The 68th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the main United Nations policy-making body dealing with drugs control, took place in Vienna from 10 to 14 March 2025.
Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Alfredo Mantovano, head of the Italian delegation, delivered a statement at the plenary meeting, underlining how the growing links between drug trafficking, financial evasion and organised crime, with the creation of parallel drug markets being facilitated by new technologies such as the dark web, cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence, make it necessary to adopt a more comprehensive approach in the global fight against drug trafficking. “One of the new and alarming aspects is the fact that the so-called ‘over-the-counter’ web has numerous companies specialising in import/export, which act as trading platforms for the substances. This is a worrying qualitative leap that points to the expansion of drug trafficking, even at lower levels of criminal organisation”, said Mantovano. He highlighted Italy’s contribution, also through the current Italian presidency of the Pompidou Group (the Council of Europe International Cooperation Group on Drugs and Addiction), of which Italy will host this year’s Ministerial Conference.
Alongside UNODC Executive Director Ghada Fathi Waly, Undersecretary Mantovano also opened the side event “National Strategies to Address Synthetic Drugs: Good Practices and Lessons Learned”, organised by Italy, reaffirming that: “Italy is in the front line in the fight against all drugs and it was one of the first countries to develop a national plan to prevent the abuse of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. The plan involves all main actors, it is divided between prevention and emergency management and it includes: strengthening controls to prevent the diversion of medicinal substances, rapid identification tools for synthetic drugs, forensic toxicology laboratories, raising awareness among among judicial authorities, standardising laboratory protocols, regular coordination meetings, cooperation with international agencies and among all partners”.
The Undersecretary also held bilateral meetings, with Ghada Waly, with Singapore Minister of Interior Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, with pro-tem Director of the Bureau of international Narcotics and Law Enforcement of the US State Department Cartwright Weiland, with Ecuador Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabriela Sommerfeld, with Devida Executive President Carlos Figueroa (Peru), with Colombia Minister of Justice Angela Maria Buitrago.
The Permanent Representative of Italy to the International Organisations in Vienna, Amb. Debora Lepre, deputy head of the Italian delegation, participated in side events on UNODC’s new strategy on drug trafficking in Afghanistan e on drug interventions that take into account the specificities of female individuals.
On the whole, Italy co-sponsored several events in the margins of the CND session: “Tackling Illicit Drugs and Related Crimes in Afghanistan and the Region: Launch of UNODC’s Roadmap for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries”, organised by UNODC, with the participations of the Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva; “Empowering Families and Youth for Active Engagement in Drug Prevention”, organised by Burkina Faso, Slovenia and UNODC; “Therapeutic Communities and Their Role in the Current Drug Use Disorders Scenario”, organised by San Patrignano; and “Toward Consensus on Gender-Responsive Drug Interventions”, organised by UNICRI.
At the end of the session all six resolutions presented by Member States were adopted: on strengthening the global drug control framework, on rug use prevention for children and adolescents, on the impacts of illicit drug-related activities on the environment, on alternative development, on the safety of officers in dismantling illicit synthetic drug laboratories and on promoting research on scientific evidence-based interventions for the treatment and care of stimulant use disorders.
