Remarks at the ECOSOC panel discussion: "Focus on the Vienna-based Commissions and the importance of drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice in the context of the post 2015 development agenda, including the issue of human trafficking"

Mr. Vice-President,

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting me to take part in this panel discussion.

The Vienna-based functional Commissions of ECOSOC, the CND and the CCPCJ, are at the forefront of efforts to highlight the links between combating drugs and crime and achieving sustainable development.

I will leave it to Ambassador Mabhongo, Ambassador Shamaa and HRH Ambassador Mahidol to present the important work of the Commissions.

I will focus on the second part of today's topic, the importance of drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice in the post 2015 development agenda, and the efforts of UNODC in this regard.

As you know, the report of the High Level Panel calls for five big "transformative shifts" to drive a universal, post-2015 agenda.

One of the shifts identified in the report is to "Build peace and effective, open and accountable institutions for all."

Stating that "Freedom from fear, conflict and violence is the most fundamental human right", the High Level Panel called for "a fundamental shift - to recognise peace and good governance as core elements of wellbeing, not optional extras", for all countries.

To quote the Panel further: "Responsive and legitimate institutions should encourage the rule of law, property rights, freedom of speech and the media, open political choice, access to justice, and accountable government and public institutions".

Simply put, security, justice and rule of law matter if we want to attain sustainable development outcomes.

This emphasis on promoting rule of law and accountable institutions touches upon the core of our work in Vienna.

More specifically, the High Level Panel report asks for more work to be done to develop a monitoring framework. This entails finding appropriate indicators, including for rule of law, justice and security, as they relate to development.

UNODC, as guardian to the Conventions on drugs, transnational organized crime and corruption, has substantial experience and expertise in monitoring challenges to the rule of law.

Other members of the UN family, as well as respected civil society partners, have also done extensive work on monitoring these issues.

What we require is a more coordinated approach.

UNODC therefore organized a consultation in June with the aim of bringing together the necessary expertise.

This includes work done on indicators for the Peacebuilding and Statebuilding Goals by the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding, DPKO and OHCHR on UN Rule of Law indicators, the World Bank, the Geneva Declaration Secretariat, and civil society partners and academic institutions.

It was a fruitful two days of discussion, and progress was made towards bringing together the various streams of work into a simple and practical measurement framework for the rule of law, justice and security.

The meeting recommendations will be reflected in a paper, which in turn will inform the discussions of the Open Working Group on governance and peace in February in New York.

UNODC is also working closely work with its partners to ensure that these deliberations contribute to the high-level event being organized by the President of the GA on Human Rights and the Rule of Law.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The global discussion on the post-2015 development framework comes at a critical time.

In the forthcoming years, Member States will take forward the discussion on countering the world drug problem, at the High-Level Review next year and the UNGA special session in 2016.

The 7th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto will also be held next year in Vienna.

We will have the 5th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption in Panama in November, and the 6th session will be held in Russia in 2015.

Also in 2015, the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice will take place in Qatar.

The main theme of the Congress will be "Integrating crime prevention and criminal justice into the wider UN agenda to address social and economic challenges and to promote the rule of law at the national and international levels, and public participation".

These events present an historic opportunity. The dialogue which is taking place at the highest levels and with a broad range of stakeholders can help to ensure that the key issues of drug control, crime prevention and criminal justice do not fall by the wayside.

ECOSOC has a vital role to play in this, and it is my hope that the Council will continue to reinforce its engagement in these critical issues.

If people are to have a hope of living free from fear, conflict and violence, we must tackle the global, interconnected challenges of drugs, crime, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, corruption and terrorism.

As the world comes together to renew our partnership for change, let us ensure that addressing these threats is part of promoting sustainable development and securing a peaceful and equitable future for all.

I look forward to hearing your contributions on this important subject.

Thank you.