TNI at CND 2016: Reports from Vienna

Day 7, Tuesday, March 22

At around 23:00 delegations left informal negotiations agreeing on a final outcome document. Switzerland made a reservation, pending on approval of the government, on the preambular paragraph 7 mentioning a society free of drug abuse, wanting to include a mention on responding to the public health and social problems resulting from drug abuse. While the intention was to present a short and concise outcome document with operational recommendations, a 24 page document was presented at the Plenary.

The EU, supported by among others Turkey, Switzerland, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia and Chile, gave a statement about the failure to include language opposing the death penalty, regretting that the document did not include language about the abolition of the death penalty and called on countries to adopt a moratorium on the execution of the death penalty. Brazil, New Zealand, Australia and Norway made a similar statement. Indonesia made a statement that there is no consensus on the abolition of the death penalty and that the issue is not part of the mandate of the CND, and is a criminal justice matter of sovereign states, supported by China, Pakistan, Egypt, Malaysia and almost all Arabic states.

Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador,Panama, Switzerland and others made a statement that although the outcome document is a step forward, because of the consensus process some issues were not included and called for a broad comprehensive approach towards 2019 and beyond, paying particular attention to the 2030 SDG targets. China pointed to the emerging challenges of NPS.
Reform minded delegations think there is sufficient progress to build on towards the evaluation of the 1998 UNGASS at the High Level Segment in 2019. The document mentions persistent, new and evolving challenges to be addressed in conformity with the three international drug conventions, which allow for sufficient flexibility to State parties to design and implement national drug policies. It does not mention harm reduction but there is mention of appropriate medication-assisted therapy and injecting equipment programmes, the new diplo-speak for opioid assisted therapy and needle and syringe exchange.

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