To effectively counter the persistent threat of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, “we’ve got to get countries involved, we have to get the private sector involved because these chemicals are made, manufactured, and shipped,” Secretary Blinken explained during the 2023 Cities Summit of the Americas.
In the Ministerial Declaration on Accelerating and Strengthening the Global Response to Synthetic Drugs, participating Ministers and government representatives affirmed their shared commitment to foster collaboration, champion best practices, and improve information sharing between governments and the private sector to effectively respond to emerging drug-related threats.
To support these objectives, the Global Coalition will foster private sector partnerships at the national, regional, and international levels. Prioritized engagements should target six critical industries—chemical, shipping, consignment, social media, e-commerce, and banking. Future areas of opportunity include artificial intelligence and pharmaceuticals. Strengthening global cooperation with these private sector partners will help reduce the illicit flow of synthetic drugs globally.
Formal and informal engagement efforts will assist the Global Coalition participants with understanding private sector partnership initiatives, best practices, lessons learned, and recommended strategies aimed at strengthening multi-stakeholder responses to drug supply and demand reduction. Leveraging these mechanisms enables a frank exchange of views between Coalition participants (governments and intergovernmental organizations) within Sub-Working Groups while maintaining robust channels for engagement with private sector partners.
The desired end state is that private sector entities, policymakers, law enforcement officers, and other relevant public bodies to effectively work together to prevent and counter synthetic drug threats.
Workstreams
Private sector engagement through the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats
- Public-Private Partnership (PPP) toolkit – UNODC presents the PPP toolkit, as our signature event, during the February SWG 2.2 information sharing session. This will coincide with its official launch and be added to the Global Coalition website.
- Prevent Alliance: Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms – A public-private partnership working in coordination with UNODC, INCB, tech platforms, and the U.S. Department of State. The Prevent Alliance works to develop innovative collaborations that support industry-led action in tackling the exponential proliferation and consumption of illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs.
- There is also potential for International Organizations to engage the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and/or hosting a private sector forum for with stakeholders in the banking sector.
Past Action and Forward Planning
I. National Dialogues between Governments and Private Sector Partners
The United States and other Working Group chairs will invite and encourage the national authorities with a mandate to address drug issues to convene private sector organizations operating within their countries, including chemical manufacturers, shipping companies, social media platforms, financial institutes, and transportation industry organizations to share information about the Global Coalition, and moderate a discussion around the three Working Group topics. The national agencies that hold dialogues and wish to report the meetings and any resulting recommendations to the Secretariat of the Coalition can do so via the email address: SyntheticsCoalition [at] state [dot] gov (SyntheticsCoalition[at]state[dot]gov). The reporting could be as basic as the Date, Organizing Agency, and Number of Public and Private Sector Partners, or a more detailed narrative report that includes areas of discussion and feedback and recommendations from Public Private Partnership organizations. The content shared through the Global Coalition email address would be posted on the Coalition’s website.
II. Prevent Alliance Working Group
On February 9, 2024, UNODC hosted a 1 day, in-person event with founding tech company members from Snap, Meta, and Discord to develop a framework and action plan focused on youth prevention and treatment with USG playing a supporting role. From March 5-8, INCB organized a “Tech against Trafficking” meeting in Vienna, Austria to focus on drug supply reduction efforts with tech partners.
On July 11, 2024, UNODC and U.S. Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield met with tech companies Meta, Snap Inc., and X Corp. to launch the “Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms.” This public-private partnership aims to end the illicit use of online platforms to spread the use of synthetic drugs and keeps an open line of communication between government and industry on the matter.
This collaboration between the technology industry and the U.S. Department of State, supported by UNODC, advances the goals of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats by forming a connection between public and private stakeholders. This working relationship is imperative in addressing the challenges that arise from the global reach of tech platforms and how this tool can be used to promote the non-medical use of synthetic drugs. This partnership can also be utilized to educate the public, provide supportive communities, and facilitate information sharing on the dangers that these drugs pose.
III. Website Exchange of Experiences – Presentations and Feedback
Following National Dialogues, private sector partners are invited to further provide videos, presentations, and documents for the Coalition’s website. This feature remains open through September 2024, for the duration of the Coalition’s work.
IV. Recommendations from Public-Private Sector Partners
Private sector partners are invited to provide recommendations and developments related to advocacy campaigns, resource mobilization, information sharing, the development and implementation of innovative products and services, and/or policy through the Coalition website. This feature remains open through September 2024, but is encouraged by April 2024, for consideration as a Global Coalition deliverable.
V. Participation in Sub-Working Groups
At the discretion of the Co-Chairs, private sector representatives may be invited to present at specific Sub-Working Group meetings. UNODC will introduce the Private Partnership toolkit to SWG 2.2 Information Sharing, Interagency Collaboration and Policy Formulation, during the February Global Coalition meeting.
VI. Private Sector Achievements
Private sector partners are invited to share achievements they have made in addressing the global threat of synthetic drugs. Some of these may be included in the Coalition’s final report. Groups that wish to do so can make submissions via the website or at the email address: SyntheticsCoalition [at] state [dot] gov (SyntheticsCoalition[at]state[dot]gov).
