Transcript Report on the Drug Problem in the Americas

Report on the Drug Problem
in the Americas
Ambassador Paul E. Simons
Executive Secretary
Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)
Committee on Hemispheric Security
Organization of American States
February 7, 2013
“ The region’s leaders held an invaluable discussion on
the global drug problem. We agreed on the need to
analyze the results of the current policy in the
Americas and to explore new approaches to
strengthen this struggle and to become more
effective. We have issued the OAS a mandate to that
end.”
Juan Manuel Santos
President of Colombia
Closing speech at VI Summit of the Americas
Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
25 Years of Accomplishment:
• Policy Development
• Multilateral Evaluation
• Institutional Strengthening
• Capacity Building
Rio Plan of Action - April 1986
Political milestone:
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Hemispheric cooperation
increasingly vital to effective
efforts to reduce demand for
drugs, prevent drug abuse, and
combat unlawful drug
trafficking.
Programmatic vision:
• Effective Inter-American
response in research,
information exchange, training,
and mutual assistance
Anti-Drug Strategy in the Hemisphere, 1996
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Shared Responsibility
Global perspective
International Cooperation
Balanced approach between demand and
supply reduction
Hemispheric Drug Strategy
and Plan of Action, 2011-2015
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Human rights
Vulnerable groups
Gender
Public affairs efforts
Drug dependency as a chronic, relapsing
disease
Evidence-based policies
Inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach
Policy development – Demand Reduction
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Declaration of Principles on Drug
Treatment and Rehabilitation in the
Hemisphere
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Hemispheric Guidelines on School
Prevention and Workplace Prevention
Impact: More than 20 Countries have
developed school prevention
programs using the Hemispheric
Guidelines.
Policy Development: Supply Reduction
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Model regulations on chemical
control
Guide for private sector
chemical/pharmaceutical
support
Guide on internet diversion of
pharmaceuticals
Model legislation on
submersibles and semi
submersibles
Impact: 24 CICAD countries have developed norms
on precursors and chemical controls
Policy Development: Drug Legislation
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CICAD is developing first compilation of
drugs laws in the hemisphere
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CICAD experts conducting comparative
studies on legislative and regulatory
regimes in place in member countries.
Impact: Data base and studies will
provide CICAD members valuable
comparative tool to upgrade legislation.
Multilateral Evaluation
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1998 Summit of the Americas
mandates design of a
mechanism for multilateral
evaluation of country drug
policies
Impact: During its first 12 years,
MEM has assigned member states a
total of 2,053 recommendations.
CICAD member states are currently
adapting the MEM to evaluate country
complicance with the Hemispheric
Drug Strategy and Plan of Action.
Institutional Strengthening: Drug Control
Growth of National Drug Control
authorities and National Drug
policies
Impact: More than 16 Countries have
developed national studies, drug
information systems, and surveys on
drugs.
11 Countries have developed their
National Drug Policy following
CICAD’s Guidelines
Institutional Strengthening: Observatories
Building a National Drugs
Observatory: A Joint
Handbook (EMCDDACICAD)
Impact: More than 16
Countries have developed
national studies, drug
information systems, and
surveys on drugs with
CICAD’s assistance.
Evidence Based Tools to Guide Policy
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Statistical Summary on Drugs (1999, 2001, 2003)
Comparative Study on Drugs in the Americas (2003)
Final report to estimate the socio economic costs of drugs in
the Americas (2005)
Youth and Drugs in South American Countries: a challenge to
drug policies (2006)
Relationship between Drugs and Crime among Youth
Offenders (2010)
Sub-regional Report on Drug Use in Secondary School
Population (2010)
Drug Consumption in incarcerated population and the
relationship between crime and drugs (2010)
Comparative Analysis of Student Drug Use in Caribbean
Countries (2010)
Report on Drug Use in the Americas (2011)
Institutional Strengthening: Drug Treatment Courts
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Court-monitored drug treatment
programs as alternative to incarceration
Consistent with new Hemispheric Drug
Strategy
Seminars and training for judges,
prosecutors, defense attorneys, and
treatment providers.
Impact: Program expanding from base
countries (U.S., Canada, Chile, Jamaica,
Mexico) to Argentina, Trinidad, Costa
Rica and the Dominican Republic .
Institution Building: Money Laundering
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Development of model
regulations on money laundering
Impact: More than 17 Countries
established and/or strengthened
Financial Intelligence Units in Latin
America with CICAD assistance.
Institution Building: University Outreach
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Introduced drug content into
Graduate and Post Graduate
curricula
Expanded university outreach and
research on drug related themes.
Developed multidisciplinary model
of partnership with universities in
27 countries in hemisphere.
Impact: Introduction of drug related
themes into nursing, medicine,
public health, education,
psychology, law, and social science
faculties.
Capacity Building: Money Laundering
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Courses for Judges and
Prosecutors, Agents of law
enforcement on Money
Laundering
Mock trials and investigations
Impact:
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More investigators
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Better judicial decisions
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More money confiscated
Capacity Building: Law Enforcement
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Andean Regional
Counterdrug Intelligence
School (ERCAIAD) – only
regional counterdrug
intelligence facility.
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Impact: 1,500 officers trained
in last 12 years; program may
be expanded to the Caribbean.
Trainers: Regional and
International
• Expertise
• Perspective
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Capacity Building: Drug Treatment Counselors
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Integrated approach to capacity building through
training and certification of drug prevention and
treatment counselors.
Impact:
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Expansion from Central America and Mexico to
the Caribbean
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26 Countries participating
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More than 2,500 Treatment institutions
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3,100 trained (2007-2011)
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Initial assessment in El Salvador suggest “that
patients participating in treatment were
positively impacted”*
* An outcome evaluation of Drug Abuse Treatment in El Salvador.
Our People: Key to CICAD’s Success
Executive Secretariat:
- 40 top-notch professionals drawn from across the drug
control spectrum: statisticians, public health professionals,
lawyers, social workers, pharmacists, prosecutors, political
scientists and economists.
- Multinational, multilingual staff drawn from 13 countries,
united in passion and commitment to public service.
Impact: Technical knowledge, program skills, and familiarity
with member state concerns
Summit Report: Background
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VI Summit of the Americas in Cartagena,
Colombia April 2012 mandated the OAS to:
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Study results of existing drug policies in the
Americas.
Explore new approaches.
Two Part Mandate
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Analytical report: Explore existing policy
environment; examine a broad range of
options to strengthen policies and improve
implementation.
Scenario report: Examine
possible drug scenarios to
2025 – relevant, challenging,
clear and plausible
Methodology
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Analytical report
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Examine strengths and weaknesses of current policy
mechanisms as well as the institutional capacities and
challenges faced by member states.
Shed light on the varied dynamics of the drug
phenomenon in each sub-region.
Draw in contributions from international organizations
(PAHO, Intermaerican Development Bank, CEPAL),
academic community, civil society, and member state
experiences.
Outreach efforts to ensure that subregional concerns are
incorporated.
Methodology
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Scenario Report
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Designed to play out possible outcomes or consequences
of new approaches through 2025.
Carried out by 46 stakeholder leaders in various fields
relevant to the drug phenomenon.
Central element: 75 stakeholder interviews, analytical
report; two scenario workshops
Framework of the analytic report:
Five areas of study
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Drugs and development
Drugs and public health
Drugs and security
Drug production and supply
Legal and regulatory approaches to the drug
problem
Timeline : Analytical Report
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July 2012: Agreement on Terms of Reference
Solicitation from member states of experts
August 2012: Identification of initial experts
September 2012: Organizational meeting,
Washington DC
October 2012: Invitation of 40 additional
collaborators
September – November 2012: Preparation of five
initial chapter drafts
December 2012: Coordination meeting to review
initial chapter
Timeline : Analytical Report
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January 2013: Second drafts received, sent to
scenario team
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February 2013: Third draft prepared, sent to scenario
team prior to next workshop
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March 2013: Fourth draft prepared following second
scenario workshop
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March – May 2013: Finalize and publish report
together with scenario report
Outreach Consultations
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Money Laundering Group of Experts, Buenos
Aires, September 17-18
Demand Reduction Group of Experts,
Washington DC, October 2-4
COPOLAD meeting on synthetic drugs,
October 20, Mar del Plata
Andean countries meeting, Quito, October 10
Outreach Consultations
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Social integration meeting, Santiago, October 29-30
Alternative Development meeting in Lima,
November 14-16
CICAD Commission meeting, Costa Rica, November
28-30
Caribbean countries consultation, Trinidad, January
15/16
Central America security: San Salvador January 18
Advisory Committee Meetings
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November 1, 2012
December 18, 2012
February 21, 2013
Preliminary Findings -- Overall
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Diversity and dynamism of drug problem in
the Americas
Drug consumption problem shared
throughout hemisphere
Impact of Hemispheric Drug Report and Plan
of Action 2011-2015
Winds of change in policy debate
Institutional structures improving but still
weak
Preliminary Findings -- Overall
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Weaknesses in drug information and research
Resource shortages, particularly on demand
reduction side
Absence of policy diagnosis and evidence in
the development of public policies
Drugs and Development
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Importance of human dimension of drug
problem
Weak incorporation of drugs into broader
economic and social development policies.
Importance of vulnerable groups
Drugs and Public Health
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Overall scope of illicit drug use in the hemisphere.
Weaknesses in drug research and drug consumption
survey work.
Overall ability of OAS member states to meet their
drug prevention and treatment obligations
Areas of Study
Drugs and Public Health
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What subregional, regional, and global trends
in drug consumption can we identify?
How are countries managing efforts to
approach drug use from a public health
perspective?
What have we learned from trends in
treatment and prevention? Successes?
Failures?
Drugs and Security
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Exploration of complex relationship between
organized crime related violence and drugs.
Impact of ingrained violence levels in more
liberalized drug control environment.
Importance of illegal arms trafficking and money
laundering.
Institutional responses and challenges to public and
citizen security
Areas of Study
Drugs and Security
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How closely is the drug problem related to
transnational organized crime? Can the two be
divorced?
What challenges has the drug problem placed on
democratic governance? On human rights?
What practical approaches to strengthening law
enforcement and judicial institutions can help
improve citizen security?
How can the problem of burgeoning prison
populations be addressed?
Drug Production
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Dynamic nature of drug cultivation, production and
trafficking
All-Colombian U.S. cocaine as an aging, declining
market; Bolivian/Peruvian cocaine shifting to
Southern Cone and European/African markets.
Heroin production shifting from Colombia to Mexico
Marijuana local and ubiquitous, save for Mexican
impact on U.S. market
Importance of synthetics, chemicals, and
pharmaceuticals.
Areas of Study
Production and supply of drugs
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What are current/changing trends in the hemisphere
on drug production and supply?
What have been the policy successes of reducing
illicit production and supply of drugs? And the
failures?
Is hemispheric drug policy overly “cocaine-ized”?
How will growth in synthetic drugs and diversion of
pharmaceutical products transform regional drug
policy?
Does the concept of “transit” country still make
sense?
Legal and Regulatory Changes
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Tradeoffs and policy challenges involved in
legal and regulatory alternatives.
Analysis of international conventions.
Decriminalization initiatives underway.
Policy activism on cannabis – Uruguay, U.S.
state initiatives
Impact of broader liberalization on
consumption, public health, violence.
Areas of Study
Legal and regulatory approaches
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How have different legal and regulatory
approaches to drugs affected drug consumption
and related criminality in the hemisphere?
What can we learn from experiences from
pharmaceuticals, alcohol and tobacco control
efforts?
How do regional and global approaches to legal
and regulatory structures interact?
How can legal and regulatory experiences from
Europe and Asia inform the policy debate in the
Americas?
Key Challenges
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A report that speaks to the divergent concerns
of the 34 OAS member states.
A report that is “evidence based” in an
environment of scarce evidence.
A report that is not dead on arrival due to
perceived political bias.
A report that contains fresh perspectives
A report that does not answer all the
questions but poses new ones.
Key Challenges (cont.)
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A report that is useful to the scenario team as
it looks ahead.
A report that is inclusive in terms of different
subregional and research perspectives.
A report that is free of ideological jargon and
ideological bias.
A report that avoids simple solutions to
complex problems.
Ambassador Paul E. Simons
Executive Secretary
[email protected]
www.CICAD.OAS.org
Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
Secretariat for Multidimensional Security
Organization of American States
1889 F Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20006, USA
Tel: +1 (202) 458-3178 ~ Fax: +1(202)458-3658