The CND is a policymaking body of UN Member States, with responsibility for the UN’s drug control conventions (including the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances: “the 1988 convention”), and wider UN policy on drug issues.

It is one of the two governing bodies of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and meets every year to make decisions on issues such as ‘scheduling’ of substances under the UN Conventions, and to adopt consensus-based resolutions on issues related to drug control policy including countering drug trafficking.

GI-TOC will contribute to proceedings at this year’s CND through a series of side events of relevance to our mandate to highlight the latest trends in drug-related organized crime and its effects on communities and the environment.


Event: Synthetic drugs – why we need to worry

Date:  Monday 12 April  – Time: 14:10 – 15:00 (CEST/Vienna)

GI-TOC speaker: Jason Eligh, Senior Expert

Organizers: UNODC and the UK Government

This event will look at the most recent developments in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe, and hear from geographically diverse speakers on how to respond to complex and growing synthetic drug markets. Jason Eligh will present on the synthetic drugs situation in eastern and southern Africa, including the findings of his ground-breaking March 2021 GI-TOC report A Synthetic Age: The Evolution of Methamphetamine Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Click here to register


Event: New trends in the illicit drug markets in Africa

Date:  Thursday 15 April  – Time: 09:00 – 09:50 (CEST/Vienna)

GI-TOC speaker: Jason Eligh, Senior Expert

Organizers: GI-TOC, Institute for Security Studies, Interpol

This event will explore the key criminal markets, actors and routes of synthetic drugs in Southern Africa. A case study of Mauritius will explore the growth of synthetic drugs and the harms it has on communities. Speakers will also consider ways the African Union Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention may help address this challenge.  Jason Eligh will present the findings of various African GI-TOC drugs research reports, highlighting the changing cocaine, heroin and meth markets and flows across Africa.

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Event: Illicit drug economies and the environment

Date:  Thursday 15 April  – Time: 14:10 – 15:00 (CEST/Vienna)

Event Flyer: Click here

GI-TOC speaker: Moderated by Dr John Collins, Director of Academic Engagement

Organizers: GI-TOC, GIZ, Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development, LSE, Centre for Studies on Security and Drugs (CESED), Universidad de Los Andes, Fundación Ideas Para la Paz (FIP), UNODC.

This event will hear from a broad and diverse panel on issues concerning the impact of illicit drug markets on the environment, as well as linkages to other illicit economies. The main results to be presented will stem from the special issue of the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development (JIED) to be published in spring 2021.

Send an email to CND@giz.de to register for this online event