Ministerial Declaration on Accelerating and Strengthening the Global Response to Synthetic Drugs

July 7, 2023 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

We the Ministers and government representatives of the undersigned States, having met virtually on 7 July 2023, affirm our shared commitment to taking concerted and sustained action at the national, regional, and international levels to effectively respond to emerging drug-related threats in an integrated and balanced manner.

We express grave concern about the public health and social harms associated with the non-medical consumption of synthetic drugs, the insufficient availability, accessibility, affordability, and quality of drug treatment, recovery, and support services, and the security challenges associated with their illicit manufacture, diversion, trafficking, and related crimes.

We reaffirm our determination to address these challenges comprehensively through evidence-based public health interventions aimed at reducing demand and at preventing and reducing synthetic drug-related harms to individuals and society, including due to overdoses, as well as by preventing and countering the illicit manufacture, diversion, and trafficking of synthetic drugs and their precursors, including trafficking via the internet.

We hereby establish a Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats to strengthen the coordinated global response to the international public health and safety challenges posed by synthetic drugs through international cooperation to drive comprehensive, balanced, evidence-based, and effective actions at the national and international levels, in accordance with applicable international law.

We are committed to jointly identifying priority lines of effort, developing forward-looking solutions, and advancing national and international actions, including the provision of training, technical assistance, and capacity building upon request, to make measurable progress toward addressing and countering this public health and security challenge, taking into account its evolving nature and long-term impact.

We are committed to sharing technical expertise, best practices, scientific evidence, and other relevant information, as appropriate and in accordance with applicable domestic law, and to taking into account, as appropriate, input from all relevant stakeholders, including international organizations, law enforcement, judicial and health-care personnel, civil society, the scientific community and academia, as well as the private sector.

We affirm that the use of certain synthetic drugs is indispensable for medical and scientific purposes, including for the relief of pain and for palliative care, and that measures to address their illicit manufacture, diversion, trafficking, and non-medical consumption should not unduly restrict their accessibility or availability for such purposes.

We take these actions while underscoring that the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988, and other relevant international instruments constitute the cornerstone of the international drug control system.

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment, including in the context of addressing synthetic drug threats, to ensuring that all aspects of demand reduction and related measures, supply reduction and related measures, and international cooperation should be addressed in full conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States, all human rights, fundamental freedoms, the inherent dignity of all individuals and the principles of equal rights and mutual respect among states.

We are committed to contributing to the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs as the policymaking body of the UN system with prime responsibility for drug control and other drug-related matters, as well as to other relevant regional and multilateral bodies and fora, while recognizing the ongoing efforts of relevant United Nations entities, in particular those of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Health Organization, as well as the treaty-mandated role of the International Narcotics Control Board.

We invite additional countries to join these efforts, recognizing these threats have a detrimental and dangerous impact for public health, safety, and security around the world, and require global response.

Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, European Union Commission, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan

Associated links

• Security capacity-building programs