United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Background
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a United Nations office responsible for work on illicit drugs, crime prevention and criminal justice, international terrorism, and political corruption. It operates as part of the UN system and serves as a central body for coordinating international efforts against drug trafficking and related criminal activity. Its mandate gives it relevance in areas where transnational crime, public health, and law enforcement intersect, particularly through technical assistance, policy support, and international cooperation.
Established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, it was created by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division in the United Nations Office at Vienna. The office adopted its current name in 2002. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group, placing it within the broader UN development and coordination framework, and in 2022–23 it had an estimated biannual budget of US$822 million.
UNODC’s work is organized around regional and thematic engagement, including offices and initiatives that address drug control and criminal justice in specific parts of the world. Recent public references show it involved in events linked to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and in youth anti-drug initiatives in Central Asia, including work connected to Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran, and Pakistan. These activities reflect its continuing role in convening states, supporting regional anti-narcotics cooperation, and advancing UN priorities on drugs and crime.
Timeline
UNODC co-hosted a thematic side event with the SCO at the 69th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
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 was described as a donor to UNODC’s youth anti-drug initiatives in Central Asia.
Press Release: Participation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia D.E. Lubinsky in a Side Event on Drug Use Prevention Among Youth 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.
Press Release: Participation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia D.E. Lubinsky in a Side Event on Drug Use Prevention Among Youth at the 69th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Lubinsky highlighted Russia's role as a donor to UNODC's youth anti-drug initiatives in Central Asia at a side event of the 69th UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.