Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC): Good morning, everybody. Thank you for joining this informal dialogue with the Acting Executive Director of UNODC, John Brandolino, and thank you for accepting our invitation. This has become a long-standing tradition to exchange views and perspectives with civil society organisations here in Vienna, and we really appreciate this opportunity. We received many very good questions this year, and the quality of the questions increases every year.

Association Proyecto Hombre & ARTM: How does UNODC plan to support Member States in operationalising truly integrated, multi-pillar drug strategies that give equal weight to prevention, treatment, harm reduction, recovery, and proportionate law enforcement?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): We are approaching this across several tracks. First, we are trying to better integrate our programmes in these areas so that we can be more strategic and avoid overlap. Structurally and strategically, that is one important step. We are also supporting policies and programming that give balanced attention to prevention, treatment, recovery, proportionate law enforcement, and access to controlled medicines, which is another important part of the picture. We are trying to bring these elements together and present them all as important components of the response. At the same time, these efforts complement, rather than replace, comprehensive prevention strategies involving families, schools, and communities.

International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), Alliance for Rights-Oriented Drug Policies, Open Society Institute: In the context of UNODC’s new strategy development, how will the Office ensure that human rights are prioritised? More specifically, how will new safeguards, monitoring mechanisms, and accountability measures be better integrated into UNODC’s strategy and future work to prevent abuses and ensure compliance with international law?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): We have decided that our new five-year strategy needs a wide range of inputs, and we are still at an early stage of that process. As you know, the strategy was meant to be developed last year, when the previous one ended, but it was postponed. Given that we expect to have a new Executive Director soon, we wanted to ensure that whatever moves forward reflects her vision and input as well. That said, we have already started consultations not only with Member States, but also with civil society organisations, youth, academia, and the private sector. We conducted a global survey that was disseminated in December to more than 9,500 non-governmental stakeholders. Beyond the strategy itself, we are continuing to strengthen programme development and review processes across the programme cycle to ensure alignment with international standards, including human rights. Internally, we have established checklists, guidance notes, and other tools for staff developing and implementing programmes, so that they understand the parameters and the importance of human rights, particularly in relation to drug issues. This also includes the UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy. In fact, we have become quite active across the UN on this issue, and some of our practices are being used as best practices. The policy is also being expanded, which will further affect where and how we work. All of this supports the identification of potential human rights risks and informs our decision-making. We do plan more engagement with civil society as the strategy moves forward, and human rights, accountability, and the issues you raised will certainly be integrated into the strategy and our work.

International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care: With the publication this past year of the WHO guideline on balanced national controlled medicines policies to ensure medical access and safety, how is UNODC collaborating with WHO to help Member States and regulatory bodies adapt and implement the recommendations and good practice statements from the guideline?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): We very much welcome the publication of the guideline and look forward to coordinating our efforts with WHO to support Member States in implementing it. We think it provides a very useful and practical reference point for discussions on how countries can ensure both access to controlled medicines for medical purposes and appropriate safeguards. We have already begun integrating the guideline into our communications and awareness-raising efforts with governments and national authorities. We are using it as a first step when we engage in assessing policies, identifying barriers, and proposing solutions to improve adequate access to controlled medicines when governments ask for our support. The use of the guideline is also frequently included, where appropriate, in project proposals and approaches developed with partners at national level. So we are already using it and intend to use it more.

Zonta International: We welcome the UNODC gender strategy on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, ensuring that no one is left behind, including in the field of drug issues. According to the World Drug Report 2025, only one in 18 women with drug use disorders is in treatment, compared to one in seven men. This number did not change compared to the last report, due to barriers such as limited access, stigma, and discrimination. Measures to tackle these barriers were already required in resolutions 10 years ago. What can UNODC do to ensure better results for the future?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): Thank you. I did mention this issue during my opening remarks to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. The gap in treatment access for women, especially in comparison with men, is much too large. We acknowledge that, we are vocal about it, and we are active on it. One way we address it is by promoting the active participation of women across all our activities, including in policy development and particularly in our prevention and treatment programmes. In 2025, we held more than 100 events reaching an estimated 54,000 individuals, and we trained 3,200 professionals across 36 countries. Among those trainees, 44% were women. We are making efforts to increase the participation of women in these trainings and activities. We are also working at the service level through our quality assurance mechanisms for treatment services for drug use disorders. For example, we work with 10 Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve the quality of services for women and girls with drug use disorders, including pregnant women and women with caregiving responsibilities. In addition, we promote alternatives to conviction and punishment and improved access to treatment and care for women in that context, including through the implementation of the Bangkok Rules.

Drug Policy Centre (Sweden): Given the continued strain on UN finances, presumably also affecting UNODC, how much priority will be given to drug use prevention in the coming years?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): Prevention remains a core priority for us. At the same time, we are an organisation that is 95% donor-funded, so many of the activities we undertake depend on whether we have the resources to do them. We do not have a lot of core funding to carry out all the things we want to do, including on drug prevention and our broader drug and crime work. But prevention is one of the most cost-effective investments available, and we are trying to promote it as such, not only so that Member States integrate it into a central and balanced approach to drugs, but also so that donors understand that even a relatively small investment can generate a large return. We therefore integrate prevention into our project proposals and support prevention efforts based on the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention developed with WHO. We also stress that prevention is a security investment, because problems associated with drug use have broader effects on society. So we will continue working with donors and Member States with that message. Compared with some other UN agencies, the contraction in donor resources has not yet been as critical for us, partly because of the importance Member States place on our issues, but we will have to see what happens and continue moving forward.

Harm Reduction International: Given the latest changes to the HIV section and further restructuring under UN80, how is UNODC planning to safeguard its HIV prevention and harm reduction efforts, including at domestic and regional level, to make sure that historically underserved populations, including people deprived of liberty, are protected and their needs are met? How is UNODC planning to include meaningful participation of civil society and people who use drugs in this process, as well as in the development of its new strategy?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): We remain fully committed to safeguarding and strengthening our HIV prevention and recovery-oriented, evidence-informed harm reduction interventions as part of services ensuring a full continuum of care. That is our principle, and we have been working and will continue to work in that area with that framework in mind. Our technical assistance and project proposals will continue to focus on strengthening national policies, standards, and service delivery systems, improving coordination between health and justice sectors, and reinforcing referral pathways and continuity of care mechanisms. We are also trying to preserve our core technical expertise in this area so that it remains where it can be most effective in supporting countries. Civil society has always been, and will continue to be, an important partner in this work. We continue engaging community- and peer-led service providers, who play a vital role in delivering programmes and reaching people in need of support. As I mentioned earlier, civil society organisations are also being invited to contribute to the development of our upcoming strategy, so I am sure these issues will continue to be raised and integrated as we move forward.

Turkish Green Crescent Society: While “continuum of care” is frequently discussed in global drug policy, community-level implementation often lacks sufficient support for long-term recovery and social reintegration. Considering the success of multidisciplinary models like the Green Crescent Counseling Centers, how can UNODC better bridge high-level policy discussions with such ground-level practices to ensure that global commitments translate into measurable improvements in recovery services?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): The UNODC-WHO treatment standards, which I have already mentioned several times, include an in-depth section on long-term recovery and social reintegration support. We are working with Member States to strengthen all the services that are needed to build a true continuum of care, including those that focus on these issues. The implementation of community-based models is essential, because they show how coordinated, person-centred services can be organised and delivered effectively, and how they can sustain the recovery of people with drug use disorders. One way we help translate policy into practice is by supporting countries in developing and strengthening treatment systems at national and community levels. That includes training professionals, promoting quality assurance mechanisms, and sharing good practices from successful models. We will continue facilitating the exchange of practical experiences between Member States and partners, including civil society, so that effective local models can inform policy discussions and improve services worldwide.

Veterans Action Council, Cannabis Cura Sicilia Social Club Aps, Ágora, Recovering Nepal, Oesterreichischer Verein von Drogenfachleuten: Criminalisation often harms the most vulnerable, including veterans using cannabis or psychedelics for PTSD or chronic pain. How does UNODC support Member States in the development of drug policies that are evidence-based, proportionate, and grounded in human rights, while ensuring safe, affordable, and sustainable access to controlled medicines, including medical cannabis, in full compliance with the UN drug control conventions?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): Part of our work is with WHO, INCB, and civil society to support Member States in expanding access to medicines containing controlled substances while preventing diversion and non-medical use. When it comes to guidance on pain management and the treatment of mental health disorders such as PTSD, our work is always guided by WHO. They are not only a partner, but the body we look to for standards and guidance, as they are mandated by the drug conventions to assess medical use and potential public health harms and risks of substances. We do not do that here at UNODC. WHO also recommends scheduling decisions to the Commission, as we saw with cannabis a few years ago. We therefore see them as the experts in this area. Operationally, whenever funding allows, we work with national stakeholders to identify barriers to access for controlled substances and to see whether there are ways to address them. INCB has also been very active in this area. These barriers can include supply chain challenges, limited health systems capacity, or overly restrictive regulatory frameworks. Our aim is to help countries address these barriers and find balanced solutions that safeguard public health while ensuring that patients receive what they need.

Jordan Anti-Drugs Society, Réseau d’Action Sur les armes Légère en Afrique de l’Ouest, Youth Anti-Narcotics Public Union, BERSAMA: How does UNODC plan to further support evidence-based prevention and early intervention responses to the growing threat of synthetic drugs, while strengthening structured partnerships with civil society organisations at national and community levels, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and South-East Asia?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): The problem of synthetic drugs is growing globally and is particularly concerning in the regions mentioned in your question, where there are large youth populations, economic and social pressures, and response systems that may still be developing, all of which increase vulnerability. That makes early intervention and prevention even more important. We believe that intervening early in the lives of children and adolescents is one of the most effective ways to build resilience. I had just come from an event on our CHAMPS programme, which seeks to positively influence developmental pathways in an evidence-based way while also examining the results of these efforts. It is a key initiative for us, and we have been very pleased with the response to it. I believe we currently have 10 countries engaged in the programme, and I had just been in a room hearing about the work taking place in those countries, which was very impressive, both in terms of what they are trying and what they are achieving. There are evidence-based ways to approach this challenge. Of course, civil society also plays a role. Community organisations are often best placed to bring together families, schools, health services, and local leaders around prevention efforts and to connect with support at the grassroots level. That is an important part of our programmes, and civil society also has an important advocacy role in promoting preventive efforts with Member States.

Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights: The United Nations system committed to supporting reform-oriented efforts aimed at ensuring alternatives to conviction or punishment for minor drug-related offences. What is UNODC doing to promote the implementation of relevant UN guidelines, in particular the new UNAIDS guidance on decriminalisation?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): Our approach is based on the flexibility that exists within the international legal framework. I have discussed this myself in this setting before. Decriminalisation is compatible with that framework, and the conventions do not require the criminalisation of drug use per se. They allow States a degree of discretion regarding possession for personal use, subject to constitutional principles and the basic concepts of their legal systems. Based on that framework, we work with countries to promote alternatives to conviction and punishment, which is an important part of addressing drug issues, especially for minor drug-related offences. We provide technical assistance, legislative support, capacity building, and tools to help countries integrate these alternatives at all stages of the criminal justice process. The goal is to promote evidence-based, health-centred, and recovery-oriented responses, such as voluntary treatment for drug use disorders, while reducing excessive use of pretrial detention and supporting rehabilitation and social reintegration. Our work is guided by international frameworks such as the UN Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures, the Tokyo Rules, as well as the recently adopted model strategies for reducing reoffending. On a personal note, I will mention that my twin brother is a judge in the United States, and he has worked for decades at state level. He has told me that the most effective programmes he has seen for people with drug use disorders coming through the criminal justice system were those that provided support and treatment as alternatives to conviction and punishment. He has seen many success stories in that regard. His only regret was that he never had enough resources to implement these approaches more widely. He is retiring soon, but I think many people in that court system share the same view.

Uganda Youth Development Link: In many countries, crime, drug use, sexual exploitation, and violence are structurally interconnected, especially among vulnerable populations. What concrete, evidence-based actions does UNODC recommend for governments and civil society to address these harms through integrated, system-level responses, and where can proven global case studies be accessed for adaptation and scale-up?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): We agree with the principle behind the question. Drug use prevention is about supporting the healthy and safe development of children and young people and strengthening their engagement with families, schools, workplaces, and communities. Many risk factors for drug use overlap with those for crime, violence, and sexual exploitation, which highlights the need for integrated responses. That connection is something we recognise in our work. This was one of the goals behind the development of the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention, which provide evidence-based guidance and case studies that can be adapted and scaled up. In terms of specific initiatives, we have the CHAMPS programme, which supports national partners in taking a systemic approach to developmentally sequenced interventions from early childhood to adolescence, targeting risk and protective factors across family, school, and community settings. We also have family skills initiatives and peer-to-peer outreach for different populations. Our Line Up, Live Up programme is a sport-based life skills curriculum that addresses risks related to drug use, violence, and criminal recruitment by working through schools, communities, and civil society actors using sport. We have expanded this through our SC:ORE programme with the International Olympic Committee, aimed at embedding prevention into broader crime and criminal justice strategies. We also encourage the use of evidence-based registries that are accessible online to identify programmes that have been evaluated and shown positive outcomes in preventing drug use and the development of drug use disorders. Civil society and community-based organisations are critical partners in all these efforts.

Youth RISE: Global drug markets are increasingly diversifying towards stimulants and new psychoactive substances, including synthetic cathinones, often presenting distinct health, social, and wellbeing impacts, as well as different patterns of consumption and service needs. While substantial technical guidance exists for opioid-related harm, there is comparatively limited operational guidance tailored to stimulant use and non-opioid new psychoactive substances. How does UNODC plan to strengthen the development of evidence-based technical guidance for stimulant use, ensuring that harm reduction responses reflect diverse patterns of use and are adapted to evolving drug markets?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): Of course, the first step is to better understand the problem, because it is rapidly evolving. We are therefore expanding research and data collection on patterns of stimulant and new psychoactive substance use in order to inform targeted interventions. We are using our network of laboratories and our early warning advisory on new psychoactive substances, which is now monitoring over 1,400 substances from 153 countries and territories. We launched the Scale Up initiative in late 2024 together with WHO, and the European Union Drugs Agency joined the initiative last year. Scale Up is devoted to expanding scalable solutions for stimulant use disorders, particularly pharmacological options. Under this initiative, the European Union Drugs Agency is organising a series of webinars on the issue, and WHO has initiated the preparatory phases of a target product profile to guide research globally. This work is intended to ensure that countries receive actionable and up-to-date guidance that protects public health and responds to the needs of people using stimulants and new psychoactive substances. So we are trying to improve research, understanding, and the availability of information both on the problem and on how to address it through cooperation with other agencies.

Al Najm, Slum Child Foundation: How is UNODC strengthening the transparency and inclusiveness of its Youth Forum nomination processes to ensure broader participation from underrepresented countries, and how does it support sustained engagement between participating youth, civil society, and Member States? What steps is UNODC taking to ensure youth-led initiatives, especially those from marginalised communities, are meaningfully integrated into global policymaking and supported through local implementation efforts?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): We reach out to all Member States to ask for nominations of young participants to take part in the Youth Forum, so the process is global in scope. We also provide advice, where governments request it, on identifying suitable candidates and encouraging coordinated and transparent processes involving civil society, governments, and youth groups. All nominated candidates then go through a selection process that includes submission of a CV, a written questionnaire, and an interview. We are pleased to see that young people from nearly 110 countries have participated in the Youth Forum since 2012, and we are seeing a steady increase in nominations each year, including from countries participating for the first time. Beyond the Youth Forum, UNODC also supports the inclusion of young people in other key intergovernmental processes, including treaty bodies and the UN Crime Congress. Ahead of the next Crime Congress, currently scheduled for the end of next month in Abu Dhabi, though it may possibly be postponed, we have been advancing what we call the Generation Justice initiative, which is intended to make it the most youth-inclusive Congress to date. Planned activities include a dedicated Youth Forum, a youth-focused art exhibition, a youth statement, a youth lab, and opportunities for young speakers to participate in agenda items and workshops. Across all of these efforts, we are trying to support the meaningful engagement of young people, particularly those from marginalised communities, and to integrate them into global discussions.
Amnesty International: Drug-related executions have been on the rise and have consistently accounted for more than 40% of all recorded executions in recent years. International human rights law and standards have repeatedly clarified that the “most serious crimes” threshold does not include drug-related offences, yet World Drug Day is frequently used in some countries as a hook to punish drug offences by death. How is UNODC going to address the continued resort to the death penalty in the name of drug control in its new strategy and around World Drug Day? Can a clear statement on UNODC’s unconditional opposition to the death penalty be included in the yearly statement accompanying the launch of the World Drug Report?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): We are part of the UN Secretariat and are fully aligned with the position expressed by the Secretary-General opposing the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. The UN encourages Member States that retain the death penalty to establish a moratorium with a view to abolition. At the same time, as part of the UN Secretariat, we are mandated to work with all Member States and support them in implementing international drug-related commitments, including those where the death penalty is still used, and we try to work constructively with them on this issue, build trust, and promote evidence-based guidance, policies, and practices based on reliable data and research. Our goal is to maintain a channel through which these issues can be raised and discussed. On the question of the annual statement accompanying the World Drug Report, that is developed by our research and analysis branch, and I am not directly involved in that process because we try to give them a degree of autonomy and avoid senior management being too closely engaged. But your point is well taken and will be brought back to the scientists and data experts who work on the report.

European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD): Following resolution 68/6 on strengthening the international drug control system, we understand that the expert panel is currently being formed. How will UNODC be engaged in the panel’s work?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): I actually heard just a few minutes ago that the panel composition has finally been finalised, the co-chairs have been designated, and congratulations are due to Member States for that, because it means the work can now move forward. Under the mandate of the resolution, the Commission created the panel, and the panel will report back to the Commission in a year when its work is complete. UNODC has been asked to support the panel, and we will do so in whatever way is needed. That includes helping them develop their programme of work, though it is still too early to say exactly what that will be because the panel has only just been established and its members need to meet and discuss. We will support them logistically and technically, including by arranging meetings, helping prepare or gather materials at their instruction, and supporting any consultations they undertake. The panel members are experts acting in their independent capacity, as set out in the resolution. They will determine the work of the panel and its outcome. We will not be involved in that substantive aspect, but we will support them throughout the process, including in stakeholder consultations. Their work will then feed into the review of the Ministerial Declaration and international drug policy commitments in 2029.

Center of Legal and Social Studies: In recent months, there has been a resurgence of Member States using the concept of “narcoterrorism” to justify the use of military force in drug control operations, the designation of drug trafficking groups as terrorists, and the execution of anti-narcotics raids within the territory of other Member States. Is UNODC concerned about this trend and its implications for international law and cooperation? Are measures being taken in this regard?

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): That is an important, timely, and complex question. First, it is important to note that there is no universally agreed definition of a terrorist organisation under international law. While some counter-terrorism conventions define specific offences, they do not comprehensively define terrorism or what constitutes a terrorist group. This is something that UN Member States have not been able to agree on, though discussions continue in New York on whether such a formal definition is needed. From the UN’s perspective, what we consider a terrorist organisation are those entities designated by consensus through the UN Security Council. A number of organisations have been designated in this way following proposals submitted by Member States and reviewed through committee processes. As part of the UN Secretariat, we follow those Security Council designations. We do not say that an organisation is terrorist, nor act on that basis, unless the Security Council has designated it as such. At the same time, any counter-terrorism measures must comply with principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination, and full respect for human rights, in line with the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Our office does undertake counter-terrorism work, separate from our drug work, and we promote the legal instruments that exist in this field, including by supporting accession to treaties and assisting governments in implementing their criminal justice obligations under them. When terrorist groups are involved in organised crime, including drug trafficking, we provide guidance on how to identify and address those links without conflating ordinary criminal groups with terrorist organisations. We are careful about that. Many of the solutions we support in countries apply across situations where groups are involved in criminal activity or drug trafficking, regardless of how they are labelled. So it is a complex issue, but that is the position of the UN Secretariat and of UNODC in that regard.

Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC): Thank you very much. Before we proceed to the next informal dialogue with the President of the International Narcotics Control Board, who is already here with us, I was informed that this is your last CND. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank you for your work and dedication, especially in recent months as Acting Executive Director. I can imagine this has been a very stressful period, and I hope that whatever comes next brings less stress and more relaxing challenges. Thank you very much.