President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev sent a message to the participants of the international forum in Samarkand on the theme "Combating transnational drug threats to ensure public health and security."

Assalomu alaykum, esteemed forum participants!

Dear guests!

Ladies and gentlemen!

I am glad to sincerely welcome you to the forum on combating transnational drug threats to ensure public health and security.

Welcome to the ancient and ever-youthful city of Samarkand!

Taking this opportunity, I express my gratitude to Mr. Bo Mathiasen, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Mr. Stefano Berterame, Secretary of the International Narcotics Control Board, heads of international and regional organizations, members of foreign governments, esteemed ambassadors of foreign countries, as well as all our guests attending today's conference.

Dear event participants!

In today's turbulent times, it is becoming more urgent than ever for the world community to act with greater determination and unity.

The emergence of new forms of organized crime, drug production, and distribution day by day expands the scope of transnational threats to humanity.

These processes cannot help but have a negative impact not only on the security of countries, but also on human life and health, and people's future, which are our most precious assets.

Today, the cross-border and virtual nature of drug trafficking further intensifies these dangers. Especially the fact that criminal groups use encrypted communication channels, contactless communication, and complex financial tools demands modern solutions and approaches from us in the fight against drugs.

Naturally, it is a matter of deep concern to all of us that new synthetic drugs, psychotropic, and potent substances are widely spreading among the population, especially the youth today.

According to the United Nations, more than 300 million people worldwide have fallen under the influence of drugs. Nearly 600 thousand people fall victim to this scourge every year.

In today's globalization conditions, such hazards are not bypassing Uzbekistan, just like all other countries.

Therefore, in Uzbekistan, we are turning the issue of combating drug addiction and drug crimes into a nationwide movement, mobilizing all forces and means.

In recent years, more than 20 legislative acts aimed at strengthening interdepartmental cooperation in the sphere and developing prevention mechanisms have been adopted. Especially, the adoption of the national strategy against drugs in 2024 was the biggest step in this regard.

Thanks to such efforts of ours, in recent years, the rate of detecting crimes related to the illicit drug trafficking has increased by 2.5 times, confiscated narcotic drugs doubled, and destroyed synthetic drugs increased by 7 times.

Just last year alone, law enforcement agencies uncovered over 15 thousand drug crimes, destroyed nearly 3.5 tons of narcotic drugs, including 120 kilograms of synthetic drugs, and put an end to the activities of 14 underground drug laboratories and 72 major online stores.

At the same time, it must be said that the fact that one-third of such crimes are committed by youth, and that the main risk group consists of those aged between 15 and 30, shows how great a threat this scourge is to the population's gene pool.

There is a wise saying among our people: "If one child goes astray, society falls apart." In this sense, a child falling into the trap of drug addiction is a tragedy not only for their family and loved ones, but for the entire neighborhood.

Therefore, in Uzbekistan, we have launched a major awareness campaign not only to combat the consequences, but to prevent our youth from falling into the clutches of drug addiction.

The fact that our veterans, elderly fathers and mothers, respected neighborhood activists, and public representatives are taking the lead in these works is yielding results.

Continuing this consistently, we are implementing specific programs to further strengthen the role and position of the family, neighborhood, school, technical school, and higher education institutions.

Our main intention is to protect our youth from such hazards, and to guide them towards science, knowledge, and noble goals.

The recently established "Anti-Narko" volunteer movement has united over 17 thousand young people in a short period. We have launched the national project "AI Hackathon" aimed at preventing the spread of drugs with the help of artificial intelligence in all regions.

Undoubtedly, these efforts of ours will serve to create a strong immunity against drug consumption among youth and an intolerant atmosphere towards drug crimes.

Last year, our country became one of the first among Asian countries to join the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's "CHAMPS" initiative. This program provides great assistance in popularizing a healthy lifestyle among minors and fighting more effectively against drugs.

Dear meeting participants!

The fight against drug addiction is not just the responsibility and obligation of a single state, but of all humanity.

Uzbekistan closely cooperates with more than 50 countries and influential international organizations in the fight against drugs.

We consider these ties as an important bridge aimed at ensuring regional and international security and further strengthening trust between peoples.

I would like to emphasize once again that nowadays drug trafficking is deeply intertwined with modern technologies, illicit financial flows, and transnational organized crime networks.

We put forward the following initiatives to combat these threats and prevent drug crimes.

First, prompt information exchange is of decisive importance in combating transnational drug crimes.

Therefore, we propose to launch a single digital platform operating with the help of artificial intelligence that unites the databases of law enforcement agencies of all participating states.

This platform should serve to early detect drug trafficking routes, uncover the movement of hazardous cargo at an early stage, and monitor the activities of transnational criminal groups in real time.

Second, the drug business is not just drug trafficking; it is also a multi-billion-dollar shadow economy and a source that finances organized crime and terrorism.

The largest part of money laundering today is carried out precisely through digital assets and offshore zones.

The drug business can be defeated by leaving it without money, not weapons. If we choke its "financial arteries," this scourge will disappear by itself.

Therefore, it is necessary to globally standardize mandatory identification standards for crypto-exchanges, introduce mandatory agreements on information exchange with offshore jurisdictions, and automatic blocking mechanisms for "unknown source" funds.

I also propose to introduce an "international digital black code" system that automatically detects the movement of illegal funds worldwide and immediately adds the receiving bank or financial institution to the risk category.

Third, as you can see, new and new types of synthetic drugs are appearing day by day.

Therefore, we propose to launch a permanent dialogue platform and jointly create modern methods and standards for the effective treatment of patients addicted to synthetic drugs.

Fourth, to exchange experience on the medical rehabilitation of drug addicts, if we establish the Central Asian Association of Narcologists, I think you will support it.

We are ready to host the Head Office of this organization in the city of Samarkand.

Fifth, today in some regions, drug cultivation and distribution persist as a result of limited economic opportunities, lack of jobs, and social inequality.

Therefore, we propose to develop a "special development program" for regions with a high risk of drug trafficking.

In this regard, it is advisable to develop comprehensive measures to reduce the population's dependence on the criminal economy by actively investing in the official economy in regions prone to drug cultivation to create stable sources of income for the population, improving infrastructure, and developing education and healthcare.

Such a program should be viewed not just as a grant or aid, but as the shared responsibility of the international community.

Dear friends!

Nearly 500 participants from partner countries and influential international organizations are attending our event today.

The proposals and initiatives put forward at this conference will be a new step on the path of uniting against the drug problem that threatens humanity and the gene pool of nations.

Uzbekistan's position in this regard is firm: we will never hesitate, back down, or turn back in the fight against these threats!

We call on all our partners to take practical action against this global threat!

I am confident that the Samarkand Declaration adopted at the forum will serve to strengthen the security, health, and well-being of our peoples and further strengthen international cooperation in this important direction.

I wish you all robust health, new achievements and success in your responsible activities, and success in the work of the forum.