Chair: The Commission will be informed of the work of its subsidiary bodies since the 63rd Session.

Secretariat: The subsidiary bodies provide a platform to discuss the regional perspectives. These dialogues empower participants to identify salient issues in their regional contexts and informing the Commission on these matters. In 2020, due to COVID pandemic, decision to organise extraordinary session of the subsidiary bodies, as it wasn’t possible to travel or hold in-person meetings. This session took place on 1-2 October 2021, happening from Vienna. It provided an opportunity for all participants to join discussions on the current situations with regard to the world drug problem in line with the COVID situation. The first joint meeting was then followed by interactive discussions within memberships of each subsidiary bodies. One for HONLEA Latin America and Caribbean, one for Asia Pacific, one for Africa, and the Subcommission. No specific one for Europe as that body only meets every second year and the next meeting is scheduled for 2021. This extraordinary session brought together 400 practitioners from 70 countries. The extraordinary session was chaired by you, Madame Chair. I’d like to thank the chairs of the respective meetings: Colombia, Afghanistan, Malaysia and Kenya.

Thailand: Progress in law enforcement in Thailand. In response to the pandemic, new normal work practices for officers have been applied leveraging existing technologies, continuing interventions to keep society safe from drugs. Recognition systems have been upgraded; expanding our systems to track suspicious vehicles. Following the Thai government guidelines to drastically disrupt financial cycles of syndicate networks, intensified financial investigation. Thailand welcomes fellow member states’ advice and support on applying value-based confiscation in countries where convicted persons are mandated to pay a value equivalent to the proceeds of their crime. Even during COVID-19 situation, we continued intelligence exchange through Safe Mekong Coordination Centre, utilising online platforms to analyse and monitor drug situation. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen cooperation, law enforcement with member states to maximise regional efforts in the future.

United States: In the future, we encourage subsidiary bodies to consider hybrid option of all subsidiary meetings hwo may not be able to travel. A few common themes emerged to consider more in depth by CND: shift from air to sea, darknet platforms, proliferation of substances trafficked by mail in small packages. We have also seen criminal organisations adapt rapidly to changes, adjusting to methods and routes. We welcome the reports from subsidiary bodies which offer practical and regional specific commitments. They provide several key challenges: in the context of pandemic, while many member states investing into public health response to pandemic, stay vigilant to proliferation of trafficking, limits to care , increased stress, and fatal drug deaths. Subsidiary bodies highlighted importance of intraregional dialogues on production, trafficking and consumption of substances, which requires cooperation with civil society, private sector and academia. The reports also highlighted training. And importance of cooperation between law enforcement, health and justice sectors. All ideas for practical solutions that respond to our priorities.

Kenya: (technical difficulties)

Chair: Discussion of this item continues tomorrow at 12:00.