The area of Drug Supply Reduction (DSR) is also key in the COPOLAD framework, which works - and already worked since its first phase- in promoting information and intelligence exchange, in addition to best practices and learned lessons, between the different actors involved in the CELAC and the EU, with the purpose of getting to count with more effective policies that could generate more specific and effective responses facing the threat that transnational criminal organisations pose. DSR activities in COPOLAD are treated from threefold line of action:
- Alternative Development (AD).
- Law enforcement.
- Strengthening cooperation on the control of Chemical Precursors diversion for the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs.
- A growing interest of CELAC countries in participating in COPOLAD Alternative Development activities
Alternative Development (AD) is included in the EU Drugs Strategy (2013-2020), as a key element of EU international cooperation, as well as one of the three UN’s foundations of DSR. In this framework, COPOLAD has been working since its first phase on promoting the exchange of experiences and best practices, in addition to provide tools to elaborate stronger AD policies.
The level of experiences on AD in CELAC countries is heterogeneous. While Andean countries has been working on this matter for decades, the experience is low or non-existent in other countries of the region, which has generated interest in new countries that request technical advice to the EU for the exchange of best practices on the substitution of illicit crops with a development approach. For this reason, COPOLAD aims at consolidating the success of its first phase through the inter-regional exchange of best practices and peer to peer learning on Alternative Development.
I Intra-regional Dialogue Forum on Alternative Development (Bogota, Colombia, 12-14 December 2016). It counted with the participation of 65 representatives from Bolivia, Bahamas, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam and Trinidad and Tobago; in addition to Delegates from CICAD/OAS, IDPC and the delegations of the European Union in Colombia and Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.
A decentralised dialogue was promoted between key stakeholders in the field of Alternative Development in countries affected by or at risk of illicit crops cultivation and other drug-related illicit activities, with the purpose of identifying strategies to address them. The goal was to provide countries a general view of current trends and the path to follow according to the conclusions obtained at UNGASS. One of the key aspects was the role of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the specific goals, the formulation and monitoring of relevant indicators, as well as the possibilities of a broader socio-economic development in the context of the illicit drugs economy. Taking the interest of many countries in the concept of AD, the Forum proved helpful in the experiences of analysis and current reforms of the Alternative Development Programmes, farmers and representatives of farmer associations, in addition to civil society members. Go to activity
- Workshops based on the concept of peer-to-peer horizontal learning focused on the thematic of the value chain and alternative development
In addition to the Dialogue Forums foreseen, COPOLAD is working on a series of three Workshops based oon the concept of peer-to-peer horizontal learning on value chains. The goal is to work on this topic with seven countries of the region: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, México, Paraguay and Peru. The organisation of these workshops responds to the necessity of developing a sequential work of support for these participating countries. Go to activity
The 1st COPOLAD Workshop on horizontal learning on Alternative Development and value chains (Quito, Ecuador 9- 10 May, 2017), used the South-South cooperation model between countries with a broad experience in AD (Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru) and other countries in the region interested in the topic (Guatemala, Paraguay and Mexico). It allowed putting in common the basic concepts of the value chains, in addition to sharing experiences in this area to facilitate the exchange of bestpractices and mutual learning on value chains for projects originated from AD projects. Concrete experiences were presented and a space for reflexion among all participating countries was offered, with the participation of technicians working on AD in each country, representatives of the regional or local government, as well as representatives of associations of producers involved in AD projects. Go to activity
The second Workshop of this series is foreseen for September 2017 in Paraguay, while the 3rd and last Workshop will take place in October 2017 in Mexico, where –as a result of the two previous workshops- the results and proposals developed by the countries at the national level in the area of AD and value chains. Consult Workshop series.
- Preparations for the “1st Bi-regional meeting for the exchange of best practices. Drugs policies and criminal justice reform” (Costa Rica, 27-29 June 2017) ready.
Drug-related offences have contributed to an important increase in the prison population in many countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). As a consequence, and especially over the past years, among the European Countries as well as those which form the CELAC, there is an increasing motivation to looking for alternatives to imprisonment and, mostly, the implementation of policies aimed at reducing the imprisonment for this type of offences. This process of reflection and action requires the recognition that, currently, any strategy in this direction must be considered as a key and indispensable element of any drugs policy based on principles of Human Rights, Public Health, Security and focus on the Gender perspective.
In this context, and considering that one of COPOLAD’s priority objectives is to carry out bi-regional exchanges that improve the institutional relations between countries, contributing to a greater dialogue and harmonisation of drugs policies between both regions, it has been decided to convene this meeting, which is jointly organised by components 2 and 3 of COPOLAD. The purpose will be to review the available evidence in the area of criminal reforms regarding drug-related crimes, to facilitate the exchange of information, the identification of promising experiences and putting lessons learned in common. This exchange of best practices is expected to contribute to define the main advances achieved and the challenges that must be addressed on the short and mid-term. Go to activity.
- COPOLAD, an active promoter on the control of chemical precursors
The EU Drugs Strategy (2013-2020), incorporates among other major challenges, the need to avoid the diversion of chemical precursors, pre-precursors and other essential chemical products -used in drugs manufacture- that are being diverted from the licit trade to the illegal market. The purpose of these activities is to decrease the distribution and sale of precursors and other essential chemical products used in manufacturing illicit drugs, in line with article 12 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, adopted in Vienna on 19 December 1988.
The precursors diversion poses a threat to the illicit manufacturing of drugs, characterized by a great adaptability of criminal organizations, which employ a wide variety of modus operandi and alternative substances, not classified, in order to avoid control and tax mechanism. This requires that all actors involved in the prevention and fight against this illegal activity carry out a comprehensive strategic approach and maximize cooperation and information exchange, at national, regional and bi-regional levels.
Within this framework, COPOLAD’s activities on chemical precursors control are important due to the necessity of responding urgently to this problem, through an effective cooperation between countries, and achieve an effective control on the growing challenges posed by the illicit production of drugs.
In the first phase of COPOLAD, the exchange of information in this field was promoted, as well as intelligence and best practices between anti-narcotic Police, the National Drug Agencies and Public Prosecutors Offices, with the active participation of the European Commission. In this new phase of the Programme it is intended to continue supporting CELAC countries to formulate and implement policies and efficient programmes to face the growing challenges posed by the illicit production of drugs.
As part of its activities focused on precursor control, COPOLAD held its First Annual Week on Precursors, from 7th to the 11th of November, 2016 in Barcelona (Spain), focused on the “Voluntary agreements between chemical and pharmaceutical industries and the national authorities in charge of trade of precursors and chemical products”. Sixty-six participants attended this meeting, representing Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Slovak Republic, Spain, The Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela, besides the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD/OAS), European Commission (DEVCO, TAXUD and OLAF), Europol, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), as well as representatives from the private sector form Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, France, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and The Netherlands. Go to activity
As it has already been done in Barcelona, every COPOLAD Annual Week on Precursors will consist of an operational workshop - on the specific topics defined by the countries - and followed by a field visit related to the central topic of the meeting. For this reason, following this guideline, the Second Annual Week on Precursors will be held in Brazil, on November 2017.
Currently, required exploratory works are being made for the constitution and implementation of working groups in the field of precursors that look for supporting countries of the region in an effective and concrete way in those issues identified as priorities.
To maximise their impact, these activities are developed in close cooperation with the European Commission General Directorate TAXUD and the OLAF, with the aim of strengthening the capacity of the competent authorities in the CELAC countries which are working in this field. Consult activities