Remarks by the President of the UN General Assembly,
Mr. Philemon Yang
at the 68th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Monday, 10 March 2025, Vienna
[Pre-Recorded Video Message]
Your Excellency Shambhu Kumaran, Chair of the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs,
Ms. Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me begin by thanking the Chair for the invitation and by congratulating him and his Bureau.
I also commend Ms. Ghada Waly and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for their commitment to supporting Member States in addressing the challenges of drugs and crime.
The work of this Commission is vital.
It aligns with my vision for the 79th session of the General Assembly—a vision of unity in diversity, peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for all.
Human dignity also means ensuring health and well-being.
This includes living in safe societies free from crime and the harm caused by drugs.
And this allows individuals to thrive and contribute to sustainable development.
However, the world drug problem threatens this reality, weakening institutions, undermining the rule of law, and contributing to instability.
Indeed, the profits from these activities often support terrorism and violent extremism as well as other forms of organised crime.
The numbers speak for themselves:
- The World Drug Report shows that nearly 292 million people used drugs in 2022, a 20 percent increase over the past decade.
- Also, about 64 million suffered from drug use disorders, a 3 percent increase since 2018.
These rising numbers reflect a growing public health challenge.
As a result, progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 3—ensuring health and well-being for all—is being undermined.
We must also acknowledge the far-reaching consequences of illicit drug production.
It disrupts social and economic stability, further deepening vulnerabilities in affected communities.
But the damage goes beyond security and economic and social stability.
Deforestation, soil degradation, and toxic waste—drug trafficking leaves a lasting scar also on our environment.
So, what can we do?
First, we must tackle the root causes of illicit drug production while actively engaging young people in prevention programmes, policymaking, and education.
The World Programme of Action for Youth, now marking 30 years, gives us a roadmap to support them.
By investing in awareness raising and education.
And by ensuring that they are not victims of drugs but champions of change.
Second, we need stronger international cooperation.
In today’s digital age, drug trafficking networks exploit online platforms to operate and evade detection.
International cooperation is key to disrupting these activities while upholding privacy and human rights.
The Pact for the Future, along with the Global Digital Compact reaffirms the Member States’ determination to strengthen international cooperation to prevent and combat transnational organised crime in all its forms.
We must combat illicit drug use, while ensuring controlled substances remain accessible for medical and scientific needs.
Excellences,
Mesdames et messieurs
Enfin, nous devons agir avec urgence.
Cette année, nous célébrons le 80ᵉ anniversaire des Nations Unies.
Cela doit nous rappeler pourquoi cette institution a été formée en 1945 – pour promouvoir la paix, la dignité et un avenir meilleur.
Avec le même élan et en réaffirmant cette même raison d’être, je vous exhorte à bâtir un monde où le progrès, la sécurité et la dignité humaine ne sont pas seulement des mots, mais une réalité.
Saisissons cette opportunité.
Je vous souhaite une session fructueuse.
Je vous remercie.
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Media Contacts
Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
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