Private Sector Involvement in Global Coalition Workstreams

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

1. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) toolkit – UNODC will present 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.
2. Prevent Alliance: Alliance to Prevent Drug Harms – UNODC led program working in coordination with INCB, tech platforms, and the DoS to develop innovative private partnerships that support industry-led action in tackling the exponential proliferation and consumption of illicitly manufactured synthetic drugs.
3. UNODC could engage the Financial Action Task Force (FATF); UNODC could host a private sector forum for banks as a Coalition deliverable.

Forward Planning

 I. National Dialogues between Governments and Private Sector Partners

February to March

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

February to March

On February 9, 2024, the UNODC will host 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. USG will play a supportive role only. The effort will result in a large rollout meeting with tech industry commitments.

INCB will continue to focus on drug supply reduction efforts with tech partners. The next scheduled engagement “Tech against Trafficking” is scheduled March 5-8, 2024, in Vienna, Austria. Outcomes from these engagements will be publicly announced, linked to the Coalition, and published on the website.

III. Website Exchange of Experiences – Presentations and Feedback

February to September

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

February to July

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

April to July

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).

Tentative Schedule for Non-Governmental Organization Consultations