ASEAN ministers discuss drug issues

Minister of Public Security To Lam at the meeting. Photo: Tú Lê

Up to now, Vietnam has participated in five AMMD conferences in Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, respectively. The 6^th AMMD Conference hosted by Vietnam in 2018 was held in Hanoi.

The AMMD is a mechanism organized on the initiative of the Prime Minister of Thailand with the goal of realizing the "ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on a drug-free ASEAN by 2015" which had been approved by the heads of ASEAN member countries at the 20th ASEAN Summit held in Cambodia in April 2012.

This year, the 7th AMMD Conference focused on some main contents, including: updating the development situation in ASEAN; speech of the Heads of the ASEAN Ministerial Delegations on the drug matters; report on the results of the 41^st and 42^nd ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on drug matters; mid-term review report on ASEAN Work Plan on Securing Communities Against Illicit Drugs 2016-2025 and ASEAN Cooperation Plan to tackle illicit drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle.

The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drugs has always been evaluated as a dynamic cooperation framework, creating political momentum and strategic orientation, playing the leading role, directing and laying the foundation for multilateral cooperation in drug prevention and control among countries in the region.

At the same time, affirming its role as the nucleus in implementing priority goals, linking initiatives and cooperation mechanisms, contributing to synchronously solving problems of drug prevention, rehabilitation and law enforcement, striving to protect the ASEAN Community against drugs.

With that spirit, ASEAN has developed and approved the ASEAN Work Plan on Securing Communities Against Illicit Drugs 2016-2025 and ASEAN Cooperation Plan to tackle illicit drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle in the 2020-2022 period.

Up to now, ASEAN has published six regional drug surveillance reports and launched many initiatives such as: ASEAN portal on prevention education, working groups on law enforcement on drug prevention and control via air and at seaports, information centers for drug-related crime prevention and control; ASEAN agreed to use a blue and white ribbon as a symbol of drug prevention and control, conveying a message among young people and the community about perseverance in the fight against drugs.

Besides strengthening cohesion and intra-regional cooperation, ASEAN focused on promoting its leading role in expanding cooperation with partners and dialogue countries in drug prevention and control.

Addressing the plenary session, Minister of Public Security To Lam affirmed that Vietnam echoed ASEAN's common stance about the uncompromising attitude towards drugs and the long term goal of a drug-free ASEAN Community.

He emphasised that as a member nation, Vietnam had made active contributions to common activities of the bloc. It has been stepping up comprehensive and balanced solutions, and combining the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Securing Communities Against Illicit Drugs 2016 - 2025 and the ASEAN Cooperation Plan to Tackle Illicit Drug Production and Trafficking in the Golden Triangle 2020 - 2022 with its national programme on drug prevention and control.

Vietnam has amended and supplemented the Law on Drug Prevention and Control in order to effectively respond to the changing situation of crime and drugs; giving high priority to the implementation of solutions to effectively prevent illicit drug trafficking and transportation activities across borders by land, waterway and air; synchronously deploying solutions for communication and prevention education; diversifying and socializing treatment models for drug addiction and strictly control legal activities related to drugs.