Updated February 22, 2002

Justice, Rule of Law and Security of the Individual
Combating the Drug Problem

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Resolutions approved in the area of Combating the Drug Problem at the XXXI OAS General Assembly
San José, Costa Rica, June 3-5, 2001

       During the General Assembly the following resolutions were approved:

• AG/RES. 1778 (XXXI-O/01) Annual Report of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)
  
  This Resolution asks CICAD to update the Anti-Drug Strategy in the Hemisphere, support the strengthening of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) and continue to develop cooperation projects towards the prevention and reduction of illicit crops. It also recommends that Member States work to expand and improve their infrastructure for the delivery of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services and to continue elaborating different programs established to help eradicate the drug problem on the continent.

• AG/RES. 1779 (XXXI-O/01 Evaluation of Progress in Drug Control: First Round of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
  
  This Resolution recognizes the importance of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) as an instrument to measure objectively Member States' efforts in combating the drug problem and strengthening international cooperation in this area. At the same time, it encourages Member States and CICAD to lend political and financial support to the MEM.

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Follow-Up to Drug Problem Mandates

Progress Report on Implementing Anti-Drug Recommendations 2001

The OAS Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) released its first report on the progress made in carrying out anti-drug recommendations from the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), on January 30, 2002.  The report concludes that the countries of the Americas have made “a significant effort” to take steps recommended in the first round of the evaluation process, but in some cases they have encountered obstacles due to a lack of technical and financial resources.

The report includes a hemispheric overview and a country-by-country assessment based on some 400 recommendations made a year ago in the first evaluation round. The Hemispheric overview shows progress in a number of areas, including the development of national anti-drug plans, the ability of countries to measure land under illicit cultivation and the adoption of measures against money laundering.  Several countries have also signed treaties to combat corruption and firearms trafficking, and international cooperation against drugs has improved.

Under the MEM process, CICAD conducts full evaluations every other year, with progress reports issued in alternate years. In April, CICAD will begin compiling new data for a second round of full evaluations, based on MEM questionnaires that the countries are in the process of completing. It will issue the next complete evaluation reports, covering the years 2001-2002, in January 2003.

For further information about the progress report please click here.

Second Special Session of CICAD

The Second Special Session of Government Experts Group was held on January 18-20, 2002, in Washington DC. Dr. Mildred Camero, Permanent Representative of Venezuela and Chairman of CICAD, and Dr. Eduardo Ibarrola Nicolin, Pincipal Representative of Mexico and Vice Chairman of CICAD inaugurated the Session. Ambassador Luigi Einaudi, Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, also spoke briefly.

In this Session the draft National and Hemispheric Reports of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism on Implementation of Recommendations from the First Round of Evaluation 1999-2000 were presented, considered and approved.

For further information please click here.

On November 12-15, 2001, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) held its XXX Regular Session in Caracas, Venezuela.  At the meeting, participants identified next steps in addressing the mobility of the different manifestations of the drug problem and considered the status of Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) reports on the implementation of recommendations made at the First Round of Evaluations.  The meeting served, as well, as a forum to analyze the status of implementation of the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Production and Traffic of Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and other related materials through the Model Regulations of CICAD.  Finally, participants received presentations by various CICAD Expert Groups, on such issues as Money Laundering, Demand Reduction and Chemicals, among others.  To see more information on this meeting, including its Draft Agenda and the Schedule of Activities for the 4-day meeting, please click here.

Meeting of Group of Experts on Chemicals (Pharmaceutical Products)

In order to examine the issue of the control of pharmaceutical products, a Group of Experts on Chemicals met on August 13-15, 2001, in Washington, DC. Participants at the meeting included experts from 17 OAS Member States and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). As part of their analysis of the control of pharmaceutical products, participants made presentations on their national systems in this area. Moreover, results from the questionnaire, "The Framework for the Control of Pharmaceutical Substances at Hemispheric Level," were presented and discussed by the countries. Finally, these experts worked to identify the major problems existing at the national and international levels regarding the control of pharmaceutical products, citing inadequate and out-of-date legislation, deficiencies of national control systems and an inconsistent application of those systems at the international level as some of these. In response to these problems, the experts made recommendations to CICAD and to the countries on how to improve control of these products. Click here for more information on this meeting.

A meeting of Experts on Demand Reduction took place on August 8-10, 2001, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. This meeting, which was hosted by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), included the participation of various experts from OAS Member States as well as European speakers and observers. Participants analyzed existing practices and new developments in the treatment of addictions to several substances. They also offered presentations on the latest advances in the treatment of drug dependency and made recommendations to be implemented by governments and organizations linked to the issue.  For more information on this meeting, please click here.

In response to a mandate from the Third Summit of the Americas, a commitment was made during the closing of the VI International Meeting of the Pilot Nursing Project for Latin America in the Promotion of Health, Prevention and Treatment for the Use and Abuse of Drugs and Social Reintegration," celebrated on June 29, 2001. By way of this commitment, professional nurses with advanced knowledge in science, technology and the Internet agreed to confront the drug problem from a human and integral perspective. Nursing leaders and representatives from ten Latin American universities agreed to collaborate on this commitment.

The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) concluded a four-day Regular Session on June 1, 2001, where Member States considered and approved additional indicators designed to perfect the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM). The MEM is an instrument that assesses each country's progress in its efforts to fight narcotrafficking. During the meeting, Member States also analyzed the displacement of illicit crops, follow-up to MEM recommendations and country reports for the second round of evaluations. For more information on this meeting, please click here.

Updated February 22, 2002