Ambassador Manizha Bakhtari presented her credentials to H.E. Ms. Ghada Waly, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)
The UNODC has provided valuable protection and support to the people of Afghanistan in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, while continuing to support the country in the areas of alternative development, anti-corruption, and counter-narcotics. Among these efforts are law enforcement, criminal justice, curbing drug use, addressing HIV/AIDS among drug users, and providing alternative livelihoods. These are only a few of the critical joint initiatives between UNODC and Kabul. Ms. Ghada Waly and the UNODC can count on our unwavering dedication to this partnership.
In this meeting, they discussed ways to strengthen the coordination of initiatives between Afghanistan and the UNODC. This meeting reiterates both Ambassador Bakhtari and her country’s commitment to eradicating narcotics in Afghanistan.
The United States Contributes $3.4 Million to UNODC’s Container Control Programme (CCP) in Afghanistan
These programmes have the purpose of training Afghan authorities in identifying and stopping the distribution of illicit goods, while facilitating the movement of legitimate merchandise. In 2019, Afghan port control units trained by CCP staff conducted 131 significant seizures. This includes over 6,000 grams of heroin, 75 metric tons of precursor chemicals, 100 kilograms of explosives, four rocket launchers, 2,000 boxes of falsified medicines, and over 650,000 USD, 90,000 Euros, 128,300 Saudi Riyals, 75,800 AED, 140,000 Indian Rupees in undeclared currency.
The Permanent Mission and Embassy of Afghanistan expresses utmost gratitude to the United States for its continued contributions to peace and security in Afghanistan. Afghanistan attaches great importance to the strong relationship with the United States of America, and appreciates its support to Afghanistan within the UNODC framework.