Cooperation Programme between
Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union
on Drugs Policies

The study is conducted with the participation of Peru, Paraguay and Guatemala, with the aim of facilitating a general review of existing institutional capacities in the field of Alternative Development at the national level. It introduces an overview of the current institutional capacities of the landscape of organised actors that are currently implementing Alternative Development approaches in their countries. The purpose of the study is to identify key organisational and institutional lessons learned, drawing on the experience of Peru as a leading country with extensive experience in implementing Alternative Development. These lessons can provide guidance to Guatemala and Paraguay in strengthening their capacities to adopt this approach, still relatively novel in those countries.

COPOLAD II brings together 130 drug demand reduction experts from 40 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union in Panama. Together with them, experts from PAHO/WHO, CICAD/OAS, UNODC, Plan Colombo, CARICOM and EMCDDA, among other key organizations in the sector, present at this historic conference.

80 participants from CELAC and EU countries, together with supranational entities and bi-regional networks, gathered by COPOLAD in Buenos Aires. The Argentine Republic hosts the fourth edition of the series of annual meetings organized by COPOLAD in relation to the prevention and control of chemical precursors destined for the manufacture of illegal drugs, following its experience and significant participation in the activities developed within the framework of the programme.

The Cooperation Programme between Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union on Drugs Policies, COPOLAD II, led by Spain, is promoting the implementation in the CELAC region of a new "OneStep@ATime" tool for planning in the field of drug policies. The Bahamas is hosting the second edition of this series of workshops, this time aimed at fourteen countries of the English-speaking Caribbean. Step@Step" has increased the possibilities to develop more effective and evidence-based drug demand reduction programmes.

More than 150 high-level representatives from more than 30 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union will participate in the high-level conference organized by COPOLAD, EL PACcTO and EUROSOCIAL+ to be held in Montevideo on 19 and 20 September 2019.

The 4th Forum for Intra-regional Dialogue on Alternative Development of COPOLAD brings together 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries in Guatemala. The importance of the integration of the gender perspective in the Alternative Development of public policies and its potential impact on women is the central topic of this meeting. The Forum presents a study, carried out within the framework of COPOLAD, which analyzes the institutional capacities necessary for the implementation of Alternative Development in countries interested in incorporating this line of action as part of their drug policies.

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