Press and Promotion of the MEM

During the thirty-seventh regular session of CICAD, held in April 2005 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, it was agreed to increase activities to promote the MEM.

The principle objectives of the promotional activities (workshops or promotional events) consist of:

• For the MEM results and its objectives to reach all persons involved in anti-drug policies on a national and hemispheric level. 

• Establish the MEM as a diagnostic tool for the design and implementation of anti-drug policies and programs in each country and within an international context.

• Communicate the transparency and multilateral nature of the MEM which is a unique characteristic and an important strength of the national and hemispheric reports.

• Highlight the uniqueness of the MEM and differentiate it from other reports or evaluation processes, showing the benefits which institutions and States may gain from the Mechanism.

• Strengthen the participation of the member states within the MEM process.

Index of Activities:

2009

• Paraguay

Meetings were held in the city of Asuncion on September 7th between MEM Section officers and representatives from National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD), the Department of National Health Surveillance, the Ministry of Health, and the National Customs Service to explain the benefits, objectives and characteristics of the MEM and to request support for the evaluation process.

Additionally, on September 8th, a workshop was carried out for the technical officers of the Paraguayan institutions responsible for providing information to the mechanism, which covered the characteristics of the MEM, how the process works, and the contents of the Fifth Evaluation Round Questionnaire and the recommendation follow-up form. These preparatory activities for the Fifth Evaluation Round of the MEM were coordinated with SENAD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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• Argentina

In preparation for the MEM Fifth Evaluation Round, meetings were held with national institutions and ministries in Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 3 – 4, coordinated by the Secretariat of Programming for the Prevention of Drug Addiction and the Fight against Narcotrafficking (SEDRONAR). Officers from the MEM Section, Martín Cubas and Carlos Tambini, met with representatives from the General Directorate of International Drug Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Culture, the Ministry of Health, and the central office of the Cabinet of Ministers, to discus the country’s perspective and challenges regarding drug-related issues.

In addition, a workshop was carried out for technical officers from SEDRONAR to inform them of the MEM’s characteristics, how the process functions, the contents of the Fifth Evaluation Round Questionnaire, and the recommendation follow-up form. Issues related to the coordination of the compilation of data for the indicators were also discussed.

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• Canada

A one-day national workshop, coordinated by Health Canada, was held on 3rd September at the Government Conference Centre, Ottawa, Canada, for agencies providing information to the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM). Over 40 representatives participated from Health Canada, Justice Ministry, Canada Border Services, Correctional Services, Department of Finance, Public Safety Canada, the National Research Council, Transport Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Department of Health and Community Services of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. The event was officially opened by Ms. Brenda Paine, Director of the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, Controlled Substances and Tobacco Directorate, Health Canada with opening remarks from Angela Crowdy, MEM Section Coordinator, CICAD/OAS, and Mark Edwards, International Coordinator, Controlled Substances and Tobacco Directorate, Health Canada who moderated the day’s sessions. The agenda focused on the MEM process, the operation of the Governmental Expert Group (GEG), the new questionnaire of indicators and aspects of the 5th Evaluation Round, and Canada’s experience in the 4th Evaluation Round. Likewise, the NCE for the United States of America was invited to give a presentation on its participation in the last MEM evaluation round and to exchange ideas and experiences.

• Ecuador

On August 19-20, several meetings took place with Ecuadorian institutions and ministries to prepare for the Fifth Evaluation Round of the MEM, which were coordinated by the Ministry of Government, Police and Worship of Ecuador.

Officers from the MEM Section met with the directors of the National Drug Control Council (CONSEP) to discuss the various activities that the institution has been carrying out to advance its anti-drug programs.

Additionally, the MEM officers met with representatives from the Ministry of Government, Police and Worship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, and the National Secretariat for Planning and Development, who explained country’s views and challenges regarding drug-related issues, including new legislation, institutional reforms and new international cooperation policies.

In addition, a workshop was carried out for technical officers from various Ecuadorian institutions to inform them about the characteristics of the MEM, how the process functions, and the contents of the Fifth Evaluation Round Questionnaire, as well as the recommendation follow-up form. Issues related to the coordination and compilation of data for questionnaire’s indicators were also discussed.

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• Belize

Belize hosted the Fifth Evaluation Round workshop of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) for National Coordinating Entities (NCEs), with participants from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. The event was held July 22-23 in Belize City, Belize, in cooperation with the National Drug Abuse Control Council (NDACC) of Belize’s Ministry of Health. Among the twenty-one participants were representatives from Belize’s Attorney General’s office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Financial Intelligence Unit and Anti Drug Unit.

Opening remarks were delivered by the Honorable Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize; Ms. Kim Osborne, Representative of the Organization of American States in Belize; Mr. Esner Vellos, Director of the NDACC; and Ms. Angela Crowdy, MEM Section Coordinator.

The purpose of the workshop was to inform NCE representatives of their role during the upcoming three-year evaluation cycle, as well as to review the MEM questionnaire of indicators for the Fifth Evaluation Round and all process-related issues. The sessions included productive discussions on ways to strengthen the capacities of NCEs in the region, and encouraged the exchange of ideas and experiences among participants.

In conjunction with the workshop, CICAD Executive Secretary Ambassador James Mack met with the Hon. Elvin Penner, Minister of Youth, Sports, Information and Broadcasting & CEO; Dr. Peter Allen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minister of Health; and the Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to promote CICAD’s activities within the country and encourage political support for the MEM's Fifth Evaluation Round.

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• Mexico:

The Fifth Evaluation Round workshop for National Coordinating Entities (NCEs) of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) was held July 16 – 17 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City, with twenty-four participants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Opening remarks were delivered by Ambassador Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo, Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mexican Foreign Service, as well as Dr. Adrián Franco Zevada, Coordinator of International Affairs of Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Abraham Stein, Assistant Secretary for Multidimensional Security at the Organization of American States (OAS), and Ambassador Oscar Maúrtua de Romaña, Representative of the OAS in Mexico.

The purpose of this workshop was to inform the NCEs regarding their role during the forthcoming three-year MEM evaluation cycle, from the process of compiling and coordinating information to its submission, analysis and evaluation.

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• Guatemala:

On January 23rd, Ms. Angela Crowdy, MEM Section Coordinator, and Mr. Carlos Tambini, Guatemala’s MEM contact, jointly with the Executive Secretariat for the Commission against Addictions and Illicit Drug Trafficking (SECCATID), conducted a workshop for all relevant Guatemalan personnel providing information for the MEM evaluation. Opening remarks were delivered by SECCATID Executive Secretary Mr. Edgar Camargo, who stressed the importance of the MEM process and the recommendations assigned during the Fourth Evaluation Round.

During the session, the team met with representatives of several national institutions, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Farm and Food, Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Government, Ministry of Education, Public Ministry, Superintendency of Banks, and new personnel of SECCATID, to discuss the MEM process as well as the implementation status of recommendations from the present round.
 

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2008

• Bolivia: 

Bolivia’s Secretariat for Coordination of the National Council for the Fight against Illicit Drug (CONALTID) invited the MEM Section to La Paz, Bolivia to conduct a training workshop for the national institutions responsible for providing information for the evaluation of country’s progress in drug control. This workshop took place June 17, 2008, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. The event was opened by Ambassador Hugo Fernandez, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Ambassador Bernhard Griesinger, OAS Representative in Bolivia, and Ms. Angela Crowdy, MEM Section Coordinator. The purpose of this workshop was to familiarize the national institutions with the MEM process and its importance in improving member states’ anti-drug policies.

In addition, MEM Section staff held meeting with various authorities involved in the evaluation process, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, the Ministry of Social Defense, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Ministry of Coca and Integral Development, and the Ministry of Health.

• Venezuela: 

Venezuela’s National Anti-drug Office (ONA) invited the MEM Section to conduct an institutional visit June 25 – 26. During this visit Ms. Angela Crowdy, MEM Section Coordinator, and Mr. Carlos Tambini met with ONA’s leadership staff, directed by Colonel Luis Reverol. In addition, they met with several other authorities involved in the evaluation process, including the Vice Minister of Internal Affairs, Tamara Duque; María Alejandra Ávila Avila, member of the National Assembly; and Supreme Court Representative Martha Tineo.

The purpose of this visit was to discuss the recommendations assigned to Venezuela during the current fourth round of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism.
 

• Panama: 

A Capacity-Building Workshop for the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism’s (MEM) National Coordinating Entities (NCEs) from the Spanish-speaking countries of Central and South America, as well as Mexico and the Dominican Republic, was held July 14-15 in Panama City, Panama. The workshop was organized in cooperation with the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Study and Prevention of Drug-related Crimes (CONAPRED).

The workshop was opened by Ms. Ana Matilde Gómez Ruiloba, Attorney General and President of CONAPRED, and Doctor Raul Lago, OAS Representative in Panama. The workshop was directed toward those national institutions responsible for compiling and providing relevant information for the evaluation of progress in drug control policy.
 

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• The Bahamas: 

A Capacity-Building Workshop for the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism’s (MEM) National Coordinating Entities (NCEs) from the English-speaking Caribbean, the United States and Canada was held July 17-18 in Nassau, the Bahamas. The workshop was organized in cooperation with the Division of Drugs, Crime and Maritime Affairs of the Bahamas’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The workshop was opened by Mr. Tommy Turnquest, Minister of National Security; Commander Godfrey Rolle, Division of Drugs, Crime and Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ms. Juliet Phillip, OAS Representative in the Bahamas; Ms. Beverly Reynolds, CARICOM Secretariat; and Ms. Angela Crowdy, MEM Section Coordinator. The workshop was directed toward those national institutions responsible for compiling and providing relevant information for the evaluation of progress in drug control policy.
 

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2007

• Panama: 

On July 4 and 5th, the MEM conducted a promotional visit to Panama, which consisted of three institutional meetings and one training workshop.

The meetings were held with staff from the National Commission for the Study and Prevention of Drug-related Crimes (CONAPRED) and the CONAPRED commissions, comprising consultants from various Ministries, as well as staff from the Council on Public Security and National Defense’s Financial Analysis Unit.

A training workshop was held for the national entities that provide information for the evaluation of progress in drug policy, and took place at the University of Panama’s Conference Center.

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• Haiti: 

James Mack, CICAD's Executive Secretary, Angela Crowdy, MEM Coordinator, and Carlos Tambini, Haiti's MEM contact,  carried out  a  MEM  promotional visit to Haiti  from  13-14 August.  Meetings  were held with a number of government officials, including Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis, and heads of  various Ministries and international organizations, among them Mr. Gerald Germain, Minister of Social Affairs, Mr. Fritz Belizaire, Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Rene Magloire, Minister of Justice and Public Safety, Mr. Jean Raynald Clerisme, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Edmond Mulet, head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, and Mr. Arthur Gray, OAS Representative in Haiti.

Additionally , a MEM workshop was held for Haiti's national institutions, focusing on the many organizations that provide information to the National Drug Control Commission (CONALD)for Haiti's Fourth Round Evaluation of Progress  Report  in Drug Control, 2005 - 2006 . 

Press:

• Haiti Press Network (French)

• Metropole Haiti (French)

• Caribbean press releases (English)

• Alter presse (French)

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2006

• Costa Rica: 

  

On October 17 a MEM Promotional visit was made to Costa Rica. This visit was co-hosted by the Instituto Costarricense sobre Drogas (ICD). This visit included meetings with various government ministries and institutions involved in the MEM process. The objective of these meetings was to promote the MEM and to enhance coordination between the various government agencies and institutions involved in Costa Rica's anti-drug efforts.

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• Guatemala:

On October 12-13 a MEM Promotional Visit to raise awareness among various government agencies was made to Guatemala.  The visit included a training workshop for national agencies involved in the collection of information for the Questionnaire of Indicators. The workshop was hosted with the collaboration of the Comisión contra las Adicciones y el Tráfico Ilícito de Drogas (SECCATID). Meetings were also held with various government ministries that are involved in the MEM process. These meetings were held to enhance inter-institutional cooperation and dialogue in order to strengthen Guatemala's anti-drug policies.

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• Suriname:

International Anti-Narcotics Conference, 12-13 October 2006

An International Anti-Narcotics Conference was held from October 12 - 13 at the Hotel Torarica in Paramaribo, Suriname. The main purpose of this Conference was to determine policy on coordinating and intensifying bilateral, regional and global efforts aimed at limiting narcotics' trafficking and dismantling drug-related criminal organizations. The event had participants from: Aruba; Brazil; Colombia; France; Guyana; Netherlands Antilles; Kingdom of the Netherlands; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; United States of America; Venezuela; United Nations Development Program (UNDP); Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)/ Organization of American States (OAS); Caribbean Community (CARICOM); Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF); European Union (EU); International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). A presentation on the MEM Evaluation process was delivered by the MEM Section.

Remarks by the President of the Republic of Suriname His Excellency Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan, on the occasion of the Opening Ceremony of the International Anti-Narcotics Conference, October 12, 2006.

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On October 13, 2006 a training workshop was held for national institutions of Suriname responsible for collecting information for the Questionnaire of Indicators.  The workshop was sponsored by the National Anti-Drug Council (NAR) and its objective was to increase the awareness of the MEM process among the national institutions of Suriname.  The workshop was attended by members of NAR and by representatives from various sectors involved in drug control in Suriname.  Presentations were made by a member of the MEM Section, NAR, and by the Governmental Expert from Suriname.

 

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• Paraguay:

Training for Paraguayan national institutions

Asuncion, Paraguay

September 15, 2006

Secretaría Nacional Antidrogas (SENAD) / Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD).

• Venezuela:

Training for Venezuelan national institutions

Caracas, Venezuela

September 19, 2006

Oficina Nacional Antidrogas de Venezuela (ONA) /  (CICAD)

 

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• Colombia:

Training Session III for the National Coordinating Entities (NCE) from South American countries(Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela)

Bogota, Colombia 

July 27-28, 2006

Dirección Nacional de Estupefacientes de Colombia (DNE) / CICAD

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Training for Colombian National Institutions

Ministry of Foreign Relations - Bogota, Colombia

Monday, July 31, 2006

 

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• El Salvador:

Training Session II for the National Coordinating Entities (NCE) from Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua), Mexico, Panama, and Dominican Republic

International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), Academia Nacional de Seguridad Pública de El Salvador

San Salvador, El Salvador

July 18-19, 2006

Bulletin from the National Academy of Public Security (in Spanish)

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• Jamaica:

Training Session I for the National Coordinating Entities (NCE) from Caribbean countries (Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), Canada, and the United States of America.

Rose Hall Hotel, Montego Bay, Jamaica

July 11-12, 2006

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• Model OAS General Assembly

The 23rd Model OAS General Assembly (MOAS) for university students from OAS member states was held 5-9 March 2006 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The MOAS consisted of simulations of meetings of the Permanent Council and the General Assembly.  Students represented member states during these simulations and the MEM Section participated as a consultant reviewing resolutions related to the MEM.

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2005

Click here to see all the MEM Workshops and Promotional Activities carried out during 2005