Dunne to attend UN Commission on Drugs meeting

Associate Health Minister, Hon Peter Dunne will this week attend the 60th session on the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UNCND) in Vienna, Austria.

While there Mr Dunne will deliver a national statement on behalf of New Zealand and also undertake a number of bilateral meetings with counterparts from around the world.

“Meetings like the UNCND provide an excellent opportunity for New Zealand to have its voice heard on the global stage, and to engage with other like-minded countries on the issues they face and the solutions and successes they have had.

"Of significant interest will be the ongoing issues around the global proliferation of new psychoactive substances, the ongoing debate around cannabis-based products for medical purposes and the continued use of the death penalty for drug offences in same countries," says Mr Dunne.

The meeting will also provide an opportunity for discussions on progress following 2016’s UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS).