UNIS/NAR/1057
17 June 2009

World Drug Report 2009 to Be Launched in Washington on 24 June

VIENNA, 17 June (UN Information Service) - The World Drug Report 2009, the flagship publication of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), will be launched in the Lisagor Room of the National Press Club in Washington DC on 24 June at 10:00 EST.

The Report, presented in the run up to World Drug Day on 26 June, gives evidence of trends in world drug markets. A special chapter of the Report examines the impact of drug-related organized crime, and what to do about it.

The Report will be launched by UNODC Executive Director, Antonio Maria Costa, together with the newly-appointed Director of the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske.

Watch the live webcast of the launch on http://live.unodc.org

Journalists who are not able to attend the press conference, but would like to send questions can do so through www.twitter.com/unodc or to walter.kemp@unodc.org.

Advance copies of the report, under embargo, are available upon request. The Report will be available on the UNODC website, www.unodc.org, on 26 June.

Copies of the Executive Summary are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

One-on-one interviews are available with UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa.

For TV producers, a B-roll is available.

Still pictures are available for newspapers.

For more information on the World Drug Campaign 2009, see http://www.unodc.org/drugs/. The goal of the campaign is to mobilize support and to inspire people to act against drug abuse and trafficking. The campaign encourages young people to put their health first and not to take drugs.

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For further information, please contact:

Walter Kemp
Spokesman and Speechwriter, UNODC
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-5629
Mobile: (+43-699) 1459-5629
Email: walter.kemp@unodc.org