17 April 2024 – Astana - As a follow-up to the productive discussions of CICA Secretary General Ambassador Kairat Sarybay with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva at the beginning of 2024, the CICA Secretariat participated online in the meeting of the UNAMA-hosted Working Group on Counter-narcotics in Kabul.
The participation aimed to showcase CICA's efforts in addressing illicit drug trade in its region while also examining the initiatives of UNAMA, states, and other key stakeholders in combating drug trafficking.
Ambassador Adel Adaileh, an expert in the CICA Dimension of New Challenges and Threats, delivered remarks at the meeting.
The CICA expert emphasized the global challenge of drug use, particularly in Asia, drawing from comprehensive UNODC data. Opiate production declined in Southeast Asia in 2022 but surged in other regions, notably accounting for 90% of global output. There has been a concerning rise in methamphetamine manufacturing in Southeast Asia, with trafficking routes extending to Europe. Synthetic drug lab detection is also increasing in various regions.
Ambassador Adel Adaileh highlighted the disproportionate impact of drug use in Asia, where over half of the global opioid user population resides. Methamphetamine poses a significant concern in East and Southeast Asia, while opiates predominate in other areas. Asia also hosts the highest number of people globally who inject drugs, with notable prevalence rates of hepatitis C and HIV.
Combating illicit drug production and trafficking is a priority within CICA's framework, underpinned by the Almaty Act and the updated Catalogue of Confidence Building Measures. CICA Member States are determined to promote efforts to eradicate the root causes and conditions conducive to illicit drug production and trafficking, and other forms of crimes in the region.
CICA’s efforts focus on fostering information exchange, sharing information on new technological equipment and modern technologies applied to detect illicit drugs, and increasing capacity-building activities against illicit drug production and trafficking, such as experts’ training courses; and public awareness initiatives.
