وإذ تقر بأن مشكلة المخدرات لا تزال تحديا عالميا يشكِّل خطرا فادحا يتهدد الصحة العامة وسلامة البشرية ورفاهها، وخصوصا الأطفال والشباب. كما أنه يقوِّض أسس الاستقرار الاجتماعي - الاقتصادي والسياسي والتنمية المستدامــــة، بمـا فـي ذلك الجهود الرامية إلى الحد من الفقر، ويسبب نشوء العنف والجريمة، بما في ذلك في المناطق الحضرية،
Aware that progress has been uneven in meeting the goals set in the Political Declaration, as also reflected in the biennial reports of the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and recognizing that the drug problem is still a global challenge that constitutes a serious threat to public health and safety and the well-being of humankind, in particular children and young people, and that it undermines socio-economic and political stability and sustainable development, including efforts to reduce poverty, and causes violence and crime, including in urban areas,