Highlights of 2007:

Containing the world drug problem: Drug control is working, said the World Drug Report 2007, UNODC’s flagship publication. Global supply, trafficking and consumption of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamines have stabilized. Worldwide efforts to contain the world drug problem have effectively reversed a quarter-century-long rise in drug abuse and headed off a global pandemic. Afghanistan, however, bucked the trend with soaring opium production.

Seeds of insecurity: In 2007 Afghanistan’s opium poppy cultivation reached record levels. There have been some successes: opium is grown in fewer provinces. But in the main growing area of Helmand the increases have far outstripped reductions elsewhere. Heroin transiting through Central Asia to Europe is causing addiction, spreading HIV and funding organized crime.

Human trafficking: No country is immune from the crime of human trafficking, either as source or destination countries. To tackle this inhuman trade, UNODC is spearheading the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) with partners in the United Nations system and beyond.

Africa under attack: The beleaguered nations of West Africa, and Guinea- Bissau in particular, are struggling to repel the onslaught of cocaine trafficked from South America. In 2007, UNODC rang the warning bell and is mobilizing international assistance to help prevent a crisis.

Fighting corruption: For decades, corrupt leaders have absconded with the national treasury of impoverished nations. The Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative, launched in September 2007 by UNODC and the World Bank, is designed not only to help developing countries recover such stolen assets, but also to work with the developed world to eliminate impediments to returning these vital assets.

Strengthening the legal regime against terrorism: The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the General Assembly in September 2006, calls for greater action to prevent terrorism, a main plank of UNODC’s mandate. To strengthen international law against terrorism, UNODC lends its expertise in the ratification and implementation of international legal treaties and related domestic legislation.

Adding value: To respond more effectively to the global threats of drugs and crime, UNODC set out a blueprint for action in its Strategy for the period 2008-2011. To implement the Strategy, the Office has developed a Menu of Services to showcase the kinds of technical assistance it can provide to Member States.

Resource mobilization and partnership development: UNODC is strengthening partnerships to pool expertise and leverage resources.

Download United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Annual Report 2008

PDF format, 1.9MB, 58Pages.

Preface:

Drugs, crime and terrorism remain three of the greatest threats to the peace, security and well-being of humanity. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is therefore in high demand.

Growing confidence in the ability of UNODC to help States confront these challenges was reflected in a healthy increase in voluntary contributions in 2007.

Recognition of the valuable work that the Office is carrying out is growing in the media, the public and among peer organizations.

The work carried out by UNODC in 2007 reaffirmed the merits of the Office’s three-pronged approach, which is based on research that ensures that policy is evidencebased, a strong legal framework that helps States fight drugs, crime and terrorism according to the rule of law and an operational response that is made possible by the political ownership of the States concerned, technical assistance from UNODC headquarters and the involvement of the Office’s worldwide network of field offices.

Success depends on building partnerships between UNODC and Member States and between UNODC and other United Nations entities, regional organizations, development banks, international financial institutions, civil society, the private sector and the media. This is important for generating political will, pooling resources, sharing information and mobilizing support. Most of all, it is essential for generating a society-wide response to issues like drugs, human trafficking and corruption, which affect us all.

In 2007, UNODC continued its active engagement in core countries and regions—Afghanistan, Myanmar, Central Asia and the Andean countries—while expanding its work in West Africa. Human trafficking and corruption took centre stage. Drug control efforts, which have long focused on supply and interdiction, stressed demand reduction. These issues are profiled in this annual report. As you will see, the challenges are great.

Opium trafficking is fuelling instability in one of the world’s most dangerous regions. Afghanistan and its neighbours are trying to cope with the consequences and UNODC is there to help by providing and analysing data on opium poppy crops, facilitating regional cooperation and assisting affected countries to strengthen border management and drug control.

Cocaine trafficking is threatening the security and sovereignty of vulnerable West African countries that are being used as a hub for drug consignments travelling between Andean producers and European consumers.

UNODC has alerted the world to the problem and is on the ground helping embattled Governments to bolster their defences.

The menace of drug trafficking has caught Central America and the Caribbean in a cross-fire that is jeopardizing security and development. UNODC has studied the factors that make this region vulnerable in order to stimulate a suitable response.

Drug addiction is killing millions of people every year and creating misery for tens of millions of others. The injection of drugs is spreading HIV and hepatitis.

UNODC is urging States to put a stronger emphasis on drug prevention and treatment, and is providing technical assistance to reduce the harm that drugs pose to users and society as a whole.

Human trafficking is becoming more exposed and better understood thanks, in part, to the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT).

The challenge now is to take action.

Corruption is a cancer that continues to kill people’s trust in public administration and erode the common wealth built by society. UNODC is helping States prevent corruption, build integrity and recover stolen assets. This wide range of activities is taking on a more strategic direction now that policy planning and the budget have become more closely integrated. UNODC has set clearer milestones for itself by adopting a new medium-term Strategy for the period 2008-2011 and has made it easier for Member States to understand what the Office can offer by drawing up a new Menu of Services.

All of this will enable UNODC to live up to growing expectations.

Antonio Maria Costa
Executive Director
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Visit United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Website

 The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime. Established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention, UNODC operates in all regions of the world through an extensive network of field offices. UNODC relies on voluntary contributions, mainly from governments, for 90 per cent of its budget.

UNODC is mandated to assist Member States in their struggle against illicit drugs, crime and terrorism. In the Millennium Declaration, Member States also resolved to intensify efforts to fight transnational crime in all its dimensions, to redouble the efforts to implement the commitment to counter the world drug problem and to take concerted action against international terrorism.

The three pillars of the UNODC work programme are:

    * Field-based technical cooperation projects to enhance the capacity of Member States to counteract illicit drugs, crime and terrorism;
    * Research and analytical work to increase knowledge and understanding of drugs and crime issues and expand the evidence-base for policy and operational decisions; and
    * Normative work to assist States in the ratification and implementation of the international treaties, the development of domestic legislation on drugs, crime and terrorism, and the provision of secretariat and substantive services to the treaty-based and governing bodies.

In pursuing its objectives, UNODC will make every effort to integrate and mainstream the gender perspective, particularly in its projects for prevention and the provision of alternative livelihoods, as well as those against human trafficking.

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