Singapore to Seek Re-election for Membership in the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs

1. The 68th session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) ^[1] was held in Vienna, Austria from 10 to 14 March 2025.  Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development, led Singapore’s delegation comprising officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), and the Health Sciences Authority.

2. MOS Faishal delivered Singapore’s national statement which highlighted Singapore’s comprehensive drug prevention strategy and its effectiveness, and outlined Singapore’s contributions to the CND since becoming a member in 2024. Reaffirming Singapore’s strong commitment to working with the CND to strengthen international cooperation on drug-related matters, MOS Faishal announced Singapore’s candidature for the term 2028-2031.

3. At the 68th CND, MOS Faishal held bilateral engagements with Ms Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Professor Jallal Toufiq, President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), to reiterate Singapore’s commitment to countering the world drug problem and contributing to the work of the CND. MOS Faishal also met with representatives from 17 countries.

Side Event on the Harms of Illicit Drug Use

4. Singapore organised a cross-regional side event titled “Understanding the Adverse Impact of Drug Use on Health, Socioeconomic, as well as Safety and Security Outcomes: What Data and Research Tell Us”, in collaboration with the UNODC.

5. MOS Faishal opened the side event alongside Ms. Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director of the UNODC. Panellists from the Institute of Mental Health in Singapore, the European Union Drugs Agency, the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs, and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Nigeria, discussed the harmful effects of illicit drug use on individuals, families, communities, and the society at large.

UNODC Youth Forum

6. The UNODC Youth Forum is an annual event held at the sidelines of the CND meeting for youths from around the world to exchange views on drug control policies and develop a joint statement that would be delivered to policy makers at the CND meeting.

7. Mr Chua Zhe Lei (Jaylen) represented Singapore as a youth participant at this year’s Youth Forum. Jaylen is a Youth Advocate with the CNB since August 2023 and has been actively involved in amplifying the anti-drug message. In April 2024, he collaborated with a fellow Youth Advocate and a few of his schoolmates to embark on a college-wide anti-drug project. As part of his project, he organised a Preventive Drug Education talk with student volunteers, set up pop-up game booths and organised an anti-drug poster design competition.

[1] The CND is the primary drug policy-making body of the UN. It meets annually to discuss the world’s drug problem, develop strategies on international drug control, and recommend measures that governments can take to address the problem. Singapore is a member of the CND for the term from 2024 to 2027.