The 64th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs has opened today and will continue until April 16, 2021. This year, the meeting is following a ‘hybrid’ format, combining an in-person component (in Vienna, Austria) with online participation.
The session started with a ceremonial segment to commemorate:
- the 60th anniversary of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
- the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
You can find a review of today’s events here.
All CND Plenary sessions are webcast live and publicly on the CND website in 6 languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish).
Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) prepared a useful guide for NGO participants, which includes information on the structure and organisation of the CND, how NGOs can engage with the Commission, links and contacts, as well as the code of conduct to support NGOs to engage and utilise the CND in the most effective and productive way possible.
This year there are 110 side events that are available online and free to access. The list of side events, webcast and registration links are available here. Please note that some of them might require pre-registration. Kindly reach out to the indicated email address with any question on the side event.
You can also find an overview of the full 64th session programme including side events here.
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The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was established by Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 9(I) in 1946, to assist the ECOSOC in supervising the application of the international drug control treaties. In 1991, the General Assembly (GA) expanded the mandate of the CND to enable it to function as the governing body of the UNODC.
The CND meets annually when it considers and adopts a range of decisions and resolutions. Intersessional meetings of the CND are regularly convened to provide policy guidance to UNODC. Towards the end of each year, the CND meets at a reconvened session to consider budgetary and administrative matters as the governing body of the United Nations drug programme.
