(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Representative of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Saint Lucia, Ms Anne Marie Blackman has called for the Region to plough more resources in the development of what she calls evidence-based policies on drugs.
At the four-day regional workshop on the Development of National Anti-Drug Strategies and Plan which opened on Tuesday, (28 April) in Saint Lucia, Ms Blackman highlighted the importance of sound policies on illicit drugs, noting that such policies represented a critical investment in the well being of the peoples of the region.
The workshop, spearheaded by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in partnership with Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the OAS and the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACS) in Saint Lucia, is designed to train key practitioners in both drug demand and supply reduction in CARICOM Member States to develop national anti-drug plans and strategies, which the facilitators hope will lead to effective national drug policies in the region and ultimately result in controlling the supply of, and reducing the demand for illicit drugs.
Ms Blackman argued that national drug policies not only served as ‘presentation letters’ in the international arena but also contributed to promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation. In this regard she emphasized that the policies developed should be based on sound analyses as well as a body of empirical evidence, rather than on ad hoc experience or inconclusive evidence.
The OAS representative also stressed the importance of political will as one of the most decisive factors in drug fighting efforts. “Without a doubt political will is critical to the success of those efforts,” she asserted.
Meanwhile, Mr Clem Edward, Director of SAACS challenged participants not only to develop anti-drug plans but also to follow through with the implementation of such plans. Noting that very often, ambitious plans were developed but lacked the resources for implementation, Mr Edward called on Caribbean Governments to invest more in drug demand reduction.
“Our strategic planning must also underscore and identify a philosophy of motivation for moving from planning to action,” he proffered.
