07/11/2016
States, international organisations and civil society discuss progress in drug policies in the Bahamas.
Expertos en la 60º Periodo Ordinario de Sesiones de CICAD
The European Commission and the Spanish government presented COPOLAD II to the attendees of the 60th Regular Session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security of the Organization of American States (OAS), which was held in Nassau (Bahamas).
Teresa Salvador, the COPOLAD Director described the progress in the primary lines of action in the Latin American and Caribbean region of the COPOLAD project. In addition, she referred to the second phase of COPOLAD as “opportune” at this moment in which the traditional patterns of consumption and production of drugs are changing. This means that the region is facing major issues and strategic challenges against the backdrop of formulating new policies for transcending the so-called war against drugs strategy followed over the past 30 years and currently under review.
COPOLAD is a programme funded by the European Commission with a budget of €10 million to be managed over four years by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP).In the words of Teresa Salvador, COPOLAD “contributes to the institutional strengthening required to enable planning and evaluation of public policies committed to the principle of shared responsibility among countries, including governments, multilateral bodies, bi-regional agencies and networks, and civil society”.
The events held during the 60th Regular Session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) started with discussion of the Final Project of the 2016-2020 Action Plan and concluded with the presentation of the Reports of the Expert Groups, interventions by the Permanent Observers to the OAS and of the International, Regional and Civil Society Organisations accredited before the OAS, and with field visits organised by the Government of the Bahamas.
The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security of the OAS, a solid partner of the COPOLAD Programme since 2011, maintains a firm commitment to fostering and strengthening links and cooperation within the framework of COPOLAD and under the principle of common and shared responsibility, promoting the need to take into account scientific knowledge, as the fundamental axis for developing policies that contribute to strengthening national strategies for addressing problems related to drugs.
