Cheryl Braganza MUMBAI, MARCH 15, 2009: The ongoing High Level Segment (HLS) of the 52nd Commission on Narcotic
Drugs (CND) at the UNODC, Vienna is unique in its kind as it engages all the 192 member states towards formulation of the world policy on drugs. This process which began in 1988, has led to the Beyond 2008 process, wherein civil society (NGOs) has been engaged from all regions of the world. The Beyond 2008 process had seen 13 Regional Consultations of NGOs under the flagship of the Vienna NGOs Committee (VNGOC). The process involved the active participation of NGOs at the regional and global level at the UNODC. Shelter Don Bosco in its capacity as the Regional Lead Organization (RLO) Representative of the South Asian Region has been a highly 
active member of this process in the March and July 2008 meetings. In March 2009 there were special NGO representative invitees for the HLS of the 52nd CND. Mr. Antonio Maria Costa (Executive Director) of the UNODC in his opening remarks of the plenary session told all the member state delegations and NGOs, “The problem of drugs is too big to be left to Governments alone, it is necessary to engage civil society in the process of policy formulation”. Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and His Excellency the President of Bolivia spoke animatedly, invoking the member states to consider special concerns in their deliberations. During the CND, a member each from Africa, Oceania and Latin America spoke on the impact and t
he future measures of the Beyond 2008 process. Fr. Barnabe D’Souza, representing the Asian experience, detailed the intra Government - NGO networking and collaboration. He explained that the strengthening of monitoring and evaluation in the programmes, and the improvement of communication and dissemination channels, has helped NGOs to effectively collaborate with their Governments in policy formulation in the region.
Drugs (CND) at the UNODC, Vienna is unique in its kind as it engages all the 192 member states towards formulation of the world policy on drugs. This process which began in 1988, has led to the Beyond 2008 process, wherein civil society (NGOs) has been engaged from all regions of the world. The Beyond 2008 process had seen 13 Regional Consultations of NGOs under the flagship of the Vienna NGOs Committee (VNGOC). The process involved the active participation of NGOs at the regional and global level at the UNODC. Shelter Don Bosco in its capacity as the Regional Lead Organization (RLO) Representative of the South Asian Region has been a highly 
active member of this process in the March and July 2008 meetings. In March 2009 there were special NGO representative invitees for the HLS of the 52nd CND. Mr. Antonio Maria Costa (Executive Director) of the UNODC in his opening remarks of the plenary session told all the member state delegations and NGOs, “The problem of drugs is too big to be left to Governments alone, it is necessary to engage civil society in the process of policy formulation”. Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and His Excellency the President of Bolivia spoke animatedly, invoking the member states to consider special concerns in their deliberations. During the CND, a member each from Africa, Oceania and Latin America spoke on the impact and t
he future measures of the Beyond 2008 process. Fr. Barnabe D’Souza, representing the Asian experience, detailed the intra Government - NGO networking and collaboration. He explained that the strengthening of monitoring and evaluation in the programmes, and the improvement of communication and dissemination channels, has helped NGOs to effectively collaborate with their Governments in policy formulation in the region.