Israel Ambassador Zvi Heifetz, Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN, OSCE and International Organizations will be leaving his post this summer to represent the State of Israel as Ambassador to China. On July 3, he held his last official parting meeting with Under Secretary General H.E. Yuri Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

During the meeting, the Ambassador presented him with a gift - a replica of a section of the mosaic floor from a synagogue dating from the Byzantine period (5th and 6th centuries CE) in Ma'on-Nirim, in the western Negev. The decoration on the mosaic floor consists of a vine tendril forming a trellis of medallions adorned with scenes of everyday life from the vineyard and wine production and various animals. The images portrayed in the upper rows include a seven-branched candelabrum.

Israel's extensive collaboration with the UNODC continues and was further strengthened during the past two years, addressing issues of transnational organized crime, trafficking in human beings, access to legal aid, space exploration, the misuse of drugs and more. This collaboration highlights Israel's commitment to a multilateral response to regional and global issues.

On June 11, 2015, the Israel Space Agency hosted a reception at the United Nations Head Quarters in Vienna. During the reception the Israeli Ambassador Zvi Heifetz signed an agreement with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) on cooperation in space-related issues. The event also served to promote the International Astronautical Conference to be held in Jerusalem on October 12-16, 2015.