UN General Assembly to hold high-level session on countering world drugs problem

The United Nations General Assembly will convene a special session on fighting world drug problem next week, reviewing global progress and challenges.

The high-level session will be held at the UN headquarters in New York from April 19-21. Several heads of state and more than 40 ministers from around the world are expected to attend, said Dan Thomas, spokesman of the president of the UN General Assembly, at a press conference here Friday.

"The session will review progress and discuss challenges in countering the world drug problem and in implementing the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem," said Thomas.

The event will consist of a plenary meeting and five multi-stakeholder roundtables. Discussions will be focused on tops including drugs and health, drugs and crime, drugs and human rights, youth, women, children and communities, prevention of drug problems, as well as development-oriented, balanced drug control policy and cooperation. A number of other smaller activities, organized by governments and organizations, will also be held during the event.

Two important milestones in addressing the world drug problem are the Political Declarations adopted by UN member states in 1998 and in 2009. The latter defines actions to be taken by member states as well as goals to be achieved by 2019.

According to the World Drug Report 2015, it is estimated 246 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 years used an illicit drug in 2013. Among them, some 27 million people are problem drug users, or those suffering from drug use disorders or drug dependence. Endit