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Today marked an important moment in Iraqs road towards addressing drug trafficking through international cooperation with the holding of the 2nd Baghdad International Conference on Countering Narcotics, in the presence of UNODC, and the presentation of the report Drug Trafficking Dynamics across Iraq and the Middle East (2019-2023): Trends and Responses. The Conference was opened in the presence of H.E. Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq, H.E Abdul Amir al-Shammari, Minister of Interior, H.E. Mohammad Bin Ali Kuman, Secretary General of the Arab Interior Ministers Council (AIMC), Ms. Cristina Albertin, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Representative for the Middle East and North Africa, and Mr. Ali El Bereir, Senior Programme Coordinator and Head of the UNODC Office in Iraq. The event was also attended by representatives of Ministers of Interior from the region and neighboring countries affected by drug trafficking.

The Baghdad International Conference on Countering Narcotics aims to bring together relevant authorities and experts from countries neighboring Iraq as well as regional and key international players to find concrete solutions and recommendations to challenges faced by authorities in countering drug trafficking in the region.

H.E. Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq affirmed in the opening of the Conference that Combating drugs is a responsibility that the state must bear with all its agencies and entities, as well as our societies... Drugs and psychotropic substances are a primary factor in the instability of the region. The threat of drugs not only harms our youth but endangers our entire future. By unifying efforts and enhancing joint coordination, we can achieve the desired goal of drug-free societies.

The Drug Trafficking Dynamics across Iraq and the Middle East (2019-2023): Trends and Responses report was presented today at the Conference to provide an analysis of the main drug trafficking trends in Iraq and the Near and Middle East. In addition to posing a diagnostic of the concerning drug situation, the report provides a roadmap to assist national, regional, and international authorities in accelerating collaboration and better coordination to counter-narcotics.

The report reveals that countries in the region have experienced an escalation in both the scale and sophistication of drug trafficking over the past 10 years. This poses important destabilizing risks and is a regional and global concern. Of particular concern are the rising production, trafficking, and consumption of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), especially tablets of "Captagon," and methamphetamine.

Ms. Cristina Albertin, UNODC Regional Representative for the Middle East and North Africa stated that the Government of Iraq and its partners have stressed the need for collective responses to tackle the security, social, and economic ramifications of drug trafficking across the Near and Middle East. As seen in different regional contexts, the persistence and potential reactivation of armed groups across the region poses a significant threat, not least given their potential involvement in drug production and trafficking. Data and analysis like those provided by this report are necessary for evidence and data-driven national, regional, and global responses to this problem.

Over the past two years, the Iraqi Government has taken bold steps in combatting drugs, by reorganizing the relevant departments of the Ministry of Interior, a better-coordinated approach internally and with other Member States, and expansion of the treatment facilities. The Conference and the Report are additional contributions towards this holistic approach and will together provide a base for a series of recommendations to be adopted by participating countries and implemented to address the threats of drug trafficking.

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Media queries, please contact:

Nermine Abdelhamid (Ms.) | Communications and Visibility Officer UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) nermine.abdelhamid@un.org

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UNODC participates in the 2nd Baghdad International Conference on Countering Narcotics and presents the report Drug Trafficking Dynamics across Iraq...