Venezuela and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for the Andean Region and the Southern Cone (UNODC) exchanged experiences, with the purpose of strengthening cooperation in the fight against drugs.
The information was released, through his Twitter account, by the National Anti-drug Superintendent (sunad), Richard López Vargas, who represents Venezuela in the 66th period of sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND, for its acronym in English) of the United Nations Organization (UN), which takes place from March 13 to 17 in Vienna, Austria.
López Vargas explained that he held a meeting with Candice Welsch, UNODC director for the Andean Region and the Southern Cone.
From July 1, 2022, candice Welsch, of Canadian origin, assumed the position as regional director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for the Andean Region and the Southern Cone, reported the UNODC digital portal.
“I held a meeting with the Director of the UNODC for the Andean Region and the Southern Cone, Candice Welsch for the strengthening of Cooperation in the Fight against Drugs. During the 66th Period of Sessions of the UN CND that takes place in Vienna-Austria”, the Superintendent published on Twitter.
Towards a paradigm shift
Likewise, as part of his visit to Vienna to participate in the sessions of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Superintendent Richard López participated with Colombia in the event that takes place in parallel called “Total Peace and New Paradigms on Drugs.”
In this sense, he stressed that the accompaniment of Venezuela to Colombia in this type of initiative seeks a paradigm shift, by “exchanging experiences on the drug problem in Latin America and its link to the PEACE processes in the region.”
“TOWARDS A PARADIGM SHIFT! In Vienna, we accompanied Colombia in the parallel event “Total Peace and New Paradigms on Drugs”, in order to exchange experiences on the drug problem in Latin America and its link to the PEACE processes in the region”, he said López Vargas on the social network.
UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (DNC) was established by resolution 9 (I) of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1946, for the supervision of the application of the international drug control treaties.
According to the CND website, in 1991, the UN General Assembly expanded the CND’s mandate so that it could function as the governing body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
This Commission, made up of 53 Member States, meets every year at its headquarters in Vienna to discuss, from different visions and approaches, the world drug problem and to formulate demand and supply reduction strategies.
This year, 2023, from this Monday, March 13 to Friday, March 17, the CND is holding its 66th session in which it will seek to advance compliance with all international commitments in addressing and confronting the world drug problem in the face of Midterm Exam to be held in 2024.
