U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna
Vienna, Austria
June 12, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) announces $200,000 in funding to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to support Phase Two of the project, “Strengthening Forensic Services in Turkmenistan.”The funds complement ongoing UNODC efforts to support Turkmenistan in meeting and exceeding international accreditation standards for forensics laboratories.
This project, implemented in cooperation with the Government of Turkmenistan, will enhance forensic capabilities, including to vigorously investigate and prosecute organized crime and narcotics trafficking.Phase One of the initiative has already generated tangible results.In 2019, Turkmeninstani forensic experts visited Lithuania to learn about the quality management of Lithuanian forensic laboratories and exchanged experiences in preparation for international accreditation.
The United States enjoys a close partnership with UNODC and continues to contribute a large amount of resources to combat the most pressing issues under the organization’s mandate.Similarly, UNODC has a long and trusted relationship with the forensic laboratories of the Ministry of Health and Medical industry (MOH) and Ministry of Internal Affairs (MOI) in Turkmenistan.The United States is proud to partner with UNODC in support of Turkmenistan’sefforts to improve its forensic capabilities.
This project is funded by INL through appropriations made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State that support law enforcement in Turkmenistan.
More information on UNODC and their work with law enforcement worldwide can be found on the UNODC website at https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/scientists/law-enforcement.html.
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Please direct any inquiries to UNVIEpress@state.gov.
