04/10/2023
The capital of Kazakhstan has brought together representatives from Central Asian drug control agencies and European institutions, among others, to exchange best practices in drug demand reduction
Cooperation to develop public policies for drug demand reduction is key to strengthening the capacities of the governments of Central Asian countries to address the drug phenomenon in a comprehensive and sustainable manner.
The EU-funded Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP), led by the FIIAPP, has held a regional dialogue on drug policy.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Central Asian drug control agencies, European institutions and expert organisations such as the Spanish Government Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs (DGPNSD); the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA); the Centre for Intelligence against Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO); the Spanish Ministry of Interior; European Union delegations in Central Asian countries; representatives of the civil society sector; international experts, international organisations and other regional partner programmes.
The dialogue has fostered a dynamic debate among key stakeholders in Central Asia to provide an overview of the drug situation in Central Asia, as well as to discuss the current drug policy situation, threats and challenges of drug policies in supply control, present the results of recently conducted country assessments and provide key recommendations.
Cosimo Lamberti, representative of the European Union, noted that “the regional component is very important for the European Union, as it provides the best possible practices in the field of drug harm reduction“.
Participants discussed the current situation and key issues, exchanging best practices and experiences in order to readjust the drug harm reduction strategy.
