The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the central UN policy-making body in drug-related matters, opens its 58th session in Vienna this week (9–17 March). The CND analyses the world drug situation and develops proposals to strengthen the international drug control system. An EMCDDA delegation is attending the event and, throughout the week, will provide technical support to the European Commission and EU Member States. Visitors are welcome to the EMCDDA stand.
News from the EMCDDA delegation
Updates from our delegation will be added here as they arrive.
Monday 9 March
EMCDDA presence at the 58th Commission on Narcotic Drugs, 2015
An EMCDDA delegation is attending the event and, throughout the week, will provide technical support to the European Commission and EU Member States. Visitors are welcome to the EMCDDA stand in the M01 building.
EMCDDA presents latest update on 'new drugs' from EU Early Warning System
New psychoactive substances (NPS or ‘new drugs’) were detected in the European Union last year at the rate of around two per week, according to an update issued on 9 March by the EMCDDA. A total of 101 new substances were reported to the EU Early Warning System (EWS) in 2014 (up from 81 in 2013), continuing an upward trend in substances notified in a single year. This brings the total number of substances being monitored by the agency to over 450, with more than half of that figure being identified in the last three years alone.
The report was released to coincide with the opening of the 58th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, where the EMCDDA is participating alongside the EU delegation. It is based on an analysis of information collected by the EWS from the 28 EU Member States, Turkey and Norway.
Tuesday 10 March
Download a transcript of the speech.
Supply reduction and related measures; responses to drugs-related crime; countering money-laundering and promoting judicial cooperation ('Drugs and crime') Panel
This morning, EMCDDA Scientific Director Paul Griffiths acted as an expert nominated by the Western European Group for the panel discussion on: 'Supply reduction and related measures; responses to drugs-related crime; countering money-laundering and promoting judicial cooperation'.
Wednesday 11 March
Developing and promoting quality standards in drug demand reduction (1.10-2.00 p.m., conference room M3)
Organised by the European Union, the Government of Latvia, the African Union Commission, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the UNODC Drug Prevention and Health Branch, in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University. See European drug prevention quality standards in our publications database. A report on the side event is available on the prevention-standards website.
The public health approach: prevention, treatment, risk and harm reduction, recovery, social reintegration and rehabilitation. Best practices by Trimbos Institute (2.20-3.10 p.m., conference room M6)
Organised by the Government of the Netherlands. Marica Ferri of the EMCDDA will co-chair the event. Click and learn with the EMCDDA's Best practice portal.
Thursday 12 March
Developing a comprehensive response to the challenge of drug-impaired driving (1.10-2.00 p.m., conference room M7)
Organised by the Government of the United States of America, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the New Zealand Drug Foundation. See the EMCDDA publication Drug use, impaired driving and traffic accidents, second edition.
Wednesday 18 March
EU-Brazil dialogue on drugs (9.00 a.m.-6.00 p.m., conference room M2)
Organised by the Council of the European Union, Ana Gallegos from EMCDDA will present an update on the drug situation in the EU and focus on new psychoactive substances, including the EU Early Warning System.
See New psychoactive substances in Europe. An update from the EU Early Warning System, published early March.
