ABD Group participates in the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)

Mireia Ventura takes part in the presentation of the European project SCANNER

The coordinator of Energy Control’s analysis service stresses that these resources are “extremely effective in eliminating particularly risky substances from the market because people who use drugs receive this information and share it”.

The ABD Group participated in the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which was held in Vienna from March 13-17 and brought together more than 120 countries to discuss the implementation of the international drug control treaties and drug policy agreements.

Specifically, the Coordinator of the analysis service of Energy Control, Mireia Ventura, was one of the speakers at the event where the results of SCANNER were presented, a project that aims to understand the dynamics and consequences of the use of new psychoactive substances at European level and which is funded by the European Commission’s Justice Fund. ABD is one of the partners.

During her intervention, Ventura explained that drug testing services have the capacity to correctly analyze new psychoactive substances and have the information that drug users need. In addition, she indicated that these resources are “good observatories” with advantages over other sources of information, since, for example, it establishes a direct contact of collaboration and trust with the people who use drugs. As a result, “we are extremely effective in eliminating particularly risky substances from the market because the people who use drugs take this information and share it,” Ventura concluded.

Jochen Schrooten (VAD – Flemish Center of Expertise on Alcohol and Other Drugs), who presented the monitoring of the results of new psychoactive substances through the SCANNER project by civil society organizations, and Irena Molnar (YODA/Regeneration), who reflected on drug testing as an opportunity for cooperation between civil society organizations and government institutions, also took part in the event. Lastly, Alexis Goosdeel, Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), made a special presentation.

All the interventions are available HERE.

Special consultative status at the ECOSOC

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs CND was established by resolution 9 (I) of the Economic and Social Council ECOSOC (in which ABD has Special Consultative Status since 2019) in 1946, to assist the Council in monitoring the implementation of the international drug control treaties.

In 1991, the General Assembly expanded the mandate of the CND to enable it to function as the governing body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The agenda of the CND has two distinct segments: a normative segment for the exercise of normative and treaty-based functions; and an operational segment to perform the role of governing body of UNODC.

The CND meets annually to review and adopt a series of decisions and resolutions. Intersessional meetings are also convened periodically to provide guidance to UNODC. At the end of each year, the CND holds a resumed session to discuss budgetary and administrative matters as the governing body of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme.