Madam President, Ministers and State Secretaries, Ambassadors, Permanent Correspondents, distinguished guests, colleagues—
On behalf of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, I am pleased to welcome you to the 19th Ministerial Conference of the Pompidou Group.
Today, we gather in a forum with more than fifty years of history—a testament not only to our shared legacy, but to a dynamic space, where ideas, approaches, and philosophies have continuously confronted and inspired one another. Over the decades, this platform has shaped national and international responses to drugs, and more recently, to addictions in all their complexity.
Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to the acting Swiss Presidency for so rapidly and wholeheartedly embracing its leadership role. Your unwavering commitment over the past six months and the excellent organisation of this Ministerial Conference have ensured continuity, strategic direction, and a smooth transition as we look toward a new presidency and an ambitious programme for the next four-year cycle.
The Pompidou Group was born as a European initiative, once described in the international press as “an unprecedented call for cross-border solidarity against narcotic crime.” Under the impetus of President Georges Pompidou, it emerged in response to the surge in heroin trafficking. Since then, it has evolved into a global cooperation platform, developing responses to the constantly shifting challenges of drugs and addictions.
It is encouraging to see that the Group continues to grow. Spain’s recent decision to join, as well as interest expressed by partners beyond Europe, reflects a widening geography and an expanding circle of trust. This evolution extends the original vision to new regions and new partners, enriching our collective capacity to address common challenges.
Yet, today we confront realities that were unimaginable five decades ago. The entire landscape—from precursor production to manufacturing, from trafficking routes to consumption patterns and dependencies, is evolving at unprecedented speed. New synthetic substances and precursors appear constantly. Criminal laboratories move closer to consumer markets, including in major European cities. Digital marketplaces—including encrypted platforms— continue to create new vulnerabilities that outpace existing controls.
Young people and vulnerable communities are disproportionately targeted. Criminal networks exploit technology, including artificial intelligence and social media, to recruit, to coordinate, and even to showcase violence as a tool of both intimidation or attraction. At the same time, the aggressive marketing and widespread availability of addictive substances and digital platforms are driving both substance misuse and behavioural addictions.
These challenges require not only reflection on past progress, but a revitalised and adaptive strategy for the future.
I therefore call on member States to engage fully with these realities as we begin implementing a new Work Programme for 2026–2029. Our programme must integrate innovative tools, adaptive cross-border law enforcement cooperation, sustained partnerships across sectors, and a strong prioritisation of prevention, resilience and the protection of our communities.
We must reflect a whole-of-society approach, fostering multidisciplinary partnerships that enhance law-enforcement effectiveness, reduce risks and harms, promote recovery and social reintegration, and reinforce resilience from the ground up.
In this context, I wish to highlight the Secretary General’s political initiative for a New Democratic Pact, which places human rights and social rights at the heart of democratic resilience and stability. This important initiative reminds us that our efforts to address drugs and addictions are not merely operational or technical. They are essential to safeguarding human dignity, strengthening social cohesion, and reinforcing trust in democratic institutions.
The Council of Europe has also stepped up its focus on health protection. Our Conference on the Protection of Health held on 15 October 2025, which brought together governments, civil society, experts and organisations, including the Pompidou Group presidency, highlighted health as a foundational democratic value. Its outcome document underscores that health protection is not only a matter of public policy, but a human-rights obligation, deply intertwined with democracy and social justice.
By leveraging instruments such as the European Social Charter and the Oviedo Convention and by fostering cross-sectoral cooperation, the Council of Europe is helping address digital health challenges, emerging addictions, inequalities in access to care and the threats posed by disinformation.
This momentum aligns perfectly with the Pompidou Group’s mission: by weaving health rights, scientific evidence, and human dignity into our policy responses, we contribute meaningfully to the broader vision for democratic resilience.
Today’s challenges require stronger solidarity and deeper international cooperation. The new Work Programme adopted this morning will be implemented in close partnership with our global counterparts: UNODC, WHO, EUDA, OSCE, OAS/CICAD to name but a few. Their engagement strengthens our collective impact and ensures coherence across the international landscape.
The Pompidou Group stands at a crucial juncture. On one hand, we continue shaping modern international policies on drugs and addictions, developing guidelines and recommendations to counter organised crime, support law enforcement cooperation, protect human rights and address emerging behavioural addictions, including those linked to digital technologies. On the other hand, recent initiatives, including those advanced by the European Coalition against Drugs (ECAD) –-show the potential of our platform to support member States in establishing or strengthening national structures and observatories tailored to their specific needs.
As we launch this new chapter and begin the implementation of our new programme, let us seize the opportunity to renew our collective strategy, reaffirm our shared determination and demonstrate our capacity to adapt to tomorrow’s challenges. This is your Pompidou Group – it is for you to make the most of it.
Thank you for your commitment. I wish you productive discussions and concrete, meaningful outcomes.
