Activities

The 2020 Conference focus on the progress made and goals reached during the implementation phase of COPOLAD II (2016-2020) and debate over the priorities for the future for the CELAC countries in the framework of the cooperation with the EU are open.

Follow-up of the contents and conclusions adopted in the framework of the Bi-regional conference on fostering the use of alternative measures to imprisonment, held in Uruguay in September 2019. The regional programmes COPOLAD II, EL PAcCTO and EUROsociAL+ are once again joining forces to continue making progress in the incremental application of these measures in the Latin American and Caribbean region, given the special circumstances that the Hemisphere is experiencing as a result of the COVID-19. The two panels planned during the Webinar aim to address the problem from various complementary approaches. With the participation of those responsible at the highest level at addressed subjects, from the institutions involved in the adoption and application of these measures in the CELAC countries. 

The purpose of the meeting is to share all the work accomplished in these years on this important subject, presenting in a general way the lines of action developed (dialogue forums, workshops on value chains, study on institutional capacities) and, furthermore, giving the possibility to the countries to comment on their experience in these activities and sharing their current and future priorities in this field. Addressed to responsible of Alternative Development at the National Drugs Agencies from the 16 participating countries in CELAC in AD activities (The Bahamas, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; participating all throughout COPOLAD II - and 5 new interested countries at the end of 2019: Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras)

The meeting provides a space to present the progress achieved so far in the area of quality in Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) by the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as to jointly explore the main challenges faced by the different institutions that play a key role in the planning and implementation of quality policy in DDR, in order to optimize their efforts in a coordinated manner, and thus move towards legal frameworks to ensure the quality of prevention programs and care services in drug dependence.