SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone.
Let me start by thanking all the heads of state, all the leaders, the foreign ministers, who took time during this incredibly busy week to be here today. The exceptional group that's gathered in this room is a testament to the priority that our countries place on addressing the synthetic drug crisis - and the strength of our partnerships.
Now, for years, the threat of synthetic drugs has been rising around the world: methamphetamines in the East, in Southeast Asia; Captagon in the Middle East, tramadol in Africa; and here in the United States fentanyl, the number-one killer of Americans aged 18-49[1]. And think about that for just a minute - not car accidents, not guns, not cancer, not heart attacks - fentanyl.
This is by definition a global challenge: people ship precursor chemicals, the ingredients that go into fentanyl from one country to another; criminals make them into synthetic drugs, and then sell them in a third country. Every country needs to take steps at home to address this challenge. But no single government can solve it alone.
So last year, in July, the United States and our partners launched this global coalition to mobilize a coordinated response to the threat of synthetic drugs. We started out with 80 countries; today, nearly 160 countries and 15 international organizations.
Over the last year, we've consulted with more than 1,600 experts from around the world. And together, this coalition has taken concrete steps to make our communities safer, to make our people healthier.
We've created an international network for legislators so that they can share best practices and create laws that make it harder for drug traffickers to buy the precursor chemicals or smuggle products across borders.
Together, we're tracking and warning law enforcement and health professionals about new trends in drug use.
We've trained officials on how to use a new tool that scrapes the internet and finds people who are illegally selling precursor chemicals and other substances.
Members of this coalition are developing new public health measures, whether that's sharing school curriculums, expanding access to naloxone, creating resources for addiction treatment centers.
Today, the United States is introducing a new pledge, outlining seven lines of effort that will guide our work together for the year ahead, on areas like regulating drugs and chemicals, monitoring supply chains, sharing real-time data on drug use.
These lines of effort can be tailored to every country and every organization. So we welcome you joining us and pledging your support.
In a moment, we'll also hear from several coalition members about their leadership, their commitments, and we'll carry this work forward together.
Together, all of our countries' efforts add up to a stronger global network, a more effective response to synthetic drug threats.
So please, keep it up. We can save lives. We are saving lives. We can protect our communities. We are protecting our communities. And we can make this world we share a little bit healthier and a little bit more secure.
Now, it is my honor to introduce a powerful advocate for this work, someone who spent years building coalitions to deliver on the issues that matter most to people - President of the United States, Joe Biden.
Thank you. (Applause.)
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