Iran concerned over UNODC lack of ethnic diversity
Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the Vienna-based international organizations expressed concern over weak representation of developing countries at the managerial positions of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNIDO).
Speaking at the joint session of the Drugs Commission and Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Commission of the United Nations Office in Vienna on Thursday, he called for a geographical balance in the positions delegated to the UN agency's staff, official sources said.
The Iranian envoy welcomed the election of former Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali as the new UNODC executive director and hailed its current chief Yuri Fedotov saying the UN drugs agency needs to assign a stable and adequate budget for the developing countries.
Ghariababadi who was elected as the first deputy of the Drugs Commission also said that UNODC member-states expect to be consulted on the agency's sub-regional and global initiatives prior to introduction and implementation of programs.
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