On 26 June, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov granted an interview to the Russian news agency TASS, China's Renmin Ribao, Pakistan's Daily Islamabad Post and several other media outlets on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Vladimir Norov mentioned the importance of the event, adding that the fight against drug abuse has been one of the SCO's priorities since its establishment.
He expressed concern over the alarming growth of the illegal drug business and the proliferation of drug abuse around the world, which has an extremely negative impact on all spheres of public life and on state administration. The SCO Secretary-General focused on the importance of building up multilateral cooperation between states and international organisations with the aim of finding an effective solution to the drug problem.
He expressed concern over the alarming growth of the illegal drug business and the proliferation of drug abuse around the world, which has an extremely negative impact on all spheres of public life and on state administration. The SCO Secretary-General focused on the importance of building up multilateral cooperation between states and international organisations with the aim of finding an effective solution to the drug problem.
Vladimir Norov mentioned the SCO's international weight in restraining drug traffic from Afghanistan, which has been recognised by the senior officials of the concerned UN bodies and regional organisations.
He noted that the SCO member states were closely monitoring the current trends in the illicit drugs market, arising due to changes in the supply chains and routes, and are working out practical measures to neutralise the related risks. He emphasised the importance of giving more attention to the symbiosis between drug trafficking and terrorism by properly articulating the problem at the UN and other large international platforms.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed the SCO's readiness to develop a constructive dialogue on the drug problem with the other concerned regional associations in Eurasia, including the CSTO, the CIS, ASEAN and the OSCE.
He pointed out that the legalisation of certain types of recreational drugs, contrary to the current international law on drugs, was unacceptable. In this context, Vladimir Norov called for strict compliance with the three UN anti-drug conventions, including when it comes to the use of drugs and psychotropic substances exclusively for medical and scientific purposes.
In conclusion, the SCO Secretary-General mentioned the importance of the joint implementation of the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy and the SCO Concept for the Prevention of the Abuse of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances aimed at improving the methods of preventing drug abuse and the treatment of drug users.
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was established on 7 December 1987 in accordance with resolution A/RES/42/112 adopted at the 42nd Session of the UN General Assembly.
The full text of the interview is available on the websites of