The Indian Embassy in Austria announced that India has been chosen to Chair the 68th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). 

• India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, Ambassador Shambhu S Kumaran, officially assumed the Chairmanship of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. 
• This is the first time that India has been named to Chair this important UN body.
• The CND is the principal policy-making body of the United Nations on drug-related matters.
• It is mandated to monitor global drug trends, support Member States in formulating balanced policies, and oversee implementation of the major international drug conventions. 
• The CND is one of the functional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and a Governing Body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which is headquartered in Vienna.
• As Chair, India will be expected to articulate interests of the Global South in line with its role in promoting interests and perspectives of developing nations in global discussions.