Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)

EXPERT GROUP ON DEMAND REDUCTION

October 22-24, 2003 - Argentina

Organization of American States (OAS)

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

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

CICAD - Objectives

To promote regional cooperation and coordination between all 34 member countries through Action Programs to:

Prevent and treat illegal drug useReduce drug offer and illegal traffickingStrengthen national institutions and mechanisms for drug abuse controlImprove the legal and control system for illegal trafficking in weapons and laundering of assets.Encourage alternative development in legal crop areasHelp member country governments with data collection and review in connection with the drug problem

ANTIDRUG STRATEGY IN THE HEMISPHERE (1997)

CICAD –MultilateralEvaluation

Mechanism (MEM)

Main activities:

Evaluation of Member StatesHemispheric 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.

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.

CICAD – Demand

Reduction I

1. Online Master’s Program in Drug Dependence

2. Latin America Nursing Schools Projecterica

3. Stenghtening Public Health Schools

4. RIOD (Ibero-American Network of NGOs)

5. Treatment and Prevention in the Caribbean

6. Alternatives to imprisonment in the Caribbean

CICAD – Demand Reduction II

7. Regional Strategy for Demand Reduction in the Caribbean

8. Minimum standards of care for treatment of drug abuse

9. Gangs, violence and drugs

10. Program of antidrug interventions for street children and working minors

11. Certificate in addiction studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI)

www.unireddrogas.org

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.

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.

Alternative sentencing, other than imprisonment of drug dependents

Specialized treatment in prisons

School prevention based on life skills.