Vienna, January 21. As part of its commitment to multilateral discussions on the global drug problem, a delegation from the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations Office in Vienna and International Organizations based in Austria participated in the Third Meeting of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Group of Experts on “Improving and strengthening international and regional cooperation and national efforts to address the global problem of synthetic drugs,” held on January 20 and 21, 2026, in Vienna.
During the discussions at the meeting, the delegation reiterated that the Cuban State maintains its political will to monitor, prevent, and combat illicit drugs and other substances with similar effects, as set out in its strict national policy of zero tolerance.
It was also noted that, since last year, Cuba has had a National Drug Observatory, with the aim of maintaining active surveillance in the epidemiological, health, and security fields on new psychoactive substances and the phenomenon of emerging drugs, and providing evidence for the design of policies in the area of drug demand reduction and supply control. The Observatory is based on three fundamental pillars: data collection, coordinated scientific research, and an early warning system. These elements distinguish it from other similar initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The discussions during this third session of the Group focused on integrated international responses in four key areas: multilateralism, anti-narcotics interventions, early warning, and health responses.