The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters was held in Brunei ‘s
capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan on September 3 to tackle the issue
of illegal drugs, moving towards a drug-free regional bloc by 2015.
During the meeting, ASEAN ministers discussed issues relating to drugs
and forged closer cooperation and collaboration among ASEAN member
states towards achieving a shared vision of having a stable, prosperous
and drug-free ASEAN by 2015.
The meeting also provided a platform
to better prepare for the final assessment on realising a drug-free
ASEAN by 2015, which will begin next year.
Earlier on September 2, at
the Preparatory Senior Officials Meeting for the ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting on Drug Matters (Prep-SOM), senior officials had a comprehensive
discussion on the regional drug situation in ASEAN, the achievements
recorded and the challenges towards achieving the vision of a Drug-Free
ASEAN 2015.
They also exchanged views and recommended several
initiatives on the way forward as well as stressed the importance of
conveying a consistent message on ASEAN’s work on addressing and
combating the drug problem.
The meeting acknowledged that ASEAN
would need to strengthen and enhanced cooperation on legal frameworks,
training and capacity building and partnerships with the private sector,
which includes the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
The
meeting also exchanged views on the implementation of the ASEAN Work
Plan on Combating Illicit Drug Production, Trafficking, and Use
(2009-2015), in which all ASEAN member states unanimously agreed that
realising Drug-Free ASEAN 2015 is the shared responsibility of all
stakeholders.-VNA