Tajikistan calls on donor countries to assist in securing its common border with Afghanistan

By Trend

Tajikistan has called on donor countries and international organizations to provide financial and technical assistance to secure its common border with Afghanistan, Trend reports with reference to ASIA-Plus.

According to the press center of the Drug Control Agency under the President of Tajikistan, DCA Director, Major-General Habibullo Vohidov made this request while presenting the 2021 Tajikistan Drug Situation Review to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna on March 15.

The event was reportedly held using video-conferencing.

The help is needed due to growing threats and dangers emanating from Afghanistan, including trafficking in narcotic drugs, weapons, terrorist and extremist activities, human trafficking and other transnational crimes, Tajik drug control kingpin was cited as saying.

It is noted that heads and high-level delegations of UN member nations, international organizations and civil society participated in the event.

The participants were reportedly presented with the main trends of the drug situation in the country and in the region, measures taken by the Government of Tajikistan, international organizations and public associations to combat drug trafficking in Tajikistan.

Tajik drug control chief told reporters in Dushanbe on February 17 that 4,083,274 kilograms of narcotic drugs were reportedly seized in Tajikistan last year, which is 68.4 percent or 1,658,036 kilograms more than in 2020.

Meanwhile, the 65th five-day session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which brought together some 1,400 participants from 128 countries, 19 inter-governmental organizations and 72 non-governmental organizations both online and in-person, is concluding today.

The session has discussed emerging drug control issues and the implementation of international drug policy commitments.

The session participants have reportedly considered a number of resolutions this week, and more than 130 online side events have been held during the session, addressing topics including access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, strengthening international cooperation on drug control.

During the 65th session, the CND has also considered the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) on the scheduling of six substances and precursors under the schedules of the international drug control conventions.

The CND convenes every year and is the foremost drug-policymaking body in the United Nations system. It is responsible for monitoring the world drug situation, developing evidence-based drug control strategies, and recommending measures to address the world drug problem.