The Caribbean Community Secretariat is seeking to empower CARICOM Member States to tackle more effectively the worsening illicit drug problem within the Caribbean through the development and subsequent implementation of National Anti Drug Strategies and Plans.

To this end the Secretariat has collaborated with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the Organization of American States (CICAD/OAS, the Saint Lucia Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACS) to conduct a three-day Regional Workshop on the Development of National Anti-Drug Strategies and Plans in an effort to build capacity and empower Member States to develop and implement their national anti drug plans.

This initiative should ultimately result in controlling the supply of, and reducing the demand for illicit drugs.

The three-day regional workshop commences on Tuesday, 28 April at the Bay Garden Hotel in Castries Saint Lucia with an official opening ceremony to be addressed by officials from the CARICOM Secretariat, the Government of Saint Lucia and CICAD and closes on Friday, 1 May.

In endeavouring to build the capacity of the Caribbean human resources to develop and deliver effective strategies and plans, the workshop will also provide basic tools such as a manual reflecting Caribbean peculiarities and experiences for the development of strategies and plans in the area of drug control and demand reduction.

The workshop brings together directors and chairpersons of National Drug Commissions or Councils, policymakers in related government ministries and specialized personnel dedicated to the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national drug policies and provides an opportunity to capture the views of policy makers and operation officers as well as to promote the work being done by the Secretariat in drug demand reduction.