In the period from March 13 to March 17, 2023 in Vienna, the CARICC delegation headed by Director Yazlyev A.O. takes part in the 66th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Along with this, on March 14, 2023, on the sidelines of the 66th session of the CND, CARICC, together with its participating States and the UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia, organized and held a hybrid side event on the theme “CARICC Initiatives, achievements and plans”.

The event was attended by the heads of the competent authorities and foreign ministries of the CARICC member states, the UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia Ms. Ashita Mitall, representatives of the permanent missions to the international organizations in Vienna, observer states to CARICC, international organizations, as well as donor-countries  and partners.

Advisor/Head of the Information and Analytical Division of CARICC, Mr. Azizbek Erkaboev was the moderator of side event.

CARICC Director Yazlyev A.O. opened the event. In his speech, he emphasized that the Center continues to be an organization that fulfills the tasks assigned to it in combating transnational organized drug crime.

Further, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Kairat Umarov, delivered a welcoming speech. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of CARICC as a regional anti-drug organization, and against the background of the growth of drug production in Afghanistan and the increase in large-scale smuggling of opiates and methamphetamine to the countries of the region, it is able to withstand challenges and threats in the fight against transnational drug crime.

In a welcoming speech by the UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia Ms. A. Mitall, the importance of mutual practical cooperation in the fight against organized crime, as well as the need for financial support for the CARICC project from participating States and donor countries.

In addition, the heads of the competent authorities of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan delivered a welcoming speech, where they noted the role of the Center in the fight against transnational drug crime and its capabilities in the Central Asian region.

In the main session of the side event, a video with brief information about the activities of CARICC and a presentation on initiatives, achievements and plans of CARICC were shown.

In addition, law enforcement officials and international organizations and partners of the Center took part in the event online. More than 100 people took part in the side event.

On the sidelines of the CND session, it is planned to hold a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings with representatives of interested departments of the CARICC member states, international and regional organizations.