In Case You Haven't Heard…

Last week the 69th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) opened in Vienna, bringing together more than 2,200 representatives from member States, UN leaders and international partners to address the evolving world drug problem and strengthen multilateral cooperation. Hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the meeting was a chance for dialogue. On one side were harm reductionists. On another were supply reductionists. On yet another were treatment advocates. We could go on, because there are many sides to the drug problem. But like all United Nations events, this one was focused on collaboration and understanding. “No country can tackle the world drug problem alone,” said H.E. Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan of Armenia, Chair of the Commission at the opening. He urged all stakeholders to let “the spirit of partnership, cooperation and solidarity” guide their work throughout the week. UNODC is now monitoring more than 1,400 new psychoactive substances, with 726 detected in 2024 alone — the highest annual figure ever recorded — alongside record cocaine production and increasingly sophisticated trafficking methods. World Health Organization Director‐General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the human cost of the world drug problem, with 64 million people living with drug use disorders worldwide, yet access to prevention, treatment and harm reduction remained limited. Stay tuned for reports of the meeting's resolutions.