ASEAN countries persistent in building drug-free community

The event also saw the presence of other delegations ofthe UN member states and more than 200 international, regional, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Son speaking at the event.

At the high-level meetingon March 15, on behalf of the ASEAN, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Son delivered the ASEAN Declaration adopted by its member states at the 6th ASEAN Ministerial Meetingin Hanoi in October 2018, conveying a strong message ofthe ASEAN on building a drug-free society, affirming its zero-tolerance position on illicit drugs andopposing the legalisation ofillicit drugs.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Son also highlighted Vietnam's policies and achievements in preventionand control of illicit drugs, treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts as well as outcomes of its international cooperation in implementing international commitments on drug control, particularly objectives articulated in the 2019 Political Declaration and Plan of Action to Counter the World Drug Problem.

The Vietnam's delegation at the event.

At the endof the high-level meeting, the member states adopted the Ministerial Declaration, reflecting the strong resolve of the international community in joining efforts to implement common commitments so as to address the world drug problem.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Vietnamese delegation also participated in a workshopheld by UNODC and 6 Mekong member countries on addressing increased synthetic drugs in the region. At the workshop, the Vietnamese delegation affirmed the guidelines and policies of Vietnam and briefed outcomes of its international cooperation on drug prevention and control in the Mekong region.