US Minister in Vienna
Blinken: “The fight against drugs does not end at home”
On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for global cooperation in the fight against synthetic drugs. He took part in the annual UN drug control conference in Vienna. Later in the afternoon, he met Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (both ÖVP), and a visit to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen was also on the agenda.
"My message at this meeting is urgent: if we want to change the course of this crisis, there is only one way to succeed: together," said Blinken in his speech at the conference of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). Although the "fight against drugs starts at home, it cannot end at home". No state can solve this problem alone.
"Drug use is increasing rapidly"
Drug consumption, addiction and fatal overdoses are increasing rapidly all over the world, emphasized the US Secretary of State. That is why the mission of the CND and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna is "more crucial than ever for the security, prosperity and health" of US citizens and the world as a whole.
Blinken referred to the opioid crisis in the USA, for example the fact that the number of people in his country who have died from an overdose has doubled in the past three years. Synthetic drugs, and in particular the rapidly addictive fentanyl, are now the most common cause of death in the USA among people aged between 18 and 45. Every five minutes, someone dies as a result of an overdose, said Blinken.
USA pumps hundreds of millions into the fight against drugs
The US government has made the fight against fentanyl and synthetic drugs a top priority. Blinken's visit to the UN city shows just how important the issue is: he is the first US Secretary of State ever to attend a meeting of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. During the conference, Blinken pledged 170 million US dollars (155.61 million euros) for the coming year to combat the drug problem.
Last summer, the US Secretary of State launched the "Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats", which has since been joined by around 150 countries and around a dozen international organizations, including Austria and the EU. Blinken used his speech in Vienna to call on the member states to implement the measures adopted by the coalition.
Austria promises "maximum support"
Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) took part in the UN conference on behalf of Austria. He also spoke out in favour of better international cooperation between member states, organizations and civil society. Austria is committed to a human rights approach in the fight against drugs, explained Rauch. It is about "maximum support" for addicts. Accordingly, penalties would not focus on the consumption of drugs, but on trafficking, said the Minister in his speech.
Rauch also emphasized Austria's commitment to continue supporting UNODC and promised to send staff to the UN office in the field of prevention and border management. He also welcomed the US Secretary of State on the fringes of the meeting.
Numerous high-ranking politicians are taking part in the 67th Conference of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which opened yesterday (Thursday) and will continue until Friday next week (March 22). For example, the foreign ministers from the coca-growing countries Colombia, Honduras and Ecuador gave speeches on Thursday.
Blinken met Austria's head of state
Blinken met Nehammer and Schallenberg at the Federal Chancellery in the afternoon and held a press conference there with the Austrian Foreign Minister at 3.15 pm. Afterwards, the US Secretary of State will visit Federal President Van der Bellen in the Presidential Chancellery.
According to the Federal Chancellery, Nehammer and Blinken spoke about the joint commitment to stability in the Western Balkans and current geopolitical challenges, in particular the Middle East conflict and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
According to the press release, Nehammer praised the US Secretary of State's visit, stating that Blinken's visit to the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs "expresses the focus on the issue of security, the fight against smugglers and crime in connection with synthetic drugs, among other things". Another common interest is "our commitment to the security of all Jewish citizens, which is currently threatened and in danger in many places, as well as to the security and stability of the Western Balkans".
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