Spindelegger: „Combating drug trade is a global challenge, to be confronted together"

Vice chancellor Michael Spindelegger opens 3rd Ministerial Conference of the "Paris Pact Initiative" for combating the drug trade from Afghanistan.

Vienna, 16 of February 2012 – "The rule of law and the security of the region have top priority for a sustainable peace and reconciliation process. The international community's efforts in combating the drug trade, terrorism and organised crime play an important role in this", vice chancellor and foreign minister Michael Spindelegger said in opening the 3rd Ministerial Conference of the "Paris Pact Initiative" to combat drug trafficking from Afghanistan.

The Paris Pact Initiative, founded in 2003, under the auspices of UNODC, includes 56 countries and 14 international organisations who work together to combat illegal trafficking of opium and heroin from Afghanistan. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, UNODC Director Yuri Fedotov, the foreign ministers of France, Alain Juppé, and Russia, Sergei Lawrow, as well as numerous other politicians from over 60 countries attended this conference in Vienna today.

"Our goal is to jointly find solutions to counter the illegal trade of opium and heroin from Afghanistan. With the "Vienna Declaration", adopted today, we are setting ourselves clear goals, and also a signal that we will not relent in our joint combat against the illegal trade in opium and heroin from Afghanistan", Spindelegger added. In the "Vienna Declaration" the states of the "Paris Pact Initiative" reaffirmed their will to combat, in addition, all illegal activities connected with the drug trade, such as money laundering, corruption or smuggling of chemical precursor materials for drug production.

Austria has supported the "Paris Pact Initiative" since its beginning in 2003 and sponsors projects and programmes contributing to strengthening peace and the rule of law in Afghanistan. Besides this, Austria also focuses on mine clearing and on the enforcement of the rights of women and children.

The vice chancellor emphasised the indispensible role of the United Nations in Afghanistan and thanked the UN Secretary-General and the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Jan Kubis for their efforts. Spindelegger concluded by expressing his support for the valuable work of the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes, (UNODC) in Vienna: "As host country, Austria is very involved in the work of UNODC. Austria has therefore from the start actively supported this 3rd Conference in the framework of the "Paris Pact Initiative".

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