UNODC-SCO anniversary event
Background
The UNODC-SCO anniversary event took place in Dushanbe on 11 March 2026 and brought together representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lubinsky participated in the event on behalf of Moscow. The occasion was framed as a thematic anti-narcotics gathering connected to cooperation between the two organizations.
The event marked a public expression of collaboration between UNODC and the SCO on drug control and related security issues. It provided a forum for participating states and institutions to discuss regional anti-narcotics efforts, including cooperation among SCO members and their partners. The timing of the event also coincided with attention to the newly established SCO Anti-Narcotics Center in Dushanbe, which was highlighted as part of the broader institutional setting.
In the immediate aftermath, the event underscored Russia’s stated commitment to international anti-drug cooperation through multilateral frameworks. It also reinforced the role of Dushanbe as a venue for SCO-related security and law-enforcement initiatives. More broadly, the anniversary event fit into ongoing UNODC-SCO engagement on narcotics control, suggesting continued coordination on prevention, enforcement, and institutional development within the organization’s regional agenda.
Timeline
Russia highlighted the new SCO Anti-Narcotics Center in Dushanbe at the UNODC-SCO thematic side event.
Press Release: Participation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia D.E. Lubinsky in the UNODC-SCO Thematic Side Event at the 69th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic DrugsRussia reaffirmed its commitment to international drug control during the UNODC-SCO anti-narcotics event.
Press Release: Participation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia D.E. Lubinsky in the UNODC-SCO Thematic Side Event at the 69th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Documents
Press Release: Participation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia D.E. Lubinsky in the UNODC-SCO Thematic Side Event at the 69th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Lubinsky represented Moscow at a UNODC-SCO anti-narcotics event, highlighting the new SCO Anti-Narcotics Center in Dushanbe and Russia's commitment to international drug control.