A&B appointed Vice Chair of OAS anti-drug policy commission

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By Robert A. Emmanuel

[email protected]

Antigua and Barbuda has assumed the role of Vice Chair of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the Organization of American States (CICAD/OAS) — a major drug prevention policy forum — on Monday.

Attending CICAD’s 74th Regular Session being held in Washington DC from December 11 to 14, 2023, Lt Col Edward Croft spoke to Observer about the importance of the Commission to regional efforts to anti-drug trafficking and drug abuse policies.

“The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission is the entity for the hemisphere that assist countries in the development of a hemispheric strategic plan. With that plan, it’s one that focuses on improving the situation with drugs within the hemisphere and since the hemisphere is comprised of all the countries from Canada down to Argentina then there is that collaborative effort and focus on institutional strengthening, drug demand reduction, [and] supply reduction.

“They also established what we refer to as an observatory, whereby you can have obtained empirical evidence to determine the impact that drugs will have on the countries,” he said.

Although there have been four nations in the Caribbean region who have assumed leadership roles at the region forum—the Bahamas, Suriname, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago—this would be the first time an OECS nation has held any leadership (Chair or Vice Chair) role at the commission since in its inception in 1987.

“[The Commission] also seeks to educate and inform individuals so that they understand the impact of drugs within their respective countries and the impact on the youths and so like a drug survey on youths, teenagers, university and the population could be undertaken to ensure that there is the type of information that governments would need to shape policies.

“And so, it’s an important hemispheric institution that without it, the drug situation in all of our countries would be much worse,” the ONDCP Director stated.

Antigua and Barbuda would be serving alongside representatives from Uruguay who assumed the role of Chair.

Also in attendance of the Washington DC meeting were Counsellor Gillian Joseph of the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda in Washington DC, and ONDCP’s Dr John Swift.

“They meet several times a year as it is an ongoing body of work and so while officially that there are annual meetings to elect the chairman and to shape the strategy of what is required for the next year, there are a number of working groups that are established to look at areas of how do you facilitate cooperation amongst the various entities within a society,” Colonel Croft added.

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