SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov will travel to Vienna next week, where he will attend the 63rd session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND).
A high-level side event titled SCO and UNODC in the Fight against the Illicit Drug Threat: Countering Drug Trafficking via Darknet, to be held on the first day of the session, was organised with the assistance of the SCO Secretariat and the UNODC Regional Section for Europe, West and Central Asia.
The event will be attended by the newly appointed UNODC Executive Director Ghada Fathi Waly, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Oleg Syromolotov (on behalf of Russia which currently holds the SCO Presidency), the heads of delegations from other SCO member states, observer countries and dialogue partners, as well as delegates from international and regional organisations.
There will be a stand at the United Nations Office at Vienna offering information about the SCO's contribution to combating the global drug problem.
The agenda of the SCO Secretariat in Vienna includes the SCO Secretary-General's meetings with the UNODC Executive Director, the heads of delegations of SCO member states and observer countries, as well as the leaders of international and regional organisations.
On 4 March 2020, a roundtable discussion on the SCO's role in promoting stability and security will be held at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES). It will be attended by representatives of Austrian analytical centres andthe diplomatic missions of the SCO countries.
Acting in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Astana on 14 June 2011, the SCO Secretariat and UNODC have established joint expert and analysis cooperation and information exchanges. They also organise events aimed at strengthening their joint efforts against drug trafficking.
On 31 August 2019, the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Cooperation between the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on 16 February 1946 to assist the ECOSOC in supervising the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), which is part of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The CND comprises representatives of 53 countries from six regional groups based on approved quotas. The Commission holds annual sessions. The 63rd CND Session will feature a number of side events and thematic exhibitions.