Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme organizes first Sub-Regional Meeting for South Asian Drug Focal Points 11-September, 2015 .
Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme organizes first Sub-Regional Meeting for South Asian Drug Focal Points
Inter Governmental initiatives taken to enhance the cooperation in the region to address drug manace
The Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme (CPDAP) organized first Sub-Regional Meeting for South Asian Drug Focal Points on September 09 – 11, 2015, here. The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the meeting on September 09, 2015. The meeting was attended by 65 delegates from India, Afganistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and USA. Representatives from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have also attended the meeting.
Shri Rajnath Singh in his inaugural address remarked that this first ever Sub-Regional Meeting has brought together South Asian Nations to defeat drug menace in the region. He affirmed India’s willingness to help neighbouring countries to work on collaborative projects that strengthen cooperation, and lead to the development of viable solutions to address the drug problem. The Union Home Minister also interacted with the students and heard their experiences first hand.
Earlier on September 09, 2015, the Secretary (Internal Security) and Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau, Shri Ashok Prasad welcomed all the foreign and Indian delegates attending the meeting and conveyed sincere thanks to Colombo Plan for providing opportunity to Government of India to organize first ever Sub-Regional meeting in the region.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary, the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Smt. Anita Agnihotri, the Secretary General of Colombo Plan Shri Kinley Dorji and the Director, Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme, Shri Antonius Riva Setiawan were present during the inaugural ceremony. Senior Officers from Ministry of Home Affairs, Narcotics Control Burearu, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affair and Sports, Indian Coast Guard have attended the inaugural ceremony. 100 Youth trained by Colombo Plan in collaboration with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Society for the Promotion of Youth and Masses have also attended the event.
In the plenary session on September 09, 2015, delegates presented the drug scenario in their respective countries and various Inter Governmental initiatives taken to enhance the cooperation in the region.
On September 10, 2015 experts from India, Bangladesh and Colombo Plan gave detailed presentations on Precursor Chemical Control, Pharmaceutical Substance Abuse, Forensic Analysis of Drug, Child Substance disorder in South Asia, Child substance abuse disorder treatment curricula, training and Networking of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment of professionals and global mapping. Further, three round table group discussion were held on Narcotics Law Enforcement and Supply Reduction, Treatment and Rehabilitation Standards and Services and Drug Prevention Practices during which country delegates deliberated upon the specific challenges on drug trafficking and its abuse in the region and suggested various strategies to eradicate the problem.
The delegates also visited National Drug De-addiction Treatment Centre, AIIMS at Ghaziabad.
Based on the deliberation, the Members States made several important recommendations including the need to take up collaborative projects at Bilateral and Multilateral level.