S/PV.6565 Security Council

I shall now give the floor to the members of the Council.

I would like to commence by thanking the Gabonese presidency for having organized this meeting on transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. I would also like to thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for his briefing. Transnational organized crime and drug trafficking do not exist in isolation. They belong to a malignant complex that includes terrorism, money laundering, illegal arms trafficking and the illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and other potentially deadly materials. This wider malignancy is destroying and destabilizing societies and nations. Weak and fragile States, such as those on the agenda of the Council, are particularly vulnerable. Even as many parts of the world enjoy unprecedented peace, prosperity and technological advancement, they remain mired in unending conflict and misery. Some of these conflicts have lasted for decades, imposing a human cost that is difficult to comprehend. Economies have been wrecked, and human and material resources that could have fuelled progress have been diverted. Non-State actors and criminal organizations are among the principal delinquents responsible for this state of affairs. They thrive in areas of conflict and in post-conflict situations. Their activities exploit the weaknesses of the nations they operate in and are designed to perpetuate those weaknesses. Their success is evident from the fact that their organizational capacities and firepower match or even better those of many States. They have much in common with terrorists, with whom they ally, because they have the same objectives and use the same methods. Their motivations are also the same, even as they attempt to mask those motivations with great sophistication. One of the great tragedies of our time has been the inability of some States to see through the machinations of this criminal-terrorist nexus. Their short-sightedness has imposed a cost that the whole international community is bearing. The threat posed by drug trafficking deserves special mention. More than 90 per cent of the world’s production of opium takes place in India’s neighbourhood. We are situated between the two large drug-trafficking zones — the Golden Crescent, centred around the Afghanistan area, and the Golden Triangle, in the Myanmar-Laos area. The illicit production and trafficking of drugs has spawned a huge network of criminal groups in our neighbourhood with close links to various international terrorist networks. The money and resources generated from those activities are fuelling the growth of terrorism and funding extremist groups. It is evident that the threat posed by transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, terrorism, money laundering, illegal arms trafficking and the illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and other potentially deadly materials requires a coordinated global response on the part of the international community. We believe that the United Nations is the best mechanism for developing such a coherent transnational response. India is committed to strengthening the international normative and legislative mechanisms that are required to create a framework for countering this threat. In this connection, I am happy to inform the Council that India ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three Protocols last month. We are also strengthening this international framework by entering into several bilateral and plurilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding in this area. The UNODC also deals with corruption, and I am glad to inform the Council that that the Government of India ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption last month. At the operational level, we are committed to strengthening the international structures that respond to these threats. We are committed to the sharing and exchange of information, and we would also like to exchange best practices. We believe that assisting Member States in the training of law enforcement officials on a regular basis should receive priority in the international cooperation agenda. We support the efforts of UNODC to assist in developing capacities, training and in creating the administrative, legal and institutional frameworks for fighting transnational organized crime. Indian agencies are working in those fields with UNODC in some South Asian countries. We have contributed $200,000 to the Paris Pact initiative of UNODC and will host the Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies this year. The late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, once said that “A nation’s strength ultimately consists in what it can do on its own”. We believe that determined national efforts are required. The cornerstones of this fight are still supply-reduction strategies involving sustained alternative development programmes for the cultivators of drug-yielding crops, as well as the overall economic development of the concerned regions. India chairs the Security Council’s Counter- Terrorism Committee. We have found that terrorists and criminals nourish each other. Terrorists, like criminals and drug traffickers, recruit in one country, raise funds in another and operate in still others. An effective international counter-terrorism strategy must complement and supplement an effective international strategy to combat transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal arms trafficking and the illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and other potentially deadly materials. There is a need for a new global compact to tackle terrorism and transnational crime. We need to remove the moral and legal ambiguities that allow terrorists and criminals to gain succour and even legitimacy. We need an international mechanism to ensure accountability and justice. We need concerted international efforts to expose and destroy the linkages that exist between terrorists and criminals and their State and non-State supporters. We need to expand the scope of legal instruments and expand enforcement efforts to destroy their safe havens, their financial flows and their support networks. We would also argue that the need to squarely face the complicity of States is a central requirement if we were to proceed. He who does not prevent a crime when he can encourages it. India has been a targeted victim of crime and terrorism and has paid an enormous price over the years. Thousands of innocent victims have lost their lives. As we prepare to mark the tenth anniversary of 11 September 2001, we should collectively resolve to confront and vanquish terror and the terror-crime nexus. We owe it to future generations to give them a safe and secure world.

I also wish to thank Mr. Yury Fedotov for his detailed briefing. Drug trafficking and organized crime compromise the full enjoyment of human rights by millions of people around the world, including through their negative effects on economic and social development. The international community must continue to work towards a strong and coherent response to these transnational problems. We applaud the contributions of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other relevant United Nations bodies to that response. Organized crime and drug trafficking are complex problems that manifest themselves differently in different parts of the world. There is no silver bullet that will resolve these issues. Facing them requires a case-by-case approach that takes due account of the multidimensional nature of transnational crime. In particular, we cannot attempt to deal with them exclusively by using security-related tools. Repression alone is not enough for a long-term solution. Effectively combating the problem requires sustained attention to its underlying causes, which in many cases include the lack of development, high unemployment and economic difficulties. Brazil believes that efforts to support countries in the struggle against organized crime must be of a cooperative nature and fostered by the principle of shared responsibility, with a view to resolving all aspects of the problem. In that regard, we must work on the basis of the pertinent United Nations conventions. Moreover, it is imperative to recognize that addressing the world drug problem will require active engagement by the world’s largest consumers of illicit drugs. Coordinated action by the United Nations system, including by UNODC, the United Nations Development Programme and the other agencies, funds and programmes is more important than ever. Their work can help to prevent organized crime and drug trafficking from threatening international peace and security. Regional organizations can also play a crucial role, given their understanding of the specificities of each situation. In our own region, the establishment of the South American Council to Combat Drug Trafficking is an example of the promising avenues of cooperation that such organizations can foster. In that respect, Brazil welcomes the West Africa Coast Initiative’s important contribution to fighting drug trafficking and organized crime in a critical region. When organized crime or drug trafficking threaten international peace and security, the Council may have a role to play in accordance with its Charter responsibilities. In such cases, it must take into account the specificities and the need to cooperate with other relevant actors in order to address all relevant dimensions of the issue. It is our view that the Council’s role ultimately must be to ensure support to national authorities so that they can better fulfil their responsibilities.

We are grateful to the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr. Yury Fedotov, for his comprehensive briefing. We view today’s meeting as an important step in strengthening the contacts between the Security Council and UNODC. We support the Security Council’s intention to continue along this path, in accordance with earlier Council decisions, including the presidential statement of 24 February 2010 (S/PRST/2010/4). There is a need to more actively use the unique expertise and potential of UNODC and other specialized areas of the Secretariat in the Council’s work to counter threats to international peace and security posed by drug trafficking and other forms of transnational crime. In that regard, we reaffirm the topical nature of the Security Council’s proposal to the Secretary-General to include those threats as a factor in conflict analysis and joint mission planning and assessment, as well as to analyse the impact of those threats in connection with situations on the Security Council’s agenda. These tasks of priority importance concern a number of areas, including drug threats from Afghanistan, which remains a pressing issue. The destructive impact of Afghan drug trafficking has spread far beyond its borders and those of the region. We are dealing here with a threat to international peace and security. The response to that threat should be comprehensive and coordinated, including adapting the United Nations internally to new challenges. We welcome the steps taken by the Secretary- General to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation within the United Nations on the issues of drug trafficking and crime, including the creation, to that end, of a cross-cutting task force within the Secretariat, with a leading role played by UNODC and the Department of Political Affairs. Those measures are in keeping with the Security Council’s decisions, as set forth in relevant presidential statements on threats to international peace and security stemming from drug trafficking and organized crime. The Russian Federation advocates the creation, with the United Nations playing a leading role and with the participation of Afghanistan’s neighbours, of a comprehensive system of counter-narcotics and financial security belts. The basis for carrying out such work lies in the decisions taken within the framework of the Paris-Moscow process, which is being conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. That process is one of the most effective and promising instruments available to the international community. We place great hope in the third international ministerial conference to be held in Vienna in December under the auspices of UNODC. The conference will undertake a detailed analysis of ways to bolster the effectiveness of technical and other assistance to the Government of Afghanistan and those of the States of Central Asia and adopt a concrete programme of action. We attach special importance to the UNODC’s development and launching of a regional programme for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, which will reinforce UNODC’s current work in the region. We support improved coordination of efforts in this area, in our national capacity and within the framework of relevant international organizations and structures. We will continue to contribute to the counter-narcotics efforts of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Eurasian Group on Combating Money-Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre on the trafficking in illicit narcotics, psychotropic substances and their precursors. We welcome the forging of relevant contacts between UNODC and those organizations, especially the recent memorandum of understanding between UNODC and the SCO. At its recent summit, the SCO adopted a counter-narcotics strategy for the period 2011 to 2016, including a programme of action for its implementation that gives priority to cooperation on combating opiates from Afghanistan. One important track in combating the flow of narcotics from Afghanistan remains the interdiction of shipments to Afghanistan of precursors for the production of heroin and opium. We stand ready to cooperate closely with all our partners in implementing the provisions of resolution 1817 (2008). In our view, the role of the UNODC in this field is of great importance, alongside those of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Inter-Agency Coordination Body (IACB). We believe it is important that the Office be actively involved in devising initiatives to strengthen the international control regime on precursors, in particular the marking of precursors to identify specific manufacturers and suppliers to Afghanistan, as well as the strengthening of international monitoring of the movement of precursors on the basis of pre-export notification, re- export notification and re-sale to third-State systems, and the monitoring of large-scale bulk transport across Afghanistan’s borders, licensing activities related to the shipment of precursors and replacement products. In countering the interlinked threats of drug trafficking, terrorism and other forms of transnational organized crime, it is important to make full use of the United Nations legal instruments available to Member States, such as existing international conventions and Security Council resolutions. We must guard against any weakening of the regime established by United Nations counter-narcotics conventions and ensure that they and the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime are effectively implemented. In that regard, we note the substantial contribution made by UNODC, the need for the Office’s technical assistance and the high quality support functions provided by the IACB, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. To strengthen the international legal basis to combat crime, Russia advocates that appropriate measures be developed to regulate the use of new information and communication technology. The Security Council has already expressed its concern at the growth of cybercrime. We believe that the time has come to develop an international convention for cooperation to combat cybercrime, as well as rules, or perhaps a code of conduct, in this area. We trust that UNODC will provide assistance for relevant initiatives and agreements in this area. Given the range of large-scale and long-term tasks facing UNODC, its financial situation, including its de facto dependence on voluntary contributions, is alarming. We advocate careful consideration of these issues in the General Assembly with a view to restoring a balance of financing from the regular budget of the United Nations and extrabudgetary resources. In conclusion, I should like to underscore again that we highly value UNODC’s work and see a substantial role for the Office in assisting the Security Council and other United Nations bodies in implementing their counter-narcotics activities. We welcome the practice of holding regular briefings for the Security Council by the Executive Director. We believe that relevant formal documents should be adopted at the conclusion of such meetings, as was previously the case, to bolster the effectiveness of such meetings, reaffirm our commitment to agreed policies and, when necessary, clarify, fine-tune and expand our approaches.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s briefing and for focusing the attention of the Security Council on the threat to international peace and security posed by international organized crime and drug trafficking. I am also very grateful to Mr. Yury Fedotov for his informative briefing. International organized crime and drug trafficking have a profoundly negative impact on our global society. They are corrosive influences that cause pain and suffering to individuals, families, businesses and communities. Organized criminal groups act across international borders, exploiting conflict, poverty and weak governance. Estimates put the cost of organized crime to the United Kingdom alone at between $30 billion and $65 billion per year. Worldwide, the figures are staggering, with the international drugs market alone estimated to be worth $320 billion. The United Nations estimates that the most powerful organized crime syndicates can earn $1.5 billion per year. In practice, this means that criminal groups have access to resources many times greater than those of the countries in which they operate. Conflict and poverty, alongside poor governance, create the conditions for organized crime to thrive. High levels of corruption allow organized criminals to operate, while the pervasiveness of organized crime increases corruption, undermines institutions and threatens stability in fragile countries. This underlines the importance of coordinated international engagement, often with a strong peacebuilding focus, to build capacity in countries and regions most at risk. Time and again, when we look at areas where organized crime is thriving, we see that weak judicial systems and lack of effective policing capacity are a significant part of the problem. Past experience has also shown that where autocratic regimes have suddenly collapsed, the resulting vacuum has allowed the development of serious organized crime problems. We must remain particularly alert to that threat in the Middle East and North Africa, and look to quickly support emerging new legal and governance structures. The scale of the challenge requires a coordinated response from the international community. As we have heard today, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) can play a vital role in this regard. The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Convention against Corruption remain the cornerstones of the international legal framework in the fight against transnational organized crime and corruption. We urge all States to ratify and implement the provisions of these treaties. It is also vitally important that both Conventions have robust and transparent review mechanisms to ensure widespread implementation. It is for this reason that last week in Vienna the United Kingdom, along with 41 other Member States, agreed to a peer review under the Convention against Corruption process. As part of our peer review, the United Kingdom has committed to holding a country visit, involve civil society and publish the final report of our review this year. As we have heard today, UNODC, through its expertise and field-based projects, is coordinating the international community’s efforts to tackle organized crime and drug trafficking. One example is the UNODC counter-piracy programme, to which the United Kingdom recently contributed more than $7 million. The UNODC’s work in this field is a prime example of the international community working together in the face of organized criminals feeding off instability, poverty and weak governance. Organized criminals will continue to be attracted to what is undoubtedly highly lucrative illicit activity. But we do know that such groups can be constrained and defeated by effective law enforcement activity and by combating the underlying causes. Our aim must be to reduce the threats to our collective interests from organized crime by working to ensure that the risks to organized criminals outweigh their potential profit, to reduce our collective vulnerabilities to organized crime and to ensure that organized criminals have fewer opportunities. A task of this size demands a coordinated and sustained effort to help protect our citizens and maintain peace and security. We look forward to working with other Member States and with the UNODC to achieve this.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for initiating this important discussion on transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. By holding this debate, the Council is making a very significant statement of intent just two days after the release of the World Drug Report 2011. We also want to thank Mr. Yury Fedotov for his invaluable briefing, which brings into sharp focus not only the scale but especially the inevitable consequences of illicit drug trafficking for international peace and security. Drug trafficking remains an endemic, organized and lucrative transnational crime, which in turn is a major threat to global peace and security. In Africa, illicit drug trafficking, cultivation, processing and abuse are unrelentingly on the rise, inevitably constituting barriers to the continent’s development efforts. International drug cartels from other regions of the world continue to exploit the under-resourced law enforcement capability of most African countries, turning them into major transit points for prohibited drugs and arms. The subregion most affected by these nefarious activities is West Africa, which is fast emerging as a major warehouse and transit hub for cocaine and illicit drugs. The activities of drug cartels in the subregion constitute devastating impediments to subregional efforts to promote human prosperity, the genuine creation of wealth, the development of productive work and peacebuilding. It is against this backdrop that we welcome yesterday’s release of the World Drug Report 2011. We agree with the Secretary-General when he notes that the report “paints a sobering picture of the threat posed by illegal drugs”. Mr. Fedotov’s own observation that the gains we have witnessed in the traditional drug market have been offset by the fashion for synthetic designer drugs vividly points out the complexity of the challenges we face ahead of us. We share not only his sense of urgency but also his assessment that confronting the global drug problem is a shared global responsibility. We believe that the four potential areas of international collaboration, building regional capacity, reinforcing criminal justice systems and adapting cross-disciplinary strategies, to which the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is directing its response, will undoubtedly increase the scope and strength of the international response. This approach obliges all of us to always take into account the larger question of drug supply and drug demand control channels, as they are two sides of the same coin. Nigeria supports the mainstreaming of crime prevention in conflict prevention strategies, conflict analysis, integrated mission assessment and planning. To achieve this objective, it is important to build the capacities of regional and national authorities to enable them to fulfil their international obligations on narcotic drugs, terrorism, arms control and transnational organized crime. Only four days ago, the high-level policy committee of the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) held its inaugural session with the participation of the United Nations, INTERPOL and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). At the meeting, stakeholders began to map the direction that support for the ECOWAS regional action plan on trafficking might take. WACI’s transnational crime units for Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea-Bissau also greatly complement the effort to combat West Africa’s drug trade. Such initiatives are important for our subregion as we endeavour to close off transit routes for cocaine and other narcotics. We very much look forward to their planned expansion into other countries in need of support in the subregion. We cannot overstate the need for cooperation, coordination and concerted action by the international community. We already have the legal instruments and tools to make crime unattractive and unprofitable. What we need most at this time is to mobilize the requisite political will and, indeed, the resources to win the war against organized crime and organized criminals.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s meeting on the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). I would also like to thank UNODC Executive Director Fedotov for his thorough briefing and to welcome him back to the Council. The World Drug Report 2011, released yesterday, underscores the threat of illicit drug use and trafficking. The report states that 200,000 people die every year from using illicit drugs, that drug traffickers are working to circumvent traditional routes and expand illicit drug markets and that defeating the scourge will require transnational efforts. We believe that we as a body are already on the right track. Over the past several years, we prioritized the important role of the United Nations in assisting States in implementing the three United Nations drug control conventions that form the backbone of our common approach. International organizations such as UNODC make substantial contributions to the fight against transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. In 2010, the United States provided $34 million to support UNODC activities. We are committed to continuing our support in 2011. Such efforts act as a force multiplier and complement the work of bilateral programmes. On a bilateral and regional level, the United States has expanded cooperation with our neighbours in Mexico and Central America. This year, we will deliver $500 million in equipment, training and other expertise to support Mexico’s strong law enforcement response to the threat posed by drug cartels and other criminal groups. The United States is also committed to helping the nations of Central America to combat drug trafficking, transnational gangs, organized crime and related violence through initiatives such as the Central American Citizen Security Partnership. The United States supports regional efforts, such as UNODC’s Paris Pact, to combat the Afghan opiate trade and its links to insurgency, instability and organized crime, as we have heard. The United States is also committed to partnering with West African nations to enhance citizen security and address the significant threat of increased drug trafficking and, as Mr. Fedotov pointed out, the increasing use in the West African nations, which had previously not been a significant threat. We are trying to strengthen criminal justice systems and control and prevent the diversion of drugs while still ensuring their availability for medical and scientific purposes, which is a long-term process that requires a continued commitment to reducing transnational crime. To that end, the United States commends UNODC’s capacity-building efforts in its decade-long work to provide technical assistance to help States with the practical application of the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The United States is committed to continuing its support for efforts to develop a peer review mechanism that helps State parties identify challenges and successes in implementing the Convention. The United States also believes that these long-term anti-crime efforts must attack the corruption that makes such criminal activities possible. The United States is pleased to be one of the countries that will be reviewed during this first year of the United Nations Convention against Corruption peer review mechanism, which was launched in June 2010. In conclusion, the collective action of concerned Member States is critical to addressing the threat posed by transnational crime and drug trafficking. The United States looks forward to continued cooperation with other nations committed to this important effort, as well as with UNODC.

We also wish to express our delegation’s appreciation to Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), for his briefing. At the outset, I would also like to offer our delegation’s deep condolences to the families of the four members of UNODC who lost their lives last month while on duty in Bolivia. The world drug and crime problem continues to be an immediate and continuing threat to people in many parts of the world. It has a negative impact on socio-economic development, since it affects the public health, security and well-being of all humanity. Tackling the problem requires support and more cooperation on the part of the international community. Drugs and crime threaten development, create instability and jeopardize the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. We strongly support the four areas of UNODC’s response, as identified by the Executive Director in his statement, that is, strengthened international collaboration, building regional capacity, reinforcing the criminal justice system and, finally, adopting a comprehensive cross-disciplinary strategy. Those four areas present a realistic, action-oriented response to the increasing challenge of transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. Drug trafficking and transnational crime are growing concerns that can threaten countries’ security. We have seen how in cases such as Afghanistan and the West African region the drug trade is used to fuel conflicts. Likewise, we have seen how piracy along the coast of Somalia has become a continuing factor in fuelling instability on land. In the response to the scourge of piracy, we have seen the benefits of an international collaborative response. Such collaboration in our collective fight against piracy must be replicated in addressing other forms of transnational crime, and in our fight against drug trafficking. The success of the Kimberley Process in stopping the flow of blood diamonds illustrates how strategic measures, through our collective collaboration at the international level, can reverse the negative impact of such crimes. The production of, and trafficking in, illicit drugs has the potential to fuel violence, fear and insecurity, thereby undermining the authority of the State. My delegation shares the views expressed by the Secretary- General, speaking at the African Union Summit in January 2010, in which he noted that criminal networks are very skilled at taking advantage of institutional weaknesses on the ground. In that regard, we strongly support UNODC’s appeal for the reinforcement of the criminal justice institutions of weak States. As most transnational trafficking is regional and intercontinental, planning integrated drug control strategies at all levels is essential. South Africa welcomes the role played by UNODC in creating regional programmes. Such programmes are important because they assist countries with technical support in their fight against the world drug problem and strengthen partnerships between UNODC, regional bodies and Member States. We welcome the collaborative efforts of UNODC, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to address this problem in West Africa. Similarly, my delegation hopes that the regional programme for southern Africa can further enhance our region’s ability to fight the scourge of drug trafficking and abuse. We also hope that consultations, as well as the implementation of that programme, will be finalized soon. South Africa is in full agreement with UNODC’s recommendation to adopt a comprehensive and cross- disciplinary approach and strategy in dealing with the challenge of organized crime and illicit trafficking. In that regard, in 2010 the South African Government established an inter-ministerial committee for combating substance abuse. The committee will guide high-level integrated strategies nationally to prevent substance abuse. In conclusion, international cooperation, including bilateral and regional treaties on extradition and mutual assistance in criminal matters, is a key tool to fighting organized crime. In that regard, we need a comprehensive, integrated approach that strengthens coordination among the countries of origin, transit and destination, as well as taking into account the principle of common and shared responsibility.

I thank the presidency of the Council for convening this important meeting, and I thank Mr. Fedotov for his comprehensive and useful briefing. I fully share in his analysis and comments, and would like to reiterate Portugal’s full support for the efforts of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Transnational organized crime, as no one disputes, has an increasing impact on international peace and security. That is why it is important to discuss the issue here today. The dimensions of this phenomenon, with its political and security repercussions, require an enhanced coordination effort on the part of the international community. We welcome the action taken by the Council in 2009 and 2010 to acknowledge the serious implications and global nature of this threat. They point in the right direction, stressing the need to mainstream the issue of organized crime into conflict-prevention strategies, conflict analysis and integrated mission assessment, as well as peacebuilding support. The Council must now take a step forward by solidifying this approach, aiming at early detection of conditions conducive to or favouring organized crime that could trigger severe implications for regional or international security, as well as by ensuring that missions in the field are prepared to tackle such challenges as potential threats to peace and security, and that the institutions and the legal framework they are helping to build are robust enough to resist and counter organized crime. Fighting international organized crime also prevents conflicts from occurring or spreading, and today conflict prevention is more central than ever to the Security Council’s concerns. The nature of the threats posed by transnational crime at the national, regional and international levels — by exploiting, among other things, structural State weaknesses, conditions of poverty and porous borders — seriously undermines development, democratic governance, the rule of law and stability in a growing number of States and regions. The complexity of the challenge we have before us requires developing resolute and effective international and regional action under United Nations coordination. This is more imperative now, as we face the evidence of increased synergy between transnational crime networks and terrorist groups. Transnational crime networks will not be easily deterred. They have enormous resources and means at their disposal. They will always strive to be one step ahead of our efforts to counter them. They will persist in diversifying further and becoming more and more global. Many of them have already developed close links with non-State armed groups. No part of the world is immune to this threat, which often affects countries in post-conflict transition struggling to build their own fragile institutions and sustain their development processes. Assisting such countries in countering these threats, in close coordination with the respective regional and subregional organizations, is thus essential, as their own success has a direct effect on stability and security at the regional and international levels. I would like to mention in particular UNODC support for the Economic Community of West African States regional action plan against organized crime. We fully support the important role of UNODC in helping to build the capacity needed to counter organized crime and strengthen the rule of law, and we commend Mr. Fedotov’s efforts to increase the international community’s awareness of the crucial importance of these activities. I would like to make two final comments, the first of which is related to the particular situation of children and young people caught in the net of organized crime activities. As in conflict situations, the manipulation of children in organized crime and armed violence disproportionately affects young people. This is, however, still largely unrecognized as a priority and thus has failed to lead to strategic action. However, the reasons why young people join organized armed violence or fall victim to armed gang crime are indeed very similar to those that lead to joining armed groups. My second and last remark relates to the issue of trafficking in persons, a growing phenomenon that threatens the very foundation of our societies. Sometimes, however, we forget the human beings behind the numbers. The international community, and every single Member State, has a fundamental responsibility to prevent and combat this practice, to alleviate the suffering of trafficked victims and to punish the traffickers. And yet the number of trafficking prosecutions worldwide every year is very low. Portugal is fully committed to effective international cooperation in combating trafficking in persons that integrates a victim approach and human- rights dimension with a law-enforcement perspective. As a co-facilitator in the process of drafting the Global Plan of Action on Trafficking in Persons, it was for me extremely significant and gratifying to be able to integrate that dimension into the text adopted by the General Assembly almost one year ago (General Assembly resolution 64/293). The protection of victims should always be a central element in our anti-trafficking efforts at the national, regional and international levels. In that context, the establishment of a trust fund for victims was a natural and indispensable outcome of the negotiations. In conclusion, let me add that Portugal has been actively engaged in efforts to counter international crime. In that regard, I would like to highlight the active contribution of my country in the fight against drug trafficking and related criminal activities in the West African region. We will continue our engagement, aiming at a more active role by the Council in addressing international organized crime in its different components and in its relation to peace and security. With that in mind, reports and briefings by UNODC such as this one are particularly useful, and we would expect the Council to be regularly updated on the activities undertaken by the Office in this important area of work.

I would like to join others in thanking Mr. Fedotov for his insightful briefing. We recognize the important role and the work performed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the development of effective strategies and measures to reduce the detrimental impact of illicit drugs on the health, social well-being and safety of people across the world. The briefing has clearly shown that organized crime and drug trafficking can have a major impact on regional and international peace and security. We share the global concern about the detrimental impact that drug abuse and drug trafficking have on the political, social and economic stability of societies, particularly in West Africa, but also in parts of America, Central Asia and Europe. Countering these drug-related threats remains one of the main objectives of UNODC. Many countries lack efficient capacities for effectively countering and preventing the trafficking and use of illicit drugs. The work of UNODC in the field of institutional capacity-building and assistance for States to improve the skills and knowledge of national authorities in all areas of drug control is essential and deserves our full support. Germany is concerned about violent activities by illegal armed groups and criminals involved in the drug trade, in some cases linked to terrorist activities. These threaten local populations as well as security forces; they undermine State authority; they also threaten to undermine some of our joint efforts in building peace, such as in Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. Recognizing that post-conflict areas are the most vulnerable, we are convinced that the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking is also an important factor in peacebuilding efforts. We underscore the crucial role of the Peacebuilding Commission in that context. Germany welcomes recent initiatives in Central America to combat organized crime and violence on a regional and multinational level by staging the International Conference of Support for the Central American Integration System in Guatemala City a few days ago. We hope that the implementation of the newly presented security strategy for Central America will successfully contribute to reducing the threats of organized crime, corruption and impunity on all levels. Together with our European Union partners, we support this and other regional and international mechanisms and frameworks for fighting drug trafficking and organized crime, including Group of Eight initiatives. Furthermore, Germany also welcomes cooperation between United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and other regional and international organizations, such as UNODC cooperation with the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

I also wish to thank Executive Director Fedotov for his briefing. Drug trafficking and transnational organized crime seriously endanger the economic development and social order of all countries and constitute a common challenge facing the international community. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has done a lot of work in combating drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, for which China expresses its appreciation. Over recent years, the international community has achieved remarkable progress in its drug control efforts. However, the drug issue in the world is still rampant and drug production remains at a high level. At the same time, drug production and smuggling are increasingly interwoven with funding for international terrorism and transnational organized crime. In countries such as Afghanistan and in West Africa the issue of drugs has become an important element affecting security and stability. I wish to emphasize three points. First, the international community should implement a comprehensive and balanced drug control strategy. It is imperative to strictly tackle the illicit drug supply, on the one hand, and to effectively reduce the demand for illicit drugs, on the other. Drug- consuming countries, production countries and countries of transit should take on their responsibilities in earnest. Developed countries should help developing countries, which are severely affected by drugs, and should promote alternative economies and provide the necessary financial and technical support in this regard. Secondly, in preventing conflicts and building peace, both the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission should pay close attention to the impact of the drug issue. In supporting countries in conflict or emerging from conflict in their drug control efforts, the international community should fully respect the drug control strategy independently formulated by the countries concerned. China welcomes the participation of UNODC in the relevant discussions with the Peacebuilding Commission. Thirdly, drug control efforts require better coordination and coherence among countries and international organizations, which should bring into full play their advantages and expertise. China welcomes the establishment of the United Nations system task force on transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, which can consolidate the resources in the United Nations system so as to work in synergy.

I would like to thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for his briefing and for his efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking and transnational crime. As noted in the World Development Report 2011, drugs connect some of the wealthiest and poorest areas of the world in a web of violence, showing that many solutions to violence require a global perspective. Indeed, transnational crime and drug trafficking continue to expand an extensive shadow economy that has a global reach. Illicit drug trafficking fuels the traffic in arms and money laundering, generates violence and corruption and in many cases is used to finance acts of terrorism. Criminal groups undermine State authority and the rule of law and put additional strains on States with porous borders and weak institutions. Transnational organized crime and drug trafficking thereby produce a negative impact on peace, security and development. At the institutional level, the fight against the scourge of drugs requires universal adherence to the relevant international conventions and their effective implementation. It also demands sustained political will and firm commitment by Member States. As noted in the UNODC annual report, Governments and aid agencies must invest more in development, productive employment and increased security. Building resilient institutions and strengthening the rule of law are also essential, hence the need to strengthen capacity- building mechanisms for rule of law assistance within the United Nations. However crucial national strategies are, the transnational nature of the threat means that no country can face it alone. An effective response requires a comprehensive international approach based on shared responsibility. Special attention should be devoted to efficient modes of collaboration between countries of origin, transit and destination. States need to build capacity, share information, provide mutual legal assistance, build consensus on cross-border issues and carry out joint operations aimed at disrupting trafficking routes. We share the views of Mr. Fedotov concerning the need to strengthen international collaboration and build regional capacity in that regard. National, regional and international actions and strategies to combat drug trafficking and organized crime must be well coordinated and comprehensive so as to ensure that the actions taken to reduce supply and demand are mutually reinforcing. We commend the role played by the UNODC, the International Narcotics Control Board and other relevant United Nations organs and agencies in the fight against drug trafficking and transnational crime and encourage them to strengthen their cooperation with the relevant regional and subregional organizations. Finally, we believe that the establishment by the UNODC and the Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations system task force on transnational organized crime and drug trafficking is a good first step towards mainstreaming responses to drug trafficking and organized crime into the broader United Nations security and development agenda. We look forward to the inclusion of these issues in conflict- prevention strategies, conflict analyses and peacebuilding support.

At the outset, allow me to thank Mr. Yury Fedotov for his briefing today and his able leadership of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Organized crime represents a threat to democracy, the rule of law, human rights, stability and social and economic development. The correlation between organized crime, human trafficking, drug trafficking and corruption is a global challenge that requires a joint, efficient response, as criminal networks continue to grow rapidly, transcending national and regional borders. The tentacles of organized crime reach deep into society and spread out across borders. Obviously, no country can stand alone in carrying out this fight. It must be fought on the domestic and international front. No country is immune to crime or corruption, but societies in transition are more vulnerable to these threats. It is a fact that criminal networks prosper in an unstable and underdeveloped environment that is vulnerable to corruption and money laundering through violence, arms and drug or human trafficking. In such contexts, countries must first adopt a proactive approach aimed at developing an institutional framework, implementing responsive measures to halt criminal activities. Nor should measures to deter criminality be neglected. On a broader scale, countries must share responsibility for fighting crime at the regional and international levels, especially drug trafficking, as it has the greatest impact on peace and security. In this regard, we welcome the cooperation of Member States with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Narcotics Control Board. We would like to underscore the devastating linkage between drug trafficking and trafficking in small arms and light weapons and explosive and related materials. It is clear that the resulting widespread effects cause violence, destabilization and conflict. There is a need to increase global efforts to create effective instruments and mechanisms to deal with crimes related to those issues, whose destructive effects persist in all countries. Bosnia and Herzegovina is determined to develop and strengthen our legislative, judicial and executive State capacities and coordinate those related activities with our neighbouring countries and with international organizations that are fighting crime. We have adopted and are currently implementing a strategy to fight organized crime for the 2009-2012 period. That document outlines objectives and measures to fight all forms of crime, with a specific focus on the aspect of corruption. In conclusion, I wish to point out that the fight against organized crime is a perpetual one. Therefore, we must strengthen our efforts to implement preventive action and strengthen institutional frameworks and the rule of law through cooperation among Member States, the United Nations and other international organizations.

At the outset, I would like to thank the Gabonese presidency for having convened this debate and, more broadly, to use Mr. Fedotov’s expression, for highlighting the issue of drug trafficking and organized crime as a factor leading to emerging and continued conflict. It is important that the Security Council monitor closely developments related to this threat. I thank the Executive Director for his briefing, which has shed light on the impact of drug trafficking and transnational organized crime on international peace and security. The 2011 World Drug Report, which was presented yesterday, reminds us once again that this is a global threat. Since the last meeting of the Council on this topic in February 2010 (S/PV.6277), a number of elements have compounded our fears. Our analysis of the impact of drug trafficking and organized crime on international peace and security has deepened, and credit for that, it must be stressed, is due to, inter alia, the work being carried out by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The report entitled The Globalization of Crime: A Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment, which was published during the special high-level meeting of the General Assembly of June 2010 (see A/64/PV.96 and A/64/PV.97), showed precisely how drug trafficking and transnational organized crime threaten governance and the stability of States. The income from drug trafficking is a form of revenue for armed groups which, as we all know, finances criminal networks that are involved with various types of illicit trafficking. Some of those criminal organizations have — as many speakers have noted — acquired operational capacities that often greatly surpass the law-enforcement capacities of the affected countries. The resulting corruption and violence undermine States’ authority, especially those that are most vulnerable. Unfortunately, the facts have confirmed those analyses. The Security Council has again expressed its deep concern about the continued increase in drug trafficking and transnational organized crime in Guinea-Bissau. Concerning Afghanistan, we have once again called for strengthened international and regional cooperation to address the threat that heroin trafficking is posing to the international community as a whole. There is a further concrete example, which was seen in the conflict experienced by Kyrgyzstan in June 2010 and to which Mr. Fedotov referred. The conflict, which claimed hundreds of lives and resulted in thousands of internally displaced persons, had many causes. But it is clear that one of those causes was undoubtedly the clashes between various drug- trafficking networks. In this context, it is essential, as stated by the Council in its presidential statement (S/PRST/2010/4) of 24 February 2010, that we pay greater attention to cross-cutting threats, both in our assessment of threats and our response strategies. Here, France would like to pay tribute and to welcome the setting up by the Secretary-General of a working group on transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, chaired by the UNODC and the Department of Political Affairs. This is an instrument that appears highly relevant in connection with a comprehensive examination of policies on cross- cutting threats, as part and parcel of United Nations action in that context. The threat is all the greater because we are facing a changing and manifold threat. Criminal groups are able to adapt easily. They have boundless imagination and can always find new routes and new methods of trafficking. If we do not want drug trafficking and transnational organized crime to always be one step ahead of law enforcement agencies, we must strengthen cooperation between States at all possible levels. That is the goal of the initiative that France launched within the framework of its Group of Eight (G-8) presidency, convening a meeting in Paris on 10 May with the participation of 22 ministers from Europe, America and Africa responsible for combating drugs, to deal with the fight against trans-Atlantic cocaine trafficking. That ministerial meeting revealed a convergence of views on the analysis and the thinking on the means. The talks opened with the adoption of a plan of action that led us to hope to be able to act more consistently. I should like to refer to some elements of the plan. First is to improve intelligence capacity by strengthening sharing and exchanges of information among States on criminal networks, which know no boundaries. The second element is to strengthen maritime cooperation to facilitate the interception of drug cargoes. The third element, which the Executive Director also underscored, is to further strengthen criminal justice mechanisms so that no one can exploit lawless areas as a rear base for criminal networks. The final element is to confiscate proceeds so as to deprive drug traffickers of the product of their crimes. The issues of drug trafficking and transnational organized crime are dealt with by various United Nations bodies, including the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and, more recently, the Peacebuilding Commission. Each body has a role to play against a phenomenon that clearly affects the economy, society and health. But we should never underestimate the security aspect, and hence the role of the Security Council. We would like the Council to remain seized of the issue and for the Executive Director of UNODC to present regular briefings. Before concluding, I would like more generally to express our gratitude to Mr. Fedotov for UNODC’s multifaceted work in very important areas, such as combating human trafficking, but also strengthening the national capacities of States that have to fight piracy. We appreciate that work and the dynamism of his team here in New York.

I would first of all like in to particularly thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting, as well to express my gratitude for the interesting briefing by Ambassador Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Transnational organized crime in its various forms has a global dimension. It generates billions of dollars that give rise to violence and corruption, affecting the entire international community. Combating it requires the allocation of enormous human and financial resources that otherwise could be invested in development and the well-being of the population. According to the information provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, most flows stemming from transnational organized crime occur between continents. With regard to human trafficking, the number of nationalities of the victims found in Europe has increased, while in the trafficking in migrants the greatest flows are the movement of workers from Latin America to North America and from Africa to Europe. UNODC estimates indicate that human trafficking in Europe generates $3 billion a year, while illicit trafficking in migrants from Latin America to North America produces some $7 billion. For its part, illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons occurs in all regions of the world, but it is concentrated primarily in areas affected by armed conflict, organized crime and widespread violence. Although the value of the illicit trade is a small fraction of the legal trade — approximately $53 million per year — it has an incalculable toll on human lives throughout the world. That backdrop underscores the need to adopt effective measures and mechanisms in order to strengthen international cooperation and coordination among States against transnational organized crime. The adoption of the Palermo Convention was a great step forward that highlighted States’ acknowledgement of the severity of the threats posed by crime. That important instrument was innovative in the juridical sphere, not only in codifying crimes such as participation in an organized criminal group and the obstruction of justice, but also in defining the features of money laundering and its related crimes. More relevant, the Convention established international cooperation as the main goal and placed particular importance on mutual assistance in the criminal sphere, such as in the area of extradition. With regard to trafficking in illicit drugs, which is another form of organized crime, the international community has an international legislative framework in place that has been consistently strengthened since the second half of the past century. In addition to those instruments, we must effectively apply shared responsibility as a guiding principle in the comprehensive and balanced fight against the global problem of drugs in all its aspects through international cooperation. My delegation is concerned about the attitude of some in disregarding the agreements reached within the General Assembly on the actual definition of the global problem of drugs as a general concept that includes aspects linked to the supply of illicit drugs, both natural and synthetic, trafficking in their precursors, demand and related crimes. That trend represents a backward step in the commitment adopted in 1998 by heads of State and Government at the General Assembly, and reaffirmed during the high- level segment of the 522nd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in 2009. The relationship among the various forms of organized crime, including illicit trafficking in drugs and their precursors, money laundering, the illicit traffic in arms and corruption, is not a new phenomenon. However, those links require the international community to tackle all such involvement and all such criminal activity. With that same resolve, we can overcome it. Moreover, the international legal framework for combating organized crime also includes very important instruments, such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption. In that regard, the Organization also needs a binding instrument to develop mechanisms to improve monitoring of the trade in small arms and light weapons, explosives, related materials and munitions, and their marking and tracing, and to prevent their transfer to armed non-State actors. Bearing in mind the fact that the Secretary- General outlined in his report (S/2011/255) that the trade in small arms is not well regulated and is the least transparent of all the arms systems, it is essential that we conclude negotiations on the arms trade treaty and provide Member States with the tools to tackle this crime, whose destructive effects persist on all continents. The scope and complexity of the phenomenon of organized crime require the comprehensive and coordinated action of the United Nations system and the international community. We therefore need to continue to favour the General Assembly as the forum for discussion and consensus building in order to tackle all its aspects and challenges. As part of that consistent response, in the context of the issues under its consideration, the Security Council plays an important role in supporting the strengthening of the rule of law, in particular criminal justice systems, in order to address organized crime, which finds fertile ground in conflict and post-conflict situations and which can threaten the stability of States undergoing reconstruction. It is also vital to ensure national capacity-building in order to guarantee continuity in the functioning of judicial systems during the transition and peace-building processes. In that regard, in order to seek more consistent and coordinated responses, we agree with Mr. Fedotov that it is particularly important for the Security Council to complement and contribute to the important work being done by other United Nations bodies, since the increase in organized crime can jeopardize progress in stability, governance and institution-building in the situations under the Council’s consideration. In providing assistance to a country so that it can emerge from conflict once and for all, we must take a broad and comprehensive approach that includes, as an essential element of crime prevention strategies, measures to generate opportunities for sustainable economic development so that people will turn away from crime. This requires international cooperation. We are convinced that the efforts of a single State are not enough to combat such crimes and their multidimensional and transnational nature. Different kinds of crime cannot be addressed with isolated efforts. We need strategic alliances so that we can move forward together to achieve more secure societies. The goal of the international community must be the elimination of all forms of organized crime through international cooperation. For its part, Colombia reiterates its determination to enhance measures for bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation that increase the effectiveness of our efforts to confront the dynamic nature of this global challenge.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Gabon. I would like to join others in thanking Ambassador Fedotov for his very informative briefing and in congratulating him on the leadership that he has provided at the head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). I welcome the recent initiatives undertaken by Mr. Fedotov, which he announced in his briefing, namely, the start of the work of the task force on transnational organized crime and drug trafficking. Gabon also welcomes the fact that, for several years now, the Security Council has recognized the fact that transnational organized crime and drug trafficking are cross-cutting threats to international peace and security. The activities of transnational organized crime go far beyond mere drug trafficking, to include activities having to do with migrants, trafficking in human beings, money laundering and corruption. These threats destabilize regions and fragile States and undermine the efforts of the international community aimed at development, post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding in fragile areas. In developed countries, as elsewhere, this same phenomenon leads to deterioration in the security situation. It threatens democracies and weakens the fabric of societies and their economies. This phenomenon has been amplified as a result of technological advances and open borders and markets, and this has led to new opportunities for criminal networks. As a result, these problems must be dealt with in a holistic matter. This will require, inter alia, joint efforts and a strengthening of international cooperation through exchanges of information and experience. Assistance to strengthen the capacities of less advantaged countries will be part of this effort. International cooperation also means that focus should be placed on regional efforts and on strengthening the implementation of existing measures to help prevent and suppress crime — measures derived from current legal frameworks. I would highlight in this respect the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Convention against Corruption. I cannot conclude without renewing my country’s support for the praiseworthy efforts of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in combating the cross-cutting threats that undermine peace and security in several countries around the world. Gabon therefore supports the response planned by UNODC as outlined by Mr. Fedotov in his briefing. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I now give the floor to Mr. Fedotov to respond to the statements made by Council members.

I would thank you again, Mr. President, for taking the initiative of organizing this very important Security Council meeting for an assessment of the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the field of combating drugs and organized crime. (spoke in English) The Council’s evaluation of the work of UNODC is very encouraging. I am very grateful to members for their kind words, and I take these words as guidance. They will be very useful to us in the future, but they are also a credit of trust. I assure the Council that we in UNODC will try to live up to the Council’s expectations. I would also like to thank, through the representatives here, the Governments represented on the Council for their support for UNODC, including financial support. Indeed, our financial situation is not easy. We depend mostly on voluntary contributions from Member States. But we are also grateful to our donors and contributors for their support of our activities, which are very important and very relevant in many parts of the world. In parallel with working on our governance and financial reform, we will continue to rely on voluntary contributions in the foreseeable future. That is a fact of life. I will not comment on the statements made today, but would simply like to address a few points. First of all, on drugs, I was indeed encouraged by the idea prevailing in the Security Council that to deal with drugs we need to follow a balanced approach, to address both supply reduction and demand reduction. Also, we should not forget the victims of drug addiction as we continue to consider the fight against illicit drug trafficking as an important issue. They require our support and our help. We need to help them to recover and we need to be compassionate and understanding with regard to their situation. They are sick people, and they need to be treated as such. But the real criminals, of course, are drug lords. In that regard, we need to continue to work very actively, and even in a more aggressive way, especially to prevent new ways for new drugs to capture new markets in different parts of the world. On human trafficking, just a year ago the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons (General Assembly resolution 64/293). I would like, through the representative of Portugal, to once again convey our appreciation to her Permanent Representative, who was very instrumental in reaching agreement on the Plan. I can report to the Council that, since then, we have started work. In spite of the scarce resources we have in the trust fund, we were able to launch a small facility grant programme a few months ago in London. I hope that, in a few weeks, we will start to help victims of human trafficking, especially women and children, through eligible non-governmental organizations. That will be the first practical result of the resolution and the Global Plan of Action. As members will be able to note, in just one year we have seen practical and tangible results from our efforts, and now we have agreed policies. On regional organizations, we are of course working with all regional organizations and arrangements in many areas, including in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. We look forward to continued useful coordination of our efforts with them. It is very encouraging that the peer review mechanism of the United Nations Convention against Corruption is working well and that the mechanism allows for the Convention to be implemented in a more meaningful way. I hope that the States parties to the Palermo Convention — the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime — will be able to come up with the same review mechanism, which would enhance the possibility of the implementation of this and other important international legal instruments. Finally, I would like to assure the Council that whenever it asks me to come back and brief it, I am at its disposal. Members should not forget that while in recent years UNODC has developed skills related to acting as a development agency — helping people in different parts of the world through our network of regional and country offices — basically, legally speaking, we are another department of the United Nations Secretariat. We are not different from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations or the Department of Political Affairs, so it is only natural that a United Nations department should come to brief the Security Council. (spoke in French) Once again, I should like to assure the presidency of the Council that UNODC will remain available to the Council.

I thank Ambassador Fedotov for his comments and his concluding remarks. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.