Approximately ten days ago (17th April 2009) on the occasion of the Inaugural Ceremony of the Fifth Summit of the Americas which was convened in Port- of- Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Dean O. Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) made reference to the “bete noir” or literally the black beast that continues to challenge the Region. This particular beast was identified as the ‘ever increasing crime’ ‘fuelled’ in part by ‘trafficking in illicit drugs and arms.’

The Chairman of CARICOM also highlighted the fact that the Region had not been passive but had taken positive steps to address this issue. Indeed the Community has step up to the plate, as it were, to aggressively address the problem of drug trafficking regionally and nationally through the establishment of a fourth pillar for Community development, that is, programmes and initiatives to address Crime and Security which are being implemented and strengthened through the work of the Implementing Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).

Likewise initiatives to reduce the demand for illicit drugs and treatment of substance abusers are being strengthened by in-country technical support to Member States. Such support is provided through the Technical Advisory Body for the Regional Drug Demand Reduction Strategy (RDDRS).

The supply of, and demand for illicit drugs are inextricably linked, and if we are to see meaningful, sustained results, we must address this phenomenon as a whole and not as two disparate issues. The development of National Anti-Drug Strategies and Plans is one way of marrying the two and in this regard the CARICOM Secretariat is pleased to be collaborating with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the Organization of American States (CICAD/OAS) in conducting this regional training workshop for developing, implementing and monitoring National Anti-Drug Strategy and Plan.

We are expecting that the participants (practitioners and senior officials from both supply control and demand reduction), will leave this week of training, with knowledge, skills and tools that will enable and guide them in effectively implementing and monitoring their own National anti- drugs strategy and plan.

The CARICOM Secretariat is committed to provide, on request from Member States, follow-up in-country technical support for this initiative.

Thank you.