Nepal elected as member of UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

KATHMANDU, May 8: Nepal was elected as a member of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from Asia-Pacific region on Tuesday for the term 2020-2030, according to a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations based in New York.

Nepal was elected to the Commission, for the first time, in an election held at the United Nation Headquarters.

CND is one of the functional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the central drug policy-making body within the United Nations system. The Commission was established to assist the ECOSOC in supervising the application of the international drug control treaties. The mandate of the Commission was expanded to enable it to function as the governing body of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC). The UNODC is based in Vienna, Austria.

Along with Nepal, 33 countries from different regions have also been elected to the Commission. Nepal obtained 44 out of 54 valid votes of the 54 members of the ECOSOC. Bahrain, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Thailand and Turkmenistan were also elected to the Commission representing the Asia-Pacific region.

Nepal attaches high importance to combating drug trafficking and related crimes. Nepal signed the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 in 2003 and ratified it in 2011. The Convention has currently 186 states parties.

This is yet another opportunity for Nepal to work closely with the international community in the fight against illicit narcotic drugs. Nepal is committed to contributing more to the work of multilateral bodies through its active involvements, the Mission stated in its press release.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal (MoFA) thanked the ECOSOC member states for electing Nepal to the Commission.

“Nepal elected to UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Thanks and deep appreciation to the ECOSOC Member States for their support and trust on Nepal. Fighting together against illicit narcotic drugs,” tweeted MoFA.

Nepal joined the United Nations on 14 December 1955 and the Mission was established in the following year.

Nepal has been elected members in various organs of the UN in recent years.

Nepal was elected as a member of the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) for the term 2019-2021 in 2018.

Also in 2018, Nepal was elected as a member of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) for the term 2019-2022 as well as chair of the Committee on Conferences for the year 2018.

Nepal was also elected as a member of the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the term 2018-2020 in 2017. Similarly, Ms. Bandana Rana of Nepal is the current Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), who was elected as Member in 2016.

Nepal is also contesting reelections to the HRC for the term 2021-2023 and CEDAW for the term 2021 to 2024, the elections for both the bodies will be held in 2020, according to the press release.

Nepal will also contest an election in 2023 for a member of ECOSOC for the term 2024-2026, it further reads.