Vienna, Dec 7 (IANS): India has been chosen to Chair the 68th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), said the Indian Embassy in Austria on Friday in a statement.

Ambassador Shambhu S Kumaran, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, officially assumed the Chairmanship of the prestigious UN forum.

The CND is the principal policy-making body of the United Nations on drug-related matters.

It is mandated to monitor global drug trends, support member states in formulating balanced policies, and oversee the implementation of the major international drug conventions.

The CND is one of the functional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and a Governing Body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which is headquartered in Vienna.

In a post on X, the Embassy said, "India has been chosen to Chair the 68th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). Shambhu Kumaran officially assumed the Chairmanship of CND today. This is the first time that it has been named to Chair this important UN body."

This is the first time that India has been named to Chair this important UN body.

This reinforces India's growing leadership role on the global stage and its commitment to addressing international issues through established multilateral mechanisms, as per the statement.

As Chair, India will be expected to articulate the interests of the Global South in line with its role in promoting the interests and perspectives of developing nations in global discussions.

India would also strive to build on the ongoing work of the CND to foster dialogue and understanding on drug policy issues and especially to integrate concerns of emerging economies with the priorities of developed nations to promote holistic and balanced approaches to this key issue.

Over the coming year, the CND's agenda is expected to focus on strengthening international collaboration to address critical issues such as illicit drug trafficking, substance abuse, and their associated social and health impacts as well as availability of internationally controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. By prioritising multilateral dialogue and evidence-based solutions, India will continue to partner with other member states of the CND to advance equitable, inclusive, and sustainable strategies on all these issues, the statement added.