The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Turkmenistan office, in collaboration with the Embassy of the State of Israel in Turkmenistan, organized an event on Thursday to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Held under the 2025 World Drug Day theme, “The evidence is clear: invest in prevention,” the event brought together national partners, youth, and stakeholders to address the global challenge of drug abuse and trafficking.
The event focused on several key objectives:
- briefing stakeholders on the World Drug Day theme,
- presenting key findings from the World Drug Report 2025 and the updated UNODC Position Paper on Drugs, and
- highlighting achievements of the UNODC Regional Youth Network for Central Asia.
It also aimed to raise awareness among youth about substance use and related crimes, strengthen life skills and resilience, foster dialogue between youth, government institutions, and civil society, and formulate youth-generated recommendations on drug prevention to share with national stakeholders.
The programme featured a plenary session with representatives from UNODC and national authorities, interactive group activities, and robust youth participation, including members of the UNODC Regional Youth Network, SDG Ambassadors, and volunteers. These activities encouraged active engagement and collaboration, empowering young people to contribute to drug prevention strategies.
The event included an address by the Ambassador of Israel Ismail Khaldi, who emphasized the global significance of the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. “Each year, this day reminds us that drug abuse and illicit trafficking are not merely criminal acts or health challenges; they are human tragedies. They erode the social fabric of nations, endanger the lives of our youth, and fund transnational crime and violence,” the statement said.
The Ambassador highlighted Israel’s commitment to combating these issues through international cooperation, intelligence sharing, and education.
The speech also underscored the link between drug trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism. “Drugs and human trafficking are major sources of illicit revenue that help finance terrorist organizations around the world,” the Ambassador explained. “These criminal enterprises generate billions of dollars, which are often funneled into purchasing weapons, funding operations, and recruiting fighters.”
The Ambassador praised partnerships with UNODC and other multilateral platforms, emphasizing Israel’s contributions through technologies for border security and drug detection. “This is not a battle any country can win alone,” the message stressed. “The trafficking networks are global, and so too must be our response. Together, through solidarity and shared responsibility, we can protect our children, our communities, and our future.”
The event underscored the importance of investing in prevention, as emphasized by the 2025 World Drug Day theme. By engaging youth and fostering collaboration between governments, civil society, and international organizations, the event laid the groundwork for actionable recommendations to strengthen drug prevention efforts in Turkmenistan and beyond. ///Embassy of Israel to Turkmenistan, 26 June 2025