Vietnam joins hands with UN in drug combat

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other international organisations in Vienne, Austria, in conjunction with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), opened a photo exhibition on the fight against drugs on March 3.

The exhibition, which spotlights the role of individuals in combating against drugs, was taking place on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drug (CND 63).

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Le Dung, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the UN and other organisations in Vienna, pointed out the increase in drug use among young people, as well as its impacts on public health and social stability.

He also highlighted the role of families and communities in helping young addicts stop using drugs and recover their health and spirit.

The ambassador expressed his hope that through photos featuring home detoxification in such countries as Afghanistan, Cote d’Ivoire, Indonesia and Vietnam, the exhibition will provide insight into the significance of the treatment method.

Through the exhibition, countries, international organisations and other partners will further strengthen their cooperation to promote the role of families and communities as an alternative to concentrated rehabilitation and detoxification measures for drug addicts.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Darmansjah Djumala, head of the Indonesian Permanent Mission to the UN and other international organisations in Vienna, lauded the initiative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Vietnamese mission to organise the exhibition.

He said preventing drugs is one of the focuses in Indonesia's crime prevention policy.

Besides tough measures against illegal drug trafficking, education programmes to help addicts to quit drugs and rehabilitate their health play an important role in reducing drug abuse, especially among young people in Indonesia, the ambassador noted.

Indonesia applauds the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's programmes and projects in supporting countries to deal with drug abuse, and pledges to work closely with UNODC in these activities, he affirmed.

For his part, Director of the Japanese Drug Abuse Prevention Centre (DAPC) and Head of the Japanese delegation to the 63rd session of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs Hideo Eno praised the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Vietnamese mission for their initiative to organise the exhibition, which updates participants on effective detoxification measures.

(Photo: VietnamPlus)

He shared Ambassador Dung’s opinion on the role of families in helping drug addicts stop using drugs, stressing that it is necessary to further promote the measure.  

Japan has assisted the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in implementing programmes and projects on treatment for addicts, Eno said, expressing his hope that CND member countries will continue to coordinate with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to facilitate the implementation of these programmes.

CND 63 is an annual meeting of the United Nations Commission on Narcotics Drug to discuss the process of controlling illegal production and trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances.

It offers a venue for representatives of drug prevention agencies of countries, international organisations and other organisations to discuss cooperation opportunities in building drug prevention policies and measures.

The exhibition was organised within the framework of a cooperation programme between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Health Organisation on treating and supporting drug addicts.

The programme is designed to build and promote the implementation of effective treatment and detoxification measures for drug addicts in Europe, Asia and Africa.

This is the third year the Vietnamese mission has joined hands with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in this activity./.