News

USIS Washington File

05 November 1999

Text: McCaffrey Reviews Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Summit

(Conference wrap-up issues recommendations of leaders)  (2080)

The historic gathering of the Western Hemisphere's top drug policy
officials has yielded "consensus on a number of important principles,"
says General Barry McCaffrey, director of the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

Held in Washington from November 3-5, the first-ever Western
Hemisphere Drug Policy Leadership Conference assembled counter-drug
experts from 33 countries to discuss the challenges posed by illegal
drug use, trafficking and production. McCaffrey, in a November 5
statement outlining the summit's agenda, described several key points,
including: the dangers of rising drug consumption, the need for
drug-education and drug-treatment programs, and the vital importance
of disseminating information among experts and achieving an integrated
hemispheric anti-drug policy.

The conference also dealt with subjects relating to prosecution of
drug offenders, such as stemming corruption and protecting the
integrity of the judicial system. Furthermore, the role of a free
press must be safeguarded, participants agreed, arguing that
"journalists covering counter-drug efforts play a critical role in
educating [the] public." To that end, McCaffrey's statement stressed
that reporters' "physical safety and right to do their jobs" must be
ensured.

In conclusion, the conference offered a set of recommendations,
calling for a subsequent meeting "to assess our progress and
challenges, perhaps mid-year 2001, after the next Summit of the
Americas," with particular emphasis on coordinating and cooperating
"regionally and hemispherically on interdiction of drugs, chemicals
and money."

Following is the text of the White House overview statement at the
summit's finale:

(begin text)

DIRECTOR'S POINTS
WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

NOVEMBER 5, 1999

OVERVIEW

-- This first-ever Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Leadership
Conference takes place almost precisely between the Santiago 2nd
Summit of the Americas in April 1998 and the Quebec City 3rd Summit of
the Americas scheduled for April, 2001.

-- Our conference has brought together the men and women who,
following the Santiago Summit Mandate, negotiated the Multilateral
Evaluation Mechanism, a hemispheric performance measurement system.
The MEM will be implemented next year.

-- The MEM will help to create a new hemispheric counter-drug
relationship focused on the common problem of drugs and based on
mutual respect and cooperation.

-- As we prepare for this new stage, we thought it important to take
stock of how far we have come and to lay out the new challenges we
will face in the next decade.

-- Over the past three days we have heard presentations from the
hemisphere's top counter-drug experts, both on demand and supply.

-- These presentations have generated thorough discussion and led to
emergence of consensus on a number of important principles. Below
these key issues are highlighted by topic.

Presentation 1: Future Changes in Drug Use: Patterns and Trends

-- Augusto Perez Gomez, Director, Program to Confront Drug
Consumption, Colombia

-- Jorge Bolivar Diaz, Assistant Executive Secretary, SECCATID,
Guatemala.

Key Points --

1. Drug consumption growing: It is becoming major problem throughout
hemisphere. For the first time many South American countries are
measuring significant increase in use of illicit drugs, including
cocaine and heroin.

2. Education is critical: Need to make clear the social and economic
consequences of drug abuse to society and develop targeted programs to
different segments of the population.

3. Need high quality treatment: Nations must implement universal
standards to improve quality and consistency of drug treatment service
delivery.

4. We must, disseminate what we learn: Research results on prevention,
education and treatment should be disseminated, in appropriate
languages, throughout hemisphere.

5. Coordination is essential: Need for better interagency integration
of demand reduction programs; and to balance those programs with
supply reduction for an integrated national policy.

Presentation II: Research and Science: Public Health Impact of Drug
Abuse.

-- Alan Leshner, Director, National Inst. on Drug Abuse (NIDA), US

Key Points --

1. Addiction is a brain disease: People who take drugs are
self-medicating to make themselves feel better (increase dopamine
levels). The result is that regular drug users modify the state of
their brains. A major task of treatment is to get brain back to
normal.

2. Drug addiction is a treatable disease: Scientific research provides
effective, proven tools to treat those addicted to drugs.

3. We know how to lower risk of drug abuse: Protective or resiliency
factors that reduce risk of addiction include strong family, and
education as well as multiple affiliations with organized entities
such as schools, churches and athletics.

4. Drug abuse and crime are linked: Research indicates that 70% of
incarcerated inmates testing positive for drugs will return to prison
if treatment is not provided to them.

Presentation III: Current and Future Trends in Drug Trafficking

-- Ronald K. Noble, Secretary General ICPO-Interpol -- nominee

Key Points--

1. Drug trafficking is a big business: Narcotraffickers want to make
money. Law enforcement should give high priority to following the
money-asset forfeiture is the way to get at the leadership of major
drug trafficking organizations.

2. Private sector can help: Law enforcement must open doors to
business and civil society - build bridges to gather information and
support. Cooperation of financial institutions is essential.

3. What we measure is critical: Seizure stats should be used
differently, not as body count. Seizures, properly analyzed and
exploited, can lead to important information, arrests, and act as a
deterrent.

4. Personnel issues central to mission: Must devote necessary
resources to hire, train, and equip police, judicial, and customs
officials. Affects quality of police forces, investigative
capabilities, and corruption. Regional centers for training,
education, and information sharing can help.

Presentation IV: Law Enforcement Strategies for the Future

-- Walter Maierovitch, Secretary, National Antidrug Secretariat,
Brazil

-- Joseph Theodore, Minister of National Security, Trinidad & Tobago

Key Points -- 

1. Standardize legal framework: Every nation needs ability, under rule
of law, to conduct undercover operations, in absentia trials,
extradition, and international system of letters rogatory.

2. Globalization of drug trade requires cooperation: Law enforcement
must change -- need for interdependence, increased collaboration, more
rapid exchange of information and intelligence, operatives must be
trained in high technology. Illicit drugs are the major source of
income to international criminal groups. International cooperation is
key to effectively targeting them.

3. Anti-corruption measures: Transnational crime and narcotrafficking
are creating parallel state structures that compromise the legitimate
government. In addition, drug money is now used to commercialize
legitimate activity. The result is that the rule of law and democracy
are undermined.

4. Law Enforcement must work with community: Agencies must engage and
participate with wider society through public education and
mobilization as well as through community policing.

5. Treatment in prisons: Prisons should include programs to
rehabilitate drug addicted inmates.

Presentation V: Social and Economic Costs of Drugs

-- Eduardo Amadeo, Secretary, National Anti-Drug Secretariat,
Argentina

-- Jacques LeCavalier, Chief Executive Officer, Centre on Substance
Abuse, Canada

-- Claudio Molina, Counselor, National Drug Control Agency, Chile

Key Points --

1. Policy should be driven by data: Can increase societies awareness
and understanding of drug-related problems by strengthening scientific
institutions and developing solid data.

2. Technical Assistance needed to measure costs: tools to measure
social costs of drugs are only now being developed and used. Many
countries need help to develop their own expertise.

3. Need to set goals: Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism will be an
important international assessment method, but there is also need for
individual countries to set achievable goals and measure efforts to
meet them.

4. Rivalry between supply and demand unhelpful: There are social costs
for. societies due to both drug trafficking and drug consumption. Need
to measure costs and seek solution to both sets of challenges.

VI: The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign

-- Shona Seifert, Senior Partner, Ogilvy & Mather

Key points --

1. Approach to campaign design involves: Forming alliances; involving
the local private sector; partnering with media owners; working with
the advertising industry; and using market research.

2. U.S. experience shows value of- Integrated marketing and public
health communications campaign; targeting multiple audiences reached
where they live, work and play (via internet, movies, classrooms,
televisions, etc.); and, employing culturally relevant messages in
appropriate languages.

3. Must study impact and continually update campaign via: Awareness
and attitude tracking 365 days per year and using communications
mapping (to illustrate which media vehicle is most effective in
communicating each message).

Presentation VII: Future Challenges to Drug Control Policy

-- Jorge Madrazo Quell Attorney General, Mexico

-- Rand Beers, Assistant Secretary, Department of State, U.S.

-- Alejandro Aguinaga, Minister of Health and President of
CONTRADROGAS), Peru

Key Points --

1. Traffickers are developing new products: Today's traffickers are
savvy marketers and business experts. They are diversifying product
line, exploiting new markets, introducing synthetic drugs and
involving themselves in a broader array of criminal activities.

2. Corruption can undermine our efforts: Need to reward and protect
individuals who reveal corruption and to conduct public audits on
expenditure of drug-related government funds.

3. Justice system as whole must work: Cannot just arrest people, must
have strong prosecutors and judges as well as effective prison system.

4. Hemisphere must transcend national borders: Nations cannot let drug
traffickers exploit national borders. We must work together regionally
and hemispherically to go after traffickers.

5. Role of free press must be protected: Journalists covering
counter-drug efforts play a critical role in educating public. Their
physical safety and right to do their jobs must be protected.

Presentation VIII: Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism

-- Jean Fournier, Deputy Solicitor General, Canada

-- David Beall, Executive Secretary, CICAD/OAS

Key Points --

1. MEM is historic achievement: No large group of nations has ever
attempted such a multifaceted mutual evaluation system. All 34 OAS
countries are speaking a common language. We are linked by a common
vision. The rest of the world is watching with interest.

2. We will learn a lot in first year: In calender 2000 MEM will use 61
of 82 indicators. Must walk before we can run. We will present year
2000 results to Presidents in Quebec City at 3 d Summit. With their
approval, we will apply what we have learned and do better in 2001.

3. MEM will focus National Governments: Many nations need to develop
technical capacity to measure consumption, to provide quality
treatment, to control drug and chemical trafficking and address money
laundering. We will learn from and help each other.

4. Can only make informed decision with good data: Whether one is in
government or industry, timely and reliable performance measures are
needed to make informed judgements. The ability to gather, arrange and
manipulate vast quantities of information is essential to sound
management decisions. That is why the MEM is so important.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

During discussion, senior drug policy leaders reached consensus that
they would:

-- Meet again, subject to CICAD's call, to assess our progress and
challenges, perhaps mid-year 2001, after the next Summit of the
Americas.

-- Produce a conference report consisting of the presentation
documents and a summary of the discussions held.

-- Discourage the legalization of drugs due to the severe health
threat posed by consumption of illicit narcotics.

-- Share information about successful antidrug programs.

-- Coordinate and cooperate regionally and hemispherically on
interdiction of drugs, chemicals and money.

-- To develop tailored anti-drug media campaigns that effectively make
use of television, radio, internet, magazines. Also should employ
anti-drug messages at large gatherings of people, such as concerts and
sporting events,

-- To increase prevention and education information available on the
Internet.

-- Encourage treatment of those in prison or otherwise under criminal
justice supervision.

-- Above all, to aggressively support the multilateral spirit and
momentum that we have achieved.

CONCLUSION:

-- Thank you, finally, to David Beall, Alberto Hart and the entire
CICAD Executive Secretariat for their hard work is putting this event
together.

-- Let me conclude with the inciteful words of U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State for Global Affairs, Thomas Pickering, who told us:

"Narcotics trafficking is simply too large, too complex, and too fluid
a problem to be tackled by anyone country or small group of countries.
Only as true partners working together on all fronts can we hope to
meet and effectively beat back the daunting global drug challenge.
This is a true partnership and reflects an unprecedented level of
mutual trust and confidence in the future. It will serve as a model
for other regions and for the global community."

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State)