United Nations

  VIENNA, 11 April (UN Information Service) -- President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi -- while attending the opening ceremony of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) -- met with Pino Arlacchi, Director General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP) here on 7 April.

 The two-hour meeting focused on reviewing relations between the two institutions, and setting the ground for a strategic alliance on the subject of “human security” in Europe and worldwide.

 The concept of “human security” has, in the recent past, acquired wider recognition, besides the traditional concepts of “global security” and “national security”, in terms of ensuring to each individual the necessary protection from the growing threats of political and criminal violence, trafficking of illicit drugs, arms and human beings, as well as corruption and terrorism.

 The meeting touched upon the strategies for the elimination of the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and coca bush worldwide, and for the reduction of the demand for illicit drugs, agreed upon by Member States at the 1998 Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Drugs.

 Under-Secretary-General Arlacchi further explained to President Prodi the contents of the global programmes launched by ODCCP for the monitoring of illicit crops, and for the assessment of the magnitude and trends in the abuse of illicit drugs worldwide.

 President Prodi reiterated the full support of the European Commission to the strategies elaborated by ODCCP and to the leadership of the Executive Director.  He further undertook to communicate the results of the meeting to the relevant European Commissioners.

 On his part, Under-Secretary-General Arlacchi expressed his appreciation for the political relaunching of the European Commission initiated by President Prodi, as well as for his organizational restructuring of the offices of this body.