WEBDESK: Pakistan has been re-elected to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UN Commission) for a four-year term starting in 2026. The re-election, held by the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York, saw Pakistan secure the highest number of votes among member states contesting for the seats available to various regional groups, a press release by the Pakistan Mission in New York stated.
Other countries elected alongside Pakistan include Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, and Iran.
The 53 member states comprising the UN body consist of 11 members from Africa, 11 from Asia, 10 from Latin American and the Caribbean, six from Easter Europe, 14 members from Western Europe and other regions, along with one seat rotating between Asia and the Latin America.
Established in 1946, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs is the primary body for policy-making on issues related to drug abuse prevention, rehabilitation of drug users, and the fight against illicit drug trafficking. Pakistan’s consistent re-election to the UN Commission highlights its dedication to these international goals.
Pakistan was also re-elected to the CND in May 2019 for a four-year term starting in 2020. According to a foreign ministry statement at the time, the country has “served on the commission for four decades since its establishment”.
In July 2024, Narcotics Minister Mohsin Naqvi approved an already underway National Drug Survey to collect data on drug users across the country.
Naqvi, who also serves as the interior minister, had asserted that drug prevention was a national issue and no compromise will be made on it.
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