A/RES/72/198 International cooperation to address and counter the world drug problem Reaffirming the need to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other United Nations entities, within their respective mandates, in their efforts to support Member States in the implementation of international drug control treaties in accordance with applicable human rights obligations and to promote protection of and respect for human rights and the dignity of all individuals in the context of drug programmes, strategies and policies, Recognizing that successfully addressing and countering the world drug problem requires close cooperation and coordination among domestic authorities at all levels, particularly in the health, education, justice and law enforcement sectors, taking into account their respective areas of competence under national legi slation, Stressing the importance of enhancing international cooperation in the identification and voluntary reporting of and response to new psychoactive substances and incidents involving such substances, Noting with grave concern the increased abuse of certain drugs and the proliferation of new substances worldwide, which are a possible threat to public health and are not controlled under the three international drug control conventions, Noting with grave concern also the increasing sophistication of the transnational criminal groups engaged in the illicit manufacture and distribution of amphetamine type stimulants worldwide, as well as the proliferation and diversion of chemical precursors used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psych otropic substances, Recognizing the importance of appropriately mainstreaming gender and age perspectives in drug-related policies and programmes, Expressing concern that aspects of the world drug problem associated with illicit drug production can cause serious harm to the environment, including deforestation, soil erosion and degradation, the loss of endemic species, contamination of the soil, groundwater and waterways and the release of greenhouse gases, Reaffirming that alternative development policies are an important component in enhancing development in States affected by, or in some cases at risk of, the illicit cultivation of crops used for illicit drug prod uction and manufacture, and that they play an important role in national, regional and international development policies and in comprehensive policies of poverty reduction and cooperation, Reaffirming also the commitment to addressing drug-related socioeconomic issues related to the illicit cultivation of narcotic plants and the illicit manufacture and production of and trafficking in drugs through the implementation of long -term, comprehensive and sustainable development-oriented and balanced drug control policies and programmes, including alternative development and, as appropriate, preventive alternative development programmes, which are part of sustainable crop control strategies, Reaffirming further the need to mobilize adequate resources to address and counter the world drug problem, and calling for the enhancement of assistance to developing countries, upon request, in effectively implementing the Political Declaration and Plan of Action and the operational recommendations contained in the annex to resolution S-30/1 of 19 April 2016, Recognizing that there are persistent, new and evolving challenges that should be addressed in conformity with the three international drug control conventions, which allow for sufficient flexibility for States parties to design and implement national drug policies according to their priorities and needs, consistent with the principle of common and shared responsibility and applicable international law, 4/21 17-23200