Two days of work, 12 thematic sessions, 175 participants and dozens of hours of exchange with the objective of improving drug policies on both sides of the Atlantic. The annual meeting of the European Union’s COPOLAD III Program concluded this afternoon in La Paz, demonstrating the interest of Latin American, Caribbean and EU countries in promoting dialogue and creating networks between both regions, as well as the need to reinforce a comprehensive approach to drugs.
The meeting under the title ‘For more humane and effective drug policies’ has demonstrated the importance of having spaces for technical-political dialogue according to the needs and contexts of each country. And to connect different actors with different visions. “The COPOLAD III Program provides tools to seek new solutions in which the organizations themselves are protagonists in their design and implementation. This allows for greater ownership, impact and sustainability,” said Lourdes Sartorius, director of operations at FIIAPP, the program’s lead entity.
Among the topics addressed were the adaptation of policies to new social contexts, the need for scientific evidence and increasing the connection with civil society and drug users. The presentations also highlighted the importance of looking at vulnerability, social inclusion and the grounding of policies, the innovation of alternative development proposals and the need to tackle the economic power of drug trafficking. The need to seek penal alternatives for the weakest links of drug trafficking, such as women in vulnerable situations, was also emphasized. The representatives of the countries’ National Drug Agencies underscored the added value of the program for the improvement of their public policies and the usefulness of its different approaches, such as the territorial approach, inter-institutional coordination, the mobilization of public talent and the establishment of strategic alliances with international networks and organizations.
Support for the Mechanism’s High Level Meeting
The COPOLAD III meeting (in which drug agencies, judicial bodies, police, academia, ministries of health and social welfare or civil society participated) will give way tomorrow to the High Level Meeting of the EU-CELAC Mechanism for Coordination and Cooperation on Drugs. This is a crucial and permanent space that has built bridges of dialogue for common interests and the promotion of cooperation in this field. The Mechanism will discuss issues such as money laundering or drug trafficking prevention and will approve a political declaration to be signed by the representatives of the countries. COPOLAD III has been collaborating with this space since its inception as a technical tool to implement actions that respond to the common challenges identified by the Mechanism.
