The State of Israel celebrated a new milestone at the UN on March 17, 2015, following the unanimous adoption of the Israel-initiated resolution at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna. This is a landmark achievement - the first resolution that Israel has initiated and which was successfully passed outside of the United Nations General Assembly, where it has successfully authored two resolutions in the past few years.
The resolution passed unanimously, and was supported across the board, enjoying the co-sponsorship of no less than 47 countries from all five continents, amongst them: the United States, Canada, all EU member-states, Russia, Norway, Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Argentina, Guatemala, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Moldova, Macedonia, Serbia, Thailand, South Korea and Tanzania.
The Israeli resolution calls for the availability and accessibility of treatment for children and youth battling substance abuse disorders. The broad support which the resolution enjoyed demonstrates the international community's acknowledgment of Israel's unique experience and expertise in the international battle against narcotics.
Israel's ambassador to Vienna, Zvi Hefetz, stated that the resolution "is the result of the efforts of the diplomatic corps to bring to fruition Israel's constructive agenda in regards to the treatment and care for children and youth dealing with substance abuse disorders" and noted "the 47 countries which co-sponsored the resolution and the 150 countries that voted in favor of its implementation."
Israel has been a member of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna for three consecutive years, in cooperation with the Israel Anti-Drug Authority. In 2014, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, was hosted in Israel by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Avigdor Liberman, where as part of his visit, he
signed an MOU with MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development, and the Israel Anti-Drug Authority.
The success of the resolution is the culmination of the work of Israel's Embassy to the UN institutions in Vienna, led by the ambassador Zvi Hefetz, his deputy Bat-Eden Kite and the close cooperation with the Israel Anti-Drug Authority, represented by Ruth El-Roey and Sonia Hizi in Vienna. The achievement is the product of the Israeli delegation's close working ties with the UNODC, and the professional esteem accorded to the Israel Anti-Drug Authority in the commission.
The resolution joins two previous Israeli resolutions that were in passed in the past few years (
Agricultural Technology for Development in 2007 and
Entrepreneurship for Development in 2012), and is part of the efforts to increase Israel's participation in the United Nations' global agenda and to contribute its expertise and capabilities to the world community.