COOPERATION IN DRUGS AND NARCOTICS CONTROL


While intra-ASEAN cooperation in combatting drug abuse was characterized by several activities during the year, ASEAN also played its role at international level to solve the problem. The subject was discussed between the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and their counter parts at the Post - Ministerial Conferences in July 1985, and a statement to that effect was issued by the Chairman of the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in July 1985 at Kuala Lumpur. At ASEAN's initiative, the 40th UNGA adopted an ASEAN - drafted Resolution, "International Conference on Drugs - 1987". The draft Resolution was co-sponsored by 42 countries.

The Resolution strongly urges all states to summon the utmost political will to combat drug abuse and Illicit trafficking by generating increased political, cultural and social awareness. It also calls upon the United Nations and its specialised agencies and other organizations to give the highest attention and priority possible to international measures to combat illicit production, demands and trafficking, and to convene an Inter-national Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Ministerial level in Vienna in 1987 as an expression of the political will of nations to combat the during menace at the national, regional and :international levels. The said Vienna Conference is scheduled to be held in July 1987.

At regional level, several intra-ASEAN projects were implemented, and several other project proposals were being formulated or finalized between ASEAN and dialogue partners. The ASEAN Drug Prevention Campaign Week for 1985 was held in November 11985, during which all ASEAN member countries simultaneously launched a Drug prevention Campaign. They also exchanged campaign materials.

The sixth ASEAN Narcotics Law Enforcement Training Course held in Bangkok, 18 - 29 November 1985 was attended by 27 middle level narcotics law enforcement officers.

An "ASEAN Drug Prevention Film for Campaign 1986" was produced in May 1986 to be used by member countries in their Drug Prevention Campaign in 1986, and for future anti- narcotics campaigns.

Documents on the ASEAN Narcotics Law Enforcement Training Project for 1986 - 1988, and on the ASEAN Training Courses for Drug Rehabilitation Professionals for 1986 - 1988, were signed by the Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat and the UNDP Resident Representative in Jakarta, on 20 December 1985. These two projects will be implemented in 1986 in Thailand and Malaysia respectively.

The project proposals on the Development of an ASEAN Parent Movement in Drug Abuse Prevention, the Training for ASEAN Youth in Drug Prevention Activities and an Observation Tour on Customs Enforcement on Narcotics Control in Australia, were being examined by the relevant dialogue partners.

The ASEAN Study/Observation Programme for Preventive Drug Education and Community Information Personnel was presented at the Third ASEAN - Canada JCC Meeting in Ottawa, 30 - 31 October, 1985 for Canada's consideration. The ASEAN Training of Native Dogs for Narcotics Detection and Handlers project proposal was presented to the UNDP for implementation in the Fourth Cycle (1987 - 1991 ).

Four project proposals were presented at the 7th ASEAN - LJS Dialogue, for the US's consideration. These include :

At national level, all ASEAN member countries further strengthened their legislation, law enforcement, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and training in efforts to deal with drug abuse and trafficking.