Although intensive efforts have been under
taken both at regional and national levels in the field
of narcotics prevention and control, the danger of
drug abuse still exists in the ASEAN region. Indication
of its close association with the dreadful
Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
continues to worry both narcotics agencies and the
health authorities. The main drug abusers in the
region continue to be the youth population.
Regional efforts at the control and prevention
of the narcotics problem continue to be guided by
the Five Year Programme of Action adopted at the
11th ASOD Meeting, the Comprehensive
Multi-disciplinary Outline (CMO) adopted by International
Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
(ICDAIT) in 1987 as well as any international
development in the battle against the narcotics
menace. At the Second lnterregional Heads of Narcotics
Law Enforcement Agencies Meeting held at
the UN Office in Vienna, in September 1989,
ASEAN supported the resolution to provide moral
and physical assistance to Colombia's battle against
the cocaine cartels operating in the country.
To date, no ASEAN member country has yet
ratified the Convention Against Illicit Traffic in
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
Nonetheless, national and regional activities conducted
are very much in line with the provisions of
the Convention.
In terms of regional projects implemented,
there were only two in the period of 1989/1990 :
a. Training Workshop for Narcotics Law Enforcement
Officers, Bangkok, 20-24 November
1989 (funded by the UNDP);
Research and Training Centre in Singapore in
26 February - 23 March 1990 (funded by the
EC).
The EC has also agreed to finance two
ASEAN-EC Experts Seminar on Drugs Abuse later
in 1990 in the areas of :
a. Treatment and Rehabilitation, to be held in
Malaysia in August 1990;
b. Drug Preventive Education, to be held in the
Philippines in November 1990.
The Financing Agreement for this project was
signed by the Chairman of the ASEAN Brussels
Committee (ABC) on behalf of ASEAN in May 1990.
The 13th Meeting of ASEAN Senior Officials
on Drug Matters is scheduled to be held in Brunei
Darussalam in September 1990.
More effective regional cooperative efforts in
drug prevention and control in the period of 1989/1990
has been conspicuously slackened due to the
lack of financial support from dialogue partners
which has been the main and only source of funds
for regional drugs control and prevention efforts.
On-going projects like the New Zealand-funded
ASEAN Training for Narcotics Detection and
Investigation (which should have been in its third and
final year) had not been implemented due the
budgetary constraint being faced by New Zealand.
However, at the 6th Meeting of the 22nd ASEAN
Standing Committee in Bandar Seri Begawan in
June 1989, it was suggested that local financial
resources like the ASEAN Fund be tapped to financially
support regional drugs prevention and control projects.