Role
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2025 decreased by 20 per cent compared to the previous year, The sharp contraction, together with market indicators, suggest that opium production and trafficking are undergoing major shifts in the region. At the same time, trafficking in synthetic drugs, especially methamphetamine, seems to have increased since the drug ban in Afghanistan, with seizure events in and around Afghanistan higher than before, indicating a growing risk of synthetic drug substitution as opiate production falls. To support the monitoring of these emerging threats, automation and standardized processing have become essential for analyzing large volumes of text-based information. The vast quantity of unstructured data generated daily requires UNODC to deploy a combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI), data processing tools, and analytical methods to collect, generate, interpret and deliver quantitative data effectively. In parallel, efficient and regular communication with Member States is necessary to ensure the consistent submission of essential drug seizure data. These data are critical for producing timely and accurate statistics and analyses, which in turn strengthen evidence-based and strategic responses to existing and emerging drug issues. The main purpose of this assignment is the processing of data on individual seizures using tools and statistical procedures to convert unstructured information harvested from open content and from other sources into consolidated outputs to conduct data analysis and research on the impact of the drug ban on regional and global drug trafficking trafficking trends, with a specific focus on opiates and methamphetamine. The assignment will advance the work of the globally mandated Individual Drug Seizure (IDS) data collection by improving the processing, validation, and quality of published data on drug seizures using standardized data validation techniques. This assignment will also advance the work of UNODC in increasing the capacity for faster production of larger quantities of data for empirical evidence and threat identification and to better understand shifts in drug markets. The outcome of this exercise will provide statistical evidence to track trends and patterns of drug trafficking.