Chair: Opening Remarks
(…)
UNODC Research and Trend Analysis Branch: Good afternoon. So I will provide you a very brief overview of some of the main findings of the World Drug Report. So we estimate that we have about 330 million people who are using in 2024 This is 34% more than ten years ago, because there is an increase in drug use, but also they have better data, and because also the second most user is opioids. Adolescence is a critical period when the brain is developing, as you know, and drug use in adolescence can have a long-lasting effect on cognition, emotions, behaviors. Yet this is also a period when drug use is initiated, actually, and the earlier the initiation, the higher the risk. Here you can see that actually adolescents use quite a lot of traffic, and to levels that are comparable to those in adjust. The good news is that in some high-income countries, and also a bit wider in European countries, there has been enough decrease in the canals. We don’t really know why there is this decrease. There are another reasons that have been put forward. One of them is that, of course, cannabis is competing with a number of one is that young people are spending a lot of time online, and also less time together, perhaps to smoke cannabis together, and also we see that there is an increase in the risk, the perception of the risk of cannabis among young people, so this also may be a reason why there is a decrease in adolescent use of cannabis in these countries. We still have about three times more men than women who use drugs. Men start using drugs younger, but women progress towards defenders much faster, and actually, the motivation for starting using drugs are different in men, about mostly sensation seeking and peer pressure, whereas in women it’s mostly about self medication for pain, but also for mental health issues. There are much many more men who use, who inject drugs, but women, when they inject drugs, they are 20% more likely to be living with HIV than men, have a much higher burden on health and social consequences due to drug use, they are much more affected by stigma, social stigma, and moral judgment, and they have much less access to treatment, so not everyone who uses a drug will end up will end up drug dependence or drug use disorders, but some of them have actual treatment, and you see here that actually among women, the proportion of those who have access to living with hepatic injecting drugs, you see that half a million drugs that we have a Relate to the result of infectious diseases, and most of them the result of cirrhosis and other diseases from hepatitis C, actually, and 1/3 of this death, 172,000 actually in 2023 where overdose is mostly opioid overdoses, mentioned this year specific from within the family and also genesis by drug users, but also of people who use drugs, but what is very important to highlight is that this association is not deterministic, that means that not everyone who is using a drug with end up committing obedience of crime or violence of abuse. It depends on whether it involves a situation of poverty, homeless, as also worldwide, since 2023 there has been a drastic decline in the production of oph in Afghanistan. The production of opium was a 95 decline, a percent decline in 2023 as a result of a ban on joint production in the country. Since then, few other countries have increased for punk as you see compensate for the drastic decline in the supply for pH from around the country will last until the end of the year, so we expect matters next year already in destination markets, I mean in the region, but also increases way, but the major, I think, concern is that the kids from Afghanistan will be basically by here referring to fentanyls, but also to nitagenes and orphans. Some of them are extremely potent, and we have already seen, for example, quite large increases in the season of nitagenes in western and central Europe, which is a major market for also hundreds of deaths, also in the same, so we still have the two opioid crisis, one in North America around the centennials. Here there is a bit of hope. It seems that after many, many of increase, after nearly 1 million deaths related to both Canada and the United States. There is, for the first, before there was a decline in this in the death in both countries. We need to say whether it could be across Texas is It is also, which is affecting South Korean Africa around the non-medical use of trauma. So, here it’s a five c5 trauma dog that is basically contained, that is different from the one that is in the medical supply chain, which actually contains its price. supply chain the main, the main worry of concern regarding synthetic opioid markets is on the global their new synthetic opioids, often more potent than fentanyl, and they have led to a number of acute emergencies, and also fatal overdoses, and in another set of countries, in the special point of interest, you will see where you have all the regions and countries where this mutations have been reported, the ability of pharmacy colloping for pain management and palliative care remains extremely low in most low and middle income countries, despite the past decades, but from very low levels, actually, and income countries, actually, the availability may even outstrip the actual needs, barriers to access. It has been mentioned before a number of barriers, but perhaps the main three are, of course issues of cost and sourcing, but also lack of training of professionals, and also fear of addiction. I mean, following the opioid crisis in North America, there’s been a lot of concern in other countries, the manufacture of coconuts in the area and the cultivation, but also because of an increase in productivity, we see some shifts in trafficking, interestingly, in Western and Central Europe, so Western and Central Europe is the second largest market for North America, and before South America, we see shifts from large pots on the sea, to orsique to smaller pots when they didn’t, maybe less, actually, and also to can visit more staff in this more harmful use, for example, patterns of use, for example, the use of pharmacokines in Western Central Europe, but not only also in Western West Africa has been used as a tragedy of going to Europe from America now, for many 19, actually, and some markets have developed a spillover there, and there is also signs of emerging markets in other regions in Asia. The methamphetamine market is also expanding in this case geographically, so the three main traditional markets for methamphetamine have been following that of North America, but also East and Southeast Asia, and in Oceania, the sub-region of Australia and Netherlands. Now we see that methamphetamine can be found everywhere, and so the drug has reached global ubiquity. Captagon, captagon is an initiate manufactured product, which contains amphetamine. The market of this drug has grown with the conflict in Syria. It was used on the battlefield, but it also found a large market in the Gulf countries for many years until now. Drug was manufactured, but also across the border, for example, in Lebanon. And since the end of the conflict, at the end of 2024 and also the change of government, there is a disruption of this of the manufacturing of capital. Rainy caps have been seized. Also, service facilities seizures are soaring. Why? Because basically, traffickers want to liquidate the stops they have, and what we see also in this region, in the Middle East, is a methamphetamine market that is more and more enhanced. We see an uptick in the, in the both the supply and the use of methamphetamine, and especially we see that in some groups of people, some young people, there is also switching from the use of captagon to the use of methamphetamine type stimulants, so the effect on the central nervous system is quite similar. Ketamine, so ketamine is another drug, so ketamine is a pharmaceutical drug, actually, which international control, and that is used mainly as an anesthetic, but not only and widely in the world. Now there is a ketamine that subsidy ketamine that was illicitly produced and silicitly produced, which main market was in East and Southeast Asia, and this was for decades with up and down. I would say now this market is an expansion too, but what we see since three years now is a geographical expansion of the supply, the trafficking of the drug, and you see here, so there are many more countries and many more regions that report decisions of ketamine, so it’s not always the ketamine that easily produced, for example, in Western and Central Europe, the drug is some point the use is increasing. They set up specialized to treat the neurological locations that arise when one is using too much ketamine, so to this point, this is quite recent substances. Traffickers continue to innovate on this front. In 2024 we have a record high of NPS that are not controlled, but may, may present, so there is a lot of them, a lot of them are synthetic, they use is very risky. I think it’s very important that there are a lot of, because the use is other control drug, and my last slide, I just wanted to highlight a bit the diversification of the drug markets. So, markets are not extremely complex. They are characterized by a lot of changes. There’s a lot of others for traffickers to supply drug consumers, including for social media, and there is also a very large range of drugs that are available. We have now five times more drug types that are being seized than in 2000 So, just to explain a bit, the extent to the extent dealers and traffickers are targeting potential consumers, especially young people with snappy branding, with new products, and also with new forms of product, which contain a number of different products, some of them you may have heard in your regions, others not, and even though the content may vary according to the place and the times, which is pretty fixed, and many responders when there is an emergency. This is the end of my presentation. This is today’s of interest, which is printed and which offers you provides you with the key data and the key some narratives about to the global market, and there is also, of course, the thematic chapter, and there is also what we call the drug market trends and patterns, and this basically offers more than 400 visualizations or graphs, maps, tables about the trends and the patterns in transcendent life according to different drug regions and sub regions. thank you very much.
Chair: We will now call the speakers to keep their statements under 2 minutes, so we can hear from as many as possible, and my intention is to first give the floor to INCB now to continue.
Professor Jallal Toufiq, INCB President: Thank you very much, colleagues. It’s an honor to join you. The World Drug Problem remains consistent and evolving. We have a clear goal safeguarding the health and welfare of humankind. INCB remains committed to supporting Member States in implementing these conventions through dialog and cooperation with governments. We work to promote balanced implementation, ensuring availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing diversion and misuse, we also support in line with the shared possibility that underpins the international drug control system. We must continue to pursue balanced security forces, grounded in cooperation, innovation, and together we can create safer societies for all.
European Union: It’s my honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and Member States on this international abuse and illicit trafficking. Albania, Osney and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Montenegro, Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement as well. Every year the WDR pprovides a solid evidence base for our global response to the drug phenomenon. The report highlights that the widespread availability of illicit drugs is having an increasingly negative impact on health and safety, particularly novel substances, for which scientific and public understanding of the risks remains limited. Additionally, drugs can cause serious harm to the environment. The drug situation is causing intimidation and exploitation and recruitment of vulnerable young people by criminal groups. Related crime has become a source of insecurity in several European cities. In this context, multilateralism and international cooperation in the field of drugs with UNODC & other relevant UN agencies and entities is more important than ever. We remain committed to the implementation of the outcome of the 2016 UN General Assembly special session on the world drug problem, as well as to the implementation of the complementary UN guiding principles on alternative development as adopted by the Commission. MS in the European Union are guided by the new EU drug strategy and action plan against drug trafficking to address the drug situations through an evidence-based integrated balanced multidisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and human rights centered approach. We are committed to deepening cooperation with partner countries and organizations, particularly those along key trafficking routes in the fight against drug trafficking and the criminal organizations behind it to address its devastating health, social and security consequences. We promote a human rights based and gender responsive approach to reduce the harms associated with non medical drug use. This approach ensures full compliance with international human rights law, including the principles of equality and organization for vulnerable and marginalized persons, while advancing sustainable development. The EU remain deeply concerned about the increase in the application of the death penalty for drug-related offenses. In recent years, proactive cooperation between our organizations is implemented, which has laid a solid foundation of both trust and collaboration. The arrangement provides a structured framework for operation across a number of areas, exchange, early warning, new psychoactive substances, and civil society, but today’s [challenge] is not just about formalizing cooperation. It is about creating mechanisms to help us work better together and deliver greater value to countries. The key priority moving forward with cooperation on data exchange and research, together we want to reduce unnecessary reporting burdens, improve coherence between our monitoring systems, and support EU mandates in providing relevant information to the UN in an efficient and timely manner. This is essential if we want to strengthen the global evidence base by making the best use of our resources. We also look forward to strengthening activities and networks, identifying and also responding to new risks. Another important priority is demand reduction through cooperation, including work linked to the scale of based prevention, treatment, harm reduction, ensuring and better outcomes finally both associations recognize the importance of meaningful engagement with civil society. Stronger cooperation in this area will help ensure that policies and interventions remain informed by the experience of those who work closest to elected communities. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the UNODC Executive Director, the UNODC Chief of Drugs, Laboratories, and Scientific Services Foundation, and the teams of both organizations. We very much look forward to translating the report into concrete results that strengthen preparedness, improve knowledge, effective responses to drug-related challenges worldwide. Thank you.
Australia, also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand: We thank the UNODC Secretariat for the report, which aptly captures the persistence of longstanding, multifaceted challenges and the rapid evolution of the drug landscape. Harms associated with substance abuse remain significant, and affected populations continue to adapt and expand their reach. It is also important to recognise that drug trafficking harms go beyond domestic and international security. The report points to concerning trends, including [unclear]. The importance of evidence-based and internationally compliant approaches is emphasised, focusing efforts on what works: approaches that are evidence-based and gender-responsive, and that reduce harm while safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of communities. Encouragingly, 83% of reporting countries have established alternatives to conviction or punishment for drug use offences. This reflects a growing recognition of proportionate, health-focused responses that support rehabilitation and balance public safety priorities. All responses to the drug situation must be grounded in human rights. Canada, Australia and New Zealand remain firmly committed to this principle in all aspects of drug policy. We reiterate our strong opposition to the death penalty in all cases, including for drug-related offences, and encourage countries that have not yet done so to institute a moratorium on executions for drug-related offences. International cooperation, data sharing and collective learning remain essential to responding effectively to the evolving drug situation. The World Drug Report plays a critical role in this.
Pakistan: As a drug transit state, Pakistan is fully committed to continued cooperation in international efforts. Last year, law enforcement agencies seized 319 metric tons of drugs through intelligence-driven operations targeting drug traffickers. We note the report’s findings about Afghanistan, and share concerns highlighted by UNODC that poor economic and humanitarian conditions have increased the risk of resumed opium cultivation, while there is also a reported surge in manufacture of synthetic drugs and precursor flows into the country. The international community should take due cognisance of these early warning signs. Technical assistance has been a strategic enabler in addressing the world drug problem. As we enhance effectiveness in navigating financial realities, we should continue to attach high importance to the priorities and needs of beneficiary countries. It is only through common and shared responsibility that we can advance the health and well-being of present and future generations.
Mexico: Thank you for another year of delivering to Member States useful inputs for policy-making and decision-making regarding the fight against the world drug problem, a key element for decision-making and policy design at national, regional and global levels. Mexico is located between the United States and Canada. We are, with them, the largest trading bloc in the world. We share a long border with the United States. Drug flows are very challenging. We engage precisely to confront this, and Mexico is also located in a geopolitical situation that makes it indispensable to contribute with source countries for precursors and with main consumption centres. We would like to stress that we should not place all the blame on users. There is criminalisation and stigmatisation, but the health dimension of the world drug problem must take a central role. There is also a special vulnerability for women, and a lack of resources and treatment for women. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
El Salvador welcomes the presentation of the latest World Drug Report by UNODC. We commend UNODC for its continued efforts to provide evidence-based analysis that supports Member States. The report findings remind us of the emergence of new psychoactive substances, the diversion of precursor chemicals, and the growing adaptability of drug markets, which pose challenges to public health, security and sustainable development. El Salvador remains committed to strengthening its capacities. Our national early warning system for new psychoactive substances has enabled timely identification and assessment of emerging drug threats through coordinated action between health, regulatory, forensic and law enforcement authorities. Our national drug information network supports evidence-based policy-making. We have also strengthened control over medicines and precursor chemicals through modern electronic monitoring systems, helping to prevent diversion while ensuring access for legitimate medical and scientific purposes. We continue advancing school-based prevention programmes and treatment and rehabilitation services, grounded in public health and respect for human rights. We reaffirm our commitment to the international drug control conventions and underline the importance of multilateral cooperation, regional coordination and shared responsibility.
France: Chair, Madam Executive Director, Excellencies. Good afternoon. I would like to thank UNODC for the organisation of the presentation of the World Drug Report. We remain fully committed to a comprehensive and balanced strategy combining prevention, harm reduction, treatment, law enforcement and the fight against criminal organisations. We welcome the release of the World Drug Report and underline the quality of its analytical work on trends and threats related to illicit drugs and precursors. Any effective action must be based on robust scientific evidence. French authorities have strengthened measures to combat drug trafficking, notably through the June 2025 law. The Prime Minister will also present a new plan to combat drug trafficking. France has made the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking a priority, with work strands including strengthening maritime security, countering infiltration of institutions by criminal networks, strengthening international and regional partnerships, targeting production and trafficking routes, enhancing demand reduction policies, minimising health consequences, and combating illicit financial flows. We also attach importance to the work being undertaken to give UNODC a new strategy that identifies challenges and provides guidance on future actions.
Ghana: As we celebrate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, I would like to express my gratitude to UNODC for presenting the World Drug Report 2026. Mr Chair, this year’s theme, “Persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses,” reflects the realities of my country and many on the African continent.
On persisting issues: as long as poverty persists, as long as jobs are scarce for young people, as long as families are struggling with economic hardship, and as long as treatment is not available, demand will be supplied. If the social and economic foundations are not strengthened, the gains in enforcement can be lost within a year. The international community should more purposefully embed drug control in the global development agenda and fund it adequately.
On new challenges: today’s substances threatening Ghanaian youth are not the same substances that existing laws were designed to address. Large quantities of pharmaceutical opioids such as tramadol and its derivatives are being seized. In 2025 alone, the Narcotics Control Commission of Ghana destroyed more than 5 million tablets. Synthetic cannabinoids such as “Kush”, novel psychoactive substances, and methamphetamine are increasingly present in urban communities. These threats are global. They require global responses, faster scheduling under international conventions, and stronger cooperation on diversion and online drug markets.
On innovative responses: Ghana, under its Narcotics Control Commission Act, has structured its national response into three pillars: supply reduction, demand reduction, and harm reduction. Ghana reaffirms its commitment to the international drug control conventions and cooperation with UNODC.
Kenya: I also acknowledge the World Drug Report as a key reference for informed policy responses. This commemoration provides Member States and stakeholders an opportunity to reflect on the global drug situation and assess the effectiveness of our collective response. The theme “Persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses” resonates with current realities, including the proliferation of new psychoactive substances and methamphetamine, as well as increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks. Kenya, like many other countries, has not been immune to these challenges. We have witnessed increased supply and demand for illicit drugs, particularly among youth and middle-aged populations. These developments continue to pose serious public health, security, and socio-economic challenges. In response, the government has intensified law enforcement efforts. On 25 October 2025, Kenyan authorities carried out a coordinated multi-agency operation and intercepted a stateless narcotics trafficking dhow in the Western Indian Ocean. Approximately 1,024 kilograms of 98 percent pure crystal methamphetamine, valued at an estimated 8.2 billion Kenyan shillings, was seized and six crew members arrested. This represents one of the largest narcotics seizures in the Indian Ocean and demonstrates the importance of national, regional, and international cooperation. Kenya remains committed to implementing the recommendations of the World Drug Report. We have launched a national programme for rehabilitation of persons affected by drug use, including medication-assisted treatment for blood-borne diseases, psychosocial support, and community reintegration.
Colombia: As we commemorate this day, we also emphasise the need to strengthen international cooperation, build institutional capacity, and leverage technology. The illicit drug market extends beyond public health. Demand is growing in consumer markets, while production and trafficking networks expand across Europe, Asia, and South America. Three quarters of drug-related deaths occur in consumer markets. The imbalance is clear: demand is concentrated in consuming countries, while producer countries face enforcement pressure. Ignoring money laundering and demand is not a strategy. It shifts responsibility onto us. Colombia’s national drug policy 2023–2033 targets criminal structures while addressing underlying conditions. By May 2026, Colombia recorded one of the largest cocaine seizures globally. Thousands of laboratories have been dismantled, and aerial interdictions increased. Through community engagement under our public utility law, women have replaced prison sentences for minor drug offences with community service, scaling up community-based harm reduction programmes, and opening the first low-risk consumption spaces in South America. Our experience confirms that a balanced approach—security, rural development, voluntary substitution, access to services and care, and stronger institutions—works better. Only one in twelve people who use drugs receives treatment; among women, one in twenty-three. The gap is stark. Low- and middle-income countries carry nearly 80 percent of the burden but receive only 14 percent of access to medical opioids. Alternative development is not an expense but an investment in security, governance, and stability. Communities are partners, not targets. Drug policy must prioritise public health and human rights, with harm reduction as part of an effective response. We need better measures of success beyond hectares of cultivation or production, including disruption of financial flows, dismantling money laundering networks, and improving access to treatment and human rights indicators. We support the establishment of the expert panel under CND Resolution 68/6 to review implementation of the international drug control system.
Uruguay: Thank you, Mr President. We welcome this year’s theme, which invites reflection on persisting issues, new challenges, and innovative responses. Uruguay maintains a comprehensive, balanced and interdisciplinary approach with a human rights, gender and intersectional perspective. People’s well-being, health and freedom remain at the centre of our policies. In May this year, Uruguay adopted a National Drug Strategy 2026–2030, developed through a participatory process. The strategy strengthens planning, monitoring and evaluation through coordinated and transparent management. We note the report’s thematic chapter on drug use and safety and security, particularly the finding that adverse outcomes are reduced where there is sufficient access to health and social services, including evidence-based treatment, and where policies address underlying social determinants such as poverty, exclusion and stigma. Public security and public health are not opposing objectives but complementary ones. Uruguay underscores the importance of preserving multilateral space grounded in scientific evidence, public health, human rights, and international commitments. Finally, Uruguay supports the inclusion of a dedicated chapter on drugs and human rights in future reports.
Burkina Faso : Madam Executive Director of UNODC, I would like to congratulate UNODC, particularly the Research Branch and the Policy Analysis and Public Affairs Directorate, for their work in data collection and analysis for the 2026 World Drug Report. Despite liquidity constraints, the report shows a growing number of drug users worldwide—331 million in 2024—which is a major concern. I am particularly concerned about data related to cannabis use and trafficking, as well as organised crime. The fight against the world drug problem remains a shared responsibility. Burkina Faso emphasises prevention. We must be innovative while strengthening international action to combat links between illicit drug trafficking and other forms of crime, including terrorism. We also call for strengthened international efforts to guarantee access to controlled medicines at affordable cost, ensuring adequate care for patients and that no one is left behind. We support CND Resolution 68/6 and encourage the expert panel to work independently to strengthen the global drug control system.
The United Kingdom welcomes the World Drug Report and thanks UNODC for its continued work providing an evidence base on global drug markets and related harms. Illicit drugs cause devastating harm to individuals, families and communities. We must respond to evolving drug markets and criminal networks that increasingly exploit synthetic substances, technology and global supply chains. Our priorities are to reduce drug deaths, deliver public health responses that support recovery, and disrupt illicit supply chains and the violence they create. We face new challenges, including emerging synthetic substances and harms associated with ketamine use. We are committed to reducing drug-related deaths through investment in harm reduction, treatment and recovery services. We continue to support opioid substitution treatment and wider access to naloxone. We are expanding employment support for people affected by drug dependence. We are also placing new synthetic opioids under control and planning further class-based controls. We encourage Member States to strengthen data sharing, invest in evidence-based treatment and recovery, and deepen operational cooperation against transnational organised crime.
Myanmar welcomes the launch of the 2026 World Drug Report and appreciates UNODC’s work in providing evidence-based analysis of global drug trends and challenges. Myanmar has seized narcotic drugs and chemicals worth over 603 million US dollars in various locations. From 2013 to 2025, 41 special operations were carried out nationwide, and operation 42 is ongoing. From January 2025 to 31 May 2026, large quantities of drugs and precursor chemicals worth over 680 million US dollars were seized, along with 20 drug manufacturing sites and equipment used for synthetic drug production. More than 11,000 acres of opium poppy fields were destroyed during the 2025–2026 cultivation season. Myanmar currently controls 149 narcotic drugs, 173 psychotropic substances, and precursor chemicals. We continue to implement alternative development programmes in opium-growing areas, promoting sustainable livelihoods and community-based projects. We also promote drug prevention and awareness through schools and community programmes. Myanmar attaches importance to international cooperation with UNODC, neighbouring countries and ASEAN partners. However, drug trafficking is carried out by armed groups in areas under their control, who finance operations through these activities. These groups also traffic precursor chemicals across porous borders. The drug problem in Myanmar is closely linked to insecurity and instability.
Austria is fully aligned with the statement made by the European Union, and I will add a few facts from a national perspective. The Austrian anti-drug strategy is based on the implementation of the three international drug control conventions, as well as a people-centered and human rights-based approach, fully respecting the importance of prevention, social reintegration, without discrimination or marginalization. We stress the role of health and reiterate our support for initiatives targeting supply and demand reduction, especially education is an important work. Informing teaching and strengthening understanding are key to raising generations aware of the risks of drug use. Let me highlight the important work realizing that the UNODC Champs initiative, which Austria remains a firm supporter of. We welcome the World Drug Report, including the outlook and positive elements like decrease of among adolescents came out this in the future reports. We also welcome the information on the issue of drug use and safety and security. Finally, Austria underlines the importance of closer international cooperation and appreciates the signing of a working agreement between the EU drugs agency and UNODC. I can assure you of Austria’s continued commitment to supporting as the leading entity in the UN system in the global [fight] against drug use.
Singapore welcomes the launch of the World Job Report 2026 and joins others in commemorating the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. At the outset, Singapore wishes to thank Chloe Anya Kamran and the UNODC RAB team for their continued efforts in producing the WDReport. We recognize that this year’s was prepared against a backdrop of the challenging financial island facing the successful delivery of another high-quality edition of the report under these circumstances is especially tenable, reliable evidence-based research are essential for governments to develop effective drug policies, the global dialog on drugs must be informed by sound evidence. If we are to better understand the world of problem and develop effective responses in this regard, Singapore is pleased to once again sponsor a thematic chapter in the world award. This year’s chapter examines the impact of drug use on safety and security, building on last year’s chapter on the impact of drug use on health. We hope it will continue to contribute to a deeper understanding of the harms associated with drug use and support the development of data-informed and effective responses. No country can tackle the world. International cooperation remains indispensable. Singapore, therefore, remains committed to supporting the important work of the Commission, the INCB, and UNODC in our region.
Brazil is concerned about the increasing production, trafficking, and use of illicit drugs, which is affecting the safety and security of individuals, families, communities, and wider society, as well as the environment. Brazil believes that drug use disorders, effectively addressed through inclusive rights-based discretionary healthcare, social protection rehabilitation, providing the context of health systems that gave you no stigmatization (…) human management, especially in low and middle income countries. We’re also concerned that the access to prevention, treatment, care, and social integration continue to be insufficient. I will stop here. Thank you so much.
Russia: We appreciate the opportunity to share views on the World Drug Report 2026. As clearly shown in the report, the World Drug Program becomes more and more complex. The number of drug users increased by 34% cannabis abuse increased by more than 40%. The global production in cocaine reached a new record level. The risks of shift to more important and dangerous synthetic opioids as substitutes to heroin. Drug traffickers are quickly adjusting themselves to control measures, discovering new trafficking routes and exploiting technological innovations, all these challenges clearly require more consolidated international cooperation and law enforcement measures at the global level. However, such cooperation has been continuously degrading for many reasons, also as a result of politicized approaches or artificial ideological disputes – disputes, all such contradictions are conducive to further proliferation of drug-related crimes throughout the globe and observe interests of any member state. There is a dangerous contradiction between consciousness and reality. Some countries implement more than robust law enforcement measures on the ground, while consciously they promote other issues in the political discourse within the UN, including in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, so fighting their own battles while overlooking the fundamentals. The UN may lose credibility and in this regard. We would favor more just, fair, clear, consistent and truly comprehensive approach, which corresponds to existing creeds, real urgent needs on the ground, and is rooted in international terms of implementing publications and commitments, commitments in good faith. The conventions should be respected by all state s without any excuses or exceptions. We have to be clear that the legalization of cannabis for non-native purposes is a fundamental breach of legal obligations under the UN Drug Control Conventions, as repeatedly stated by INCB, we hope that INCB will remain vigilant in this regard. The report provides evidence that countries which legalize cannabis, even partially or temporarily, appear to be increasingly used to source cannabis for illicit markets outside outside their national conduct, another important finding of the report is that public awareness of harms related to cannabis abuse, we hope that the public awareness of risks related to Canada’s abuse will be translated into policy action in compliance with the convention. The Russian Federation is fully committed to strengthening cooperation with international allies and providing technical assistance to countries at the forefront . Together with UNODC and INCB, and we’ll continue implementing counter-narcotics projects all over the world for Asian countries, including Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan, GDRK, Latin America, and Africa. We are willing to expand this cooperation and continue to provide our financial and expert support to UNODC to effectively counter the drug scourge and create a society free of drug abuse. One of the important elements of this work is promoting healthier lifestyles among young people, including through the successful UNODC Youth Initiative and Regional Youth Network in Central Asia funded by Russia. Thank you.
Switzerland is honored to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Traffic. We would like to thank UNODC staff for the constant effort in compiling this comprehensive overview. The 2026 report continues to highlight the sobering reality. The global drug situation is becoming increasingly complex. To address these evolving challenges, our response must prioritize public health and human rights. The work of the independent expert panel this year is crucial in proposing reforms that will help us shape forward-looking and human-centered policies for the future. Mr. Chair, no one chooses a substance use disorder, and punishing drug use does not work. Drug dependence is a health condition that must be treated with ethical measures and dignity. The death penalty, in all circumstances,but especially for drug offenses, violates international law and has never produced any deterrent effect. We stand firmly against the death penalty. True progress requires a balanced approach. Comprehensive health interventions must work entirely with proportionate law enforcement efforts that target illicit trafficking networks, as recognized in the historic CND resolution as it passed in March this year. Both harm reduction and for an efficient public health response, Switzerland’s supervised consumption sites, drug checking, and opioid agonist therapy do not encourage substance abuse. They reduce overdoses, offer a compassionate bridge to healthcare and contribute to acquisitive crimes, highlighting an expert quote in the report’s thematic chapter. Switzerland is convinced that health and social intervention aim to engage people who use drugs, reduce harms, and reintegrate them into broader social environments are more promising for improving safety and security. Thank you.
The Netherlands fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by Ambassador Halligan on behalf of the European Union, and I wish to add the following in my following remarks in my national message. Let’s express our appreciation for the important work of UNODC and its contribution in understanding the world drug situation. The scientific evidence that is provided to us through the World Drug Report is an important source to get better insights into the problems. The WDR makes clear numerous challenges. One of the challenges, which is of grave concern to the Netherlands, is the emergence of new psychoactive substances. A recent amendment to the Dutch Opium Act that enabled us to ban entire groups of dangerous substances, rather than individual substances, one by one, is a step into the right direction to tackle this problem, but criminals adapt quickly and devise new ways to make money. For instance, substances are offered as research of pharmaceuticals, often counterfeit for these dangerous new psychoactive substances, early warning systems should be in place, and we abroad the recent CME resolution introduced by Kyrgyzstan in this regard. Both the INCB report published several months ago and the World Drug Report we have on the table today also punch out a sore spot for the Netherlands, and that is the supply side seen in my country. Examples include production cocaine. I’m not going to challenge this, as this effect we know, but I can assure you that our law enforcement agencies are working on it. Two examples are the effective efforts to cut access to our portfolio traffickers and to dismantle dozens of illegal labs producing substances such as metaphylatine. However, the problem can be solved by focusing on supply regarding we also need to reduce demand for those substances, thereby disrupting criminal business models and improving public health at the same time. We need to protect our environment as well. We are committed to contribute to this balanced and holistic approach, but it is clear that no country can do this alone. We need to learn from each other and to work closely together to cut supply and reduce demand. In this context, international cooperation in the field of drug policy through UNODC, CND, and the other relevant UN entities is more important than ever. Let me conclude by saying that the Netherlands had the opportunity to make an important contribution by chairing the CND in 2027. We are highly motivated to make a success out of it, together with all countries in the room. Thank you, Chair.
China welcomes the launch of the World Drug Report 2026 to mark the International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, which provide a very reference for improving awareness and evolving trend in global drug problems. We would also like to express our appreciation to UNODC for the professionalism and dedication in preparing this report. At present, global drug governance faces increasingly severe challenges. The Chinese government maintains a zero tolerance attitude to drugs and remains committed to the implementation of its international obligations. We have been working with the international community to jointly fight against the drug crime, address new challenges posed by synthetic drugs, and actively contribute to global drug governance. China stand ready to work with all parties to make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity, free from the harm of drugs.
Japan: I wish to thank Executive Director Jumor, and the entire UNODC team for the 2026 WDR. The report delivers a stark message. The drugs are becoming more potent, more diverse, and the more lethal. The trafficking rules are becoming more complex and adaptive. New markets are emerging, criminal networks are expanding their reach. No country is immune to this effect on our youth, families and communities. We remain committed to working with the partners to address drug trafficking and organized crime, we aim preserving open and free societies where people can live safely, prosper economically, and enjoy the dignities and opportunity for the future. The report emphasis on youth is particularly important where drugs penetrated gang accumulation. Their costs are measured not only in the health outcome, but in lost potential and the weakened societies. Japan shares the sense of urgency. Japanese government have strengthened our legal framework, intensifying the prevention and awareness efforts, particularly for young people. Japan stands ready to share our experience and lessons learned with international community. Finally, these reports provide analysis and insight in confronting a challenge of this magnitude, knowledge is one of our strongest weapons, and that makes possible innovative responses, and the knowledge of this quality does not emerge on its own, it is built through the tireless efforts of UNODC personnel in the field and beyond, often working in the difficult environment, traveling to the front lines, gathering evidence, monitoring emerging threats, and transforming fragmented realities into actionable understanding. We commend their dedication, courage, and professionalism . Thank you very much.
Türkiye: We would like to first of all thank the UNODC Particulary Research and Trend Analysis Grant for the preparation of the 2026 World Truck Report providing a comprehensive overview of global drug trends and key issues would assist us in addressing these threats and mitigating their consequences. The report clearly demonstrates that the global drug market is becoming more synthetic, more decentralized, harder to detect and potentially more dangerous. Türkiye shares the assessment presented in the report, especially regarding the urgent threat posed by emerging synthetic substances, which require more adaptive health and enforcement systems, stronger international coordination, early warning systems, and more effective information sharing between states. Türkiye is emerging as one of the most strategically exposed countries in a rapidly changing global drug market, because of its location between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. We are confronting simultaneous threats from methamphetamine expansion, urine market disruption, synthetic opioid emergence, and increasingly adaptive transnational criminal networks. While there have been no domestic seizures of fentanyl or necessitine derivatives to date, Turkey closely monitors the risk of these substances migrating toward its borders, given its position along traditional trafficking routes. The collapse of the Syria economy has disrupted long-established trafficking networks as production declines in Syria and Lebanon. Criminal organizations are likely to seek new trafficking corridors, potentially increasing pressure on our border security. At the national level, our experience confirms that an effective response to such threats requires a balance and comprehensive approach. While we continue to take firm action against drug trafficking organizations and their financial networks through large scale international operations and education measures, we also recognize that individuals affected by addiction must be approached through treatment, rehabilitation, and social reintegration policies in this regard. Turkey continues to strengthen its national capacity through extended addiction treatment infrastructure, nationwide prevention programs, and rehabilitation mechanisms that prioritize recovery alongside public safety. The findings remind us that no country can counter the impact of the problems on health, governance and security alone. Combating this scourge requires shared responsibility, international cooperation and a balanced strategy that combines law enforcement, public health, prevention and sustainable regulation. As a demonstration of our commitment, we have provided a training hub in the region and beyond. The Turkish International Academy Against Drugs and Organized Crime, TADOC, and Turkish Counter and Aquatics Training Academy NEIA have trained over 15,000 law enforcement officers from over 100 countries through more than 700 national training programs. Turkey re-affirms also in its commitment to continuing this collective effort, together with the international community. Last but not least, I would reiterate our support to UNODC, CND and INCB and on this occasion, I would like to congratulate the re-election of the president of the INCB this week. Thank you.
Thailand: The WDR provides an analysis of the evolving global drug situation. The report reminds us that the world drug problem remains one of the most pressing global challenges. The increasing use of synthetic substances and digital technologies by transnational organized criminal groups is reshaping illicit drug markets and posing significant risks to public health, social security, and sustainable development. To better address these challenges, we need stronger international cooperation, innovative responses, and policies firmly grounded in science and evidence. Thailand remains committed to a balanced, comprehensive, and people-centred approach that integrates law enforcement, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and sustainable development. We believe that addressing the underlying social and economic drivers of the world drug problem is essential to achieving lasting outcomes, and that evidence should guide policy in this regard. Thailand continues to work closely with UNODC and international partners to advance CND Resolution 68/2, co-sponsored by Thailand and Norway, on promoting research and scientific evidence-based interventions for the treatment of stimulant use disorders. We remain committed to strengthening research, promoting exchange of knowledge and good practices, and expanding access to quality evidence-based treatment and care. Beyond treatment and care, Thailand supports development-oriented approaches addressing root causes of the world drug problem. Thailand places great importance on strengthening regional and international cooperation and remains committed to coordinated responses to emerging threats. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Chair: At this point, I would remind everyone to kindly limit statements to two minutes due to time constraints.
Peru welcomes this special event on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, as well as the presentation by UNODC of the World Drug Report. Peru notes that the global drug problem is evolving in a context of geopolitical instability and increasing complexity. An effective international response must be firmly grounded in the international drug control conventions and the principle of shared responsibility. Responses must integrate four essential pillars: public health, security (including supply reduction), human rights, and sustainable development, including alternative development. Peru remains firmly committed to this approach. At the national level, we have sustained supply reduction efforts, including the eradication of tens of thousands of hectares of illicit crops in recent years, carried out in coordination with affected communities and with environmental responsibility. At the same time, Peru continues to advance alternative development as a strategic pillar of national policy. The adoption of the CND resolution complementing the UN guiding principles on alternative development marked an important milestone. Initiatives such as partnerships between women coffee producers and the private sector demonstrate the potential of alternative development to generate sustainable livelihoods. Unfortunately, these positive results were not reflected in this year’s report. Peru also promotes regional cooperation, including through the South American Port Alliance and the establishment of container control units to strengthen risk profiling, inspections, and intelligence sharing at strategic logistics hubs. Peru reaffirms its commitment to addressing the world drug problem in full respect of international law, human rights, indigenous peoples’ rights, and environmental protection.
Malta aligns itself with the European Union statement. The global drug situation is marked by expanding markets, increasing drug use, and the proliferation of synthetic drugs. These developments require effective, evidence-based, and human rights-based responses involving public health authorities, social services, law enforcement, academia, and civil society. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Malta supports policies that reduce stigma, expand access to evidence-based services, and place health and welfare at the centre of drug policy. We call for the universal abolition of the death penalty, including for drug-related offences. Malta is investing across the full continuum of care, including prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and rehabilitation. At the same time, we recognize that drug trafficking remains a major driver of transnational organized crime and violence. Strengthening law enforcement responses and international cooperation is essential to dismantle criminal networks. Our collective response must remain agile, coordinated, and grounded in public health and human rights.
Iran: We thank the UNODC for the World Drug Report 2026 and the continued efforts. Iran remains a major contributor to global efforts against drug trafficking and has adopted a comprehensive and balanced approach. It remains committed to strengthening regional and international cooperation. Iran reports significant seizures of illicit drugs, including 356 tons in 2025, and continues to bear a heavy human cost in this effort. We also express concern about funding challenges affecting UNODC and the quality of future editions of the World Drug Report. We welcome the new thematic chapter in the report and believe it contributes to a deeper understanding of the impacts of drug use.
United States: Thanks (…). Criminal networks are thriving and must be confronted through stronger international cooperation and law enforcement efforts. We urge UNODC to focus on its core mandate, including strengthening cooperation against transnational drug trafficking. We are concerned that the report may understate the importance of certain supply-side interventions. Chemical control and precursor control remain essential tools in addressing synthetic drugs. We will continue to support international efforts to prevent diversion of chemicals and equipment used in illicit drug production. We also welcome the work of the CND expert panel on improving implementation of the international drug control conventions and look forward to continued cooperation with UNODC and Member States.
Belgium thanks UNODC for convening this event and for the World Drug Report 2026. The report highlights the continued expansion of global drug markets, the rise of highly potent substances, evolving consumption patterns, and increasingly adaptive trafficking routes. These developments pose serious challenges to public health and security and require stronger collective action. Belgium also highlights persistent inequalities in access to controlled medicines for medical and scientific purposes and calls for efforts to ensure that no patient is left behind.
The Syrian Arab Republic thanks UNODC for the World Drug Report 2026. The report highlights developments in Syria and the weakening of criminal networks in recent years, reflecting national efforts to combat drug trafficking and strengthen law enforcement. Syria stresses the importance of international cooperation, capacity-building, and information exchange to respond to emerging threats. Syria reaffirms its commitment to the international drug control conventions and to continued cooperation with UNODC based on respect for sovereignty and shared responsibility.
VNGOC Chair (Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs): I speak today, representing a global network of civil society organizations – thanks UNODC and we welcome the World Drug Report 2026. Behind every statistic is a human story. The report provides an important global overview of emerging trends, but its true value lies in the actions it inspires. Drug markets are evolving rapidly, with expanding synthetic drug markets, rising cocaine production, and increasingly complex health and security challenges. Civil society plays a critical role in translating evidence into action, identifying emerging trends, and delivering prevention, treatment, recovery, and social support services. Meaningful civil society participation is essential within the UN system. Engagement between governments, UN agencies, and civil society improves policy-making, strengthens implementation, and ensures responses grounded in lived experience. Now is not the time to reduce collaboration, but to strengthen it (…)
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