VIENNA: The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) convened its 68th session in Vienna on Monday to address key issues and challenges related to global drug control, with the participation of Kuwait. According to a statement by the UN Information Service in Vienna, the five-day session is chaired by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Shimbu S Kumaran. The session opened with a speech by Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Wali, who provided an overview of the latest global developments in the fight against narcotics.

Discussions will cover a range of topics, including international drug policies, the exchange of expertise among nations, scientific advancements in drug control, and progress in implementing international obligations. Representatives from member states, UN entities, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, and the scientific community will participate in dialogues and seminars, alongside over 180 side events and 30 exhibitions highlighting various aspects of drug control on a global scale.

Kuwait’s delegation to the session is led by the country’s Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Talal Al-Fassam. The delegation also includes Dr. Hussein Al-Shatti from the Ministry of Health, Colonel Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and Lieutenant Colonel Mahdi Al-Anzi from the Ministry of Interior, and Third Secretary of the Permanent Delegation to the UN in Vienna, Rehab Al-Farhan. — KUNA