28 November 2011 – The head of the United Nations Office for Drug and Crimes (UNODC) today praised counter-narcotics ministers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran on the signing of a declaration which will increase information exchange to tackle illicit drug trade in the region.

Afghanistan provides 90 per cent of the world’s opium, most of which is shipped through Iran and Pakistan. Since 2007, the three countries have been involved in the UNODC-sponsored Triangular Initiative to coordinate their efforts to combat trafficking.

“Now is the time for a more result oriented response to the challenge of drugs, which is based on concrete actions and shared responsibilities,” Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug and Crimes (UNODC), Yuri Fedotov, told journalists at a press conference in Kabul.

“The Triangular Initiative is an important illustration of how we should promote shared responsibilities at local, regional and international level. Shared responsibilities mean that international community without any exception must be united against the drugs and crimes,” he added.

The Triangular Initiative Ministerial Declaration was signed today, after two days of talks, strengthening the Joint Planning Cell which enhances analytical and operational capacity and coordinates joint operations. The Declaration was signed by the Minister for Counter-Narcotics in Afghanistan, Zarar Ahmed Moqbel Osmani, Iranian Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, and Pakistan’s Haji Khuda Bux Rajar, who also attended the press conference.

“We decided to increase joint border operations based on intelligence for apprehension of big drug dealers and traffickers, and develop standard procedures for joint operations for border control,” Minister Osmani told the press.

He added that the Ministers also agreed to link the Joint Planning Cell with the Central Asia Regional Information Coordination Centre (CARICC) to further boost communication on drug smugglers and their networks.

The Joint Planning Cell has shown results in the past, coordinating 12 joint drug control operations which led to the seizures of several tonnes of illicit drugs and the arrests of key drug dealers and traffickers.

The UNODC Opium Survey 2011 released last month reported that despite increased efforts to combat poppy harvests, rising prices and growing demand boosted cultivation by seven per cent in 2010, spreading to new regions of Afghanistan.

Fedetov, who arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, is on a two-day visit to meet with Afghan officials, including President Hamid Karzai, ahead of the International Conference on Afghanistan taking place in Bonn, Germany, next week. He also met Staffan Di Mistura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, and Herve Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Department for Peacekeeping Affairs.

By UNAMA Kabul