UNODC has been present in India since 1987. The UNODC Regional Office for South Asia (RO) is the key interlocutor for cooperation with the Government. UNODC is part of the UN Sustainable Development Country Framework (2023-27) in India.
The UNODC Regional Office for South Asia is based in New Delhi and covers the Programme Offices in Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It
works under the strategic framework of the UNODC Regional Programme for South Asia (2024-28) launched in May 2024.
UNODC serves as a knowledge partner to the Government of India, supporting the National Substance Use Survey, strengthening drug law enforcement efforts, partnerships to enhance multi-stakeholder responses against human trafficking, wildlife crime, cybercrime and HIV/AIDS, and promoting the peace and the rule of law among young people and educational institutions through the RiseUp4Peace initiative.
UNODC signed an MoU with the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in April 2025, to enhance cooperation on transnational organized crime, illicit drugs, and terrorism. Based in Dhaka, the BIMSTEC Secretariat and UNODC work closely to implement the MoU.
At the heart of UNODC’s cooperation with India is a shared vision with the Government for a safer, just, and prosperous India. UNODC stands ready to support the Government in acquiring further capacity to counter drugs and organised crime with UNODC’s assistance.
Areas of Work
