UN commission on narcotic drugs meets in Vienna

 Member states in the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs will hold a high-level review of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on the world drug problem in Vienna on 13-14 March, said a statement by the UN Information Service on Wednesday. The statement added that heroin, cocaine and other drugs pose a serious threat to public health and kill some 200,000 people annually. Illicit drugs and drug trafficking also fuel armed violence, conflict and terrorism, while eroding the rule of law and human rights as well as economic and social development. The proceeds from illicit drugs are worth an estimated USD 320 billion every year. Acknowledging these challenges, in March 2009, at the high-level segment of the 52nd Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), Member states adopted a Political Declaration confirming the three international drug control conventions as the cornerstone of the international drug control system, and a Plan of Action aimed at reducing or eliminating the impact of illicit drugs. The High-Level Review will focus on implementation of the Plan of Action to date. The event will bring together more than 1,500 people from member states, parliaments, inter-governmental organizations, civil society, the private sector and the media.