64th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs | Agenda Item 4: Strategic Management, Budgetary and Administrative Questions
As delivered by Counselor for UN Affairs Ethan Glick
Thank you, Madame Chair.
The United States is proud to be one of UNODC’s strongest supporters and major donors. We place great value in UNODC’s programming, which provides vital technical assistance to counter the menaces of illicit drugs, crime, corruption, and terrorism. UNODC’s integrated approach to developing regional, country, and global thematic programs fosters the political will necessary for assistance to make a true impact.
The United States congratulates Executive Director Waly on the February 24 launch of UNODC’s Strategic Vision for Africa 2030, at which we were delighted our Charge d’Affaires had the opportunity to speak. We appreciated the opportunity to contribute to the development of this Strategic Vision through UNODC’s consultative process and are pleased to again participate as UNODC formulates its strategy for Latin America.
We also welcome and encourage UNODC’s increased collaboration with other UN entities and emphasis on meaningful engagement with civil society, which has an appropriate and vital role to play not only in informing UNODC’s priorities in the global effort to combat drugs, crime, and corruption, but also in implementing activities to support them.
We commend UNODC for its success navigating the immense logistical and technical challenges of organizing meetings in both virtual and hybrid formats during the COVID-19 pandemic. We welcome in particular the increased access to the CND these new modalities have enabled.
The unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic have also severely challenged programs and UNODC as preserved remarkably in maintaining program delivery.
The United States additionally underscores the importance of understanding both the regular and extra-budgetary implications that draft resolutions carry, as part of the decision-making process of the CND and we look forward to further discussions in New York and Vienna about how this information can be conveyed to Member States.
The United States continues to support FINGOV as an important tool for providing transparency and improving communication between the Secretariat and Member States on budgetary and management issues, while maintaining decision-making responsibilities with the Commissions.
We congratulate Germán Andrés Calderón Velásquez of the Colombian mission on his official endorsement as the new Co-chair of FINGOV, thank Natasha Pinheiro Agostini from Brazil for her service in the role, and of course highly value the many years of able leadership of the other co-chair, Ignacio Baylina Ruiz of Spain.
Finally, the United States supports UNODC’s efforts to develop comprehensive diversity, recruitment, and workforce planning strategies to enhance gender balance and geographical representation. The paramount basis on selecting candidates should be merit and competence, as enshrined in Article 101 of the UN Charter.
Thank you, chair.