prepare contribution to Statistical Commission, which is the roadmap. Guiding question was whether we have enough good statistics to inform policies. Take for example the issue of whether drug use has increased. Uncertainty due to fact that countries lack information on drug use or don’t have this information regularly. Know that drug problem is international, and no one single country can describe it entirely. Only when we bring together information can we map trends. Lots of data gaps. Difficult to describe situation of drug problem globally. Most of information is on seizures. For drug use, we have large gaps. Some regions have little information. Roadmap describes an ideal statistical system. Need to collect new information, for example in areas like dark net, NPS, etc. Don’t have a system at the global level to cover these elements. In the paper you will find contribution of WHO, UNAIDS, regional bodies, etc. Roadmap tried to identify activities that can be taken at international and national levels to improve data. Methodological developments, on drug use surveys for example. Capacity building, like e-learning modules. Improvements in international data collection.

Statistical Commission: Recognize that CND is the UN policymaking body with primary responsibility for drug control matters. After reviewing the roadmap, we send it for your consideration. Stress the need for national statistic capacity building for utility and availability of drug statistics. Define statistical measures of already agreed policy directions. Do not discuss or define policy directions. Work rooted in official statistics. Based only on professional statistical cooperation. Adopted Cape Town action plan and draft resolution for ECOSOC on work of Statistical Commission pertaining to SDGs. Improving availability and quality of drug statistics requires statistical expertise. Stand ready to work with you.

Thailand: The efforts of drug control cut across many SDGs and it will be good to integrate the work of CND into many of the goals. We support the expansion of UNODC with other bodies and agencies. We support the UNODC to counter the impact drugs have on health. We support linkages between CND and other commissons and entities. We must address poverty at grass roots level. We need to address the issue of poverty and development. Naturally the SDGs will take a long time to achieve as well but are realistic. SDGs are based on a human centred approach. Finally, we will continue on efforts towards achieving the goals.

USA: We welcome efforts from ECOSOC to deconflict the UN and its systems. We have had emphasised the interconnectedness of agencies here. The UNGASS outcome document calls for increased coordination of groups. UNAIDS provides a perspective on a subset of drug users. We encourage ECOSOC to continue socialising the outcomes of the UNGASS document. We encourage CND to think of ways for us to better communicate with other UN bodies. We further encourage the CND to continue to develop new ways to contribute to the SDGs, especially in the areas of health and law enforcement. We recognise that the implementation of the SDGs should be at the direction of member states.

Russia: The Russian delegation regrets that the report prepared by UNODC containing a roadmap to improve the collection of drug related data was submitted to UN without a prior detailed discussion with CND. We believe the expertise that went into the report should have been carried out only after the CND had decided its conclusions regarding the direction of the anti-drug track. How much of the report is in keeping with the CND? The plan which was adopted by the CND and General Assembly, it is our opinion that it only after discussion here that we can properly talk about this report. We hope in the future the UNODC will first get agreement of CND as it is the policy making body of the UNODC. We agree with improving drug statistics in the future intersessionals of CND. This has significance as we approach 2019. One of the key issues in collecting data is the insufficiently high level in area of even basic data from national states regarding their drug situation. Surveys, for example, are only delivered by half the member states. We want to involve to a situation where improvement in system may lead to further deterioration in data collection. We believe data collection should be a priority for the UNODC.

Netherlands: My delegation highly values the principle of evidence based policy making. We welcome the report from the UNODC. To further shape our drug policies we need to know what is going on. How effective is the law enforcement? And how effective are the health interventions? We need to step up efforts, developing instruments and by providing assistance to states who cannot deliver on things themselves. We think now is the right time for data collection – essential to keep track on the effect we have on these issues.

Portugal: In February when these recommendations were submitted by the ECOSOC. Portugal agrees with evidence based policy. We need to compliment and expand data collection and analysis tools. Let me conclude by pointing out that this joint initiative with the UN Statistical Commission brings together important parts of the UNGASS outcome document.

Mexico: Thank you Chair. We wish to highlight cooperation between CND and UNSC as effective cooperation between UN entities. It is important to highlight the statistical merits of this document which are the upshot of involvement of the UNODC, in their acknowledged and recognized experience in this field.

With regard to Secretariat’s presentation and message heard from the UNSC. The roadmap was important. There is insufficient information that the system of data collection needs to be improved. The more important issue is the way that countries assess where we need more information. The roadmaps should focus on capacity building to help them respond to these questions so that we receive new information. We think the current information is insufficient, we need to help others who cannot do it so easily. We think this type of roadmap should be delivered to CND before others. We think it needs to be discussed somewhere, don’t know where.

Canada: Thank you. I would like to associate ourselves with statement delivered by Netherlands. There’s room for improvement in response rate, we think there’s room for improvement in all the measures we’re taking to respond to drug problem. We believe the CND is able to look at both of those issues at once. I thank you Chair.

Chair: I am now closing agenda item 10.