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CICAD PRESENTS THE MEM NATIONAL REPORTS TO OAS PERMANENT COUNCIL

The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) today presented Organization of American States (OAS) member state representatives with the Fourth Round national reports on the Evaluation of Progress in Drug Control of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM): 2005-2006.

James Mack, Executive Secretary of the OAS specialized agency CICAD, submitted the report during a regular sitting of the OAS Permanent Council, which is comprised of member state Ambassadors.

A peer review process, the MEM conducts multilateral, objective, and transparent evaluations of the efforts of member states, and the hemisphere as a whole, in combating illegal drugs, and identifies the steps each country can take to strengthen those efforts. The evaluation process is structured in rounds. Currently the MEM has completed the first stage of its Fourth Evaluation Round, 2005-2006.

These 34 reports represent the culmination of the demanding evaluation work carried out by the Governmental Expert Group (GEG). The evaluation of countries’ efforts and progress made in addressing the drug problem has been carried out within the framework of transparency, impartiality and equality, with a view to ensuring an objective assessment of national progress in this area. Each chapter of these reports is based on countries’ responses to a questionnaire of indicators covering the main thematic areas of institution building, demand reduction, supply reduction and control measures as well as subsequent comments and updated information provided by the government-appointed coordinating entities.

The recommendations assigned through the MEM to each member state in all relevant areas of the drug problem have become important sources of guidance for our countries and have helped raise awareness for the need to improve existing anti-drug policies. Member states recognize the importance of the recommendations made to them. In the Third Round reports, a total of 506 recommendations were assigned to 33 countries, the majority in the area of money laundering and demand reduction. This Round, 456 recommendations were assigned to 34 countries, the majority now lying in the thematic area of supply reduction, particularly the control of pharmaceutical products, followed by ratification of international conventions and money laundering control.

The Mechanism’s key multilateral nature has not only ensured the transparency of the evaluations but has also increased the benefits to be gained from the experiences of different countries. The MEM has become a model of multilateral cooperation within OAS and the hemisphere. The MEM has served to increase mutual confidence, dialogue, and hemispheric cooperation to address the drug problem and its different manifestations.

Despite its achievements, the MEM evaluation will fully fulfill its purpose only if, based on its accurate assessments, it can generate national and regional policies and programs to strengthen positive aspects and correct deficiencies in the fight against drugs. Countries need to be fully aware of the benefits the process can offer as a useful diagnostic tool for national policy makers as well as those involved in each area of national and hemispheric drug control activities.

To access the reports, please refer to our web page: www.cicad.oas.org.

Reference: E-034/08