Vienna, 10 March 2009

The United Nations Information Service Vienna

invites you to the

Opening Press Conference

of the

High-Level Segment (52nd Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs)

on

Wednesday, 11 March 2009, 1300 hours

at the

Press Briefing Room MOE71A

M Building, VIC

With

Libertina AMATHILA
Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia and Chair, CND

and

Antonio Maria COSTA
Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

The effectiveness of drug control is the focus of the 52nd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which will meet in Vienna, 11 to 20 March. The first two days of the session will be held at ministerial level to assess progress made in the decade since a Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS) set targets to reduce global supply of, and demand for, illicit drugs. Mr. Costa will address the issue of organized crime - one of the unintended consequences of drug control, and will outline a three-pronged approach to tackle drug-related crime.  

Ministers and top anti-drug officials from the 53 CND Member States will discuss issues ranging from preventing drug abuse and dependence, to reducing the supply of drugs, controlling precursors and amphetamine-type stimulants and countering the laundering of drug money. The CND is expected to adopt a Political Declaration on the future of drug control and a Plan of Action to counter the world drug problem.

The opening session on Monday 11 March at 10:00 hours in the M Building is open to the media. An extensive programme of side events including the launch of the Joint Action Programme on Drug Dependence and Care by WHO and UNODC, a presentation of the Cannabis Commission Report by the Beckley Foundation and NGO perspectives on drug control in an event hosted by HRH Queen Silvia of Sweden.

***

Accreditation: Media are encouraged to pre-accredit for the briefing; forms and criteria are available on www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/media_accreditation.html or by writing to press@unvienna.org. A media accreditation counter will be open at Gate 1 of the VIC on Wednesday, 11 March, 07.30 hours onwards. Journalists already accredited to the VIC do not need re-accreditation. Please note that accreditation is required to attend the briefing. Camera crews should inform of their participation latest by 1600 hours, today, 10 March 2009, by writing to jaya.mohan@unvienna.org. Media are advised to come to the venue at least half an hour before the briefing to avoid delays at security.

Stake-out: Media are invited to participate in a stake-out area next to the Plenary hall.  Among other speakers, Czech Minister of Interior Ivan Langer will address the media on the EU position on the Political Declaration, the EU priorities in anti-drug policy, and on the recent challenges and lessons learned from the last ten years after UNGASS 1998.

* *** *

For further information, please contact:

Jaya Mohan, Information Officer, UNIS
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-4448
Mobile: (+43) 0699 1459-4448
Email: jaya.mohan@unvienna.org