Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) EXPERT GROUP ON DEMAND REDUCTION October 22-24, 2003 - Argentina

1. Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) EXPERT GROUP ON DEMAND REDUCTION October 22-24, 2003 - Argentina Organization of American States (OAS)

2. CICAD • Established by the OAS General Assembly in 1986, following the recommendation of the Rio de Janeiro Inter-American Action Program. • The governments of all 34 member countries appoint a senior representative to the Commission. • CICAD Executive Secretariat, at OAS headquarters. • CICAD meets to hold its ordinary session periods twice a year

3. CICAD – Member Countries Antigua & Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominica Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panamá Paraguay Peru Dominican Republic St.Kitts and Nevis St Lucia St Vincent and the Grenadines Surinam Trinidad and Tobago United States Uruguay Venezuela

4. CICAD - Objectives • To promote regional cooperation and coordination between all 34 member countries through Action Programs to: • Prevent and treat illegal drug use • Reduce drug offer and illegal trafficking • Strengthen national institutions and mechanisms for drug abuse control • Improve the legal and control system for illegal trafficking in weapons and laundering of assets. • Encourage alternative development in legal crop areas • Help member country governments with data collection and review in connection with the drug problem ANTIDRUG STRATEGY IN THE HEMISPHERE (1997)

5. CICAD –MultilateralEvaluation Mechanism (MEM) • Main activities: • Evaluation of Member States • Hemispheric Evaluation • Objectives: • To strengthen mutual trust, dialogue and hemispheric cooperation to deal with drug problem issues. • To follow up the progress of individual and collective efforts undertaken by all countries participating in the mechanism, stating both the results achieved and the obstacles faced by countries.

6. CICAD – Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) • MEM reports are prepared every two years after a full evaluation period based on answers to a questionnaire based on established indicators. A report on the follow-up or implementation of established recommendations is prepared between evaluation periods. • MEM PROCESS PRINCIPLES: • Respect for sovereignty, territorial jurisdiction and the domestic legal framework of each State. • Reciprocity, shared responsibility, comprehensive and balanced approach to the issue. • Observance of Antidrug Strategy in the Hemisphere and applicable international agreements and instruments.

7. CICAD – Demand Reduction I • Online Master’s Program in Drug Dependence • Latin America Nursing Schools Projecterica • Stenghtening Public Health Schools • RIOD (Ibero-American Network of NGOs) • Treatment and Prevention in the Caribbean • Alternatives to imprisonment in the Caribbean

8. CICAD – Demand Reduction II • Regional Strategy for Demand Reduction in the Caribbean • Minimum standards of care for treatment of drug abuse • Gangs, violence and drugs • Program of antidrug interventions for street children and working minors • Certificate in addiction studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI)

9. www.unireddrogas.org

10. RECOMMENDATIONS 4th EXPERT GROUP MEETING – JAMAICA, AUGUST 2001 • Allocation of R&D Resources: training, research, treatment standards. • Greater attention to alcohol abuse and synthesis drug problems. • Improving service quality • Establishing a National Treatment System • Inventory of Programs and Treatment Services.

11. Training of professionals specializing in R&D. • Including the topic of drugs in the curriculum of related professions • Training of TC operators • Including the topic of alcohol abuse and tobacco in preventive programs. • Training to approach the problem of gangs.

12. Alternative sentencing, other than imprisonment of drug dependents • Specialized treatment in prisons • School prevention based on life skills.