ASEAN-NARCO : The 1st ASEAN Drug Monitoring Network Operational Workshop “Promoting Effective Drug Monitoring Cooperation at ASEAN Level”

News / View / ADMN

Wednesday 24th of February 2016

ASEAN-NARCO : The 1st ASEAN Drug Monitoring Network Operational Workshop “Promoting Effective Drug Monitoring Cooperation at ASEAN Level”

             The Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand (ONCB) will host the 1st ASEAN Drug Monitoring Network Operational Workshop during 24 – 26 February 2016 at The Century Park Hotel, Bangkok. The participants are from ASEAN Member States, Plus Three Countries which are China, Japan and South Korea together with the representatives from The Administrative Committee of Substance abuse Academic Network (ACSAN), ASEAN Secretariat, as well as Thai relevant agencies. The objectives of this workshop are to develop and adopt a common direction including guidelines for data and information sharing and management for the monitoring of drug situation in the ASEAN region. The ASEAN Drug Monitoring Report will be publicized and the result of this workshop will be presented to the 37th ASOD which will be hosted by Thailand this year. According to the ASEAN+3 Workshop on Drug Monitoring Network of the ASEAN-NARCO hosted by Thailand last year, Member States agreed to establish the information sharing network among ASEAN and ASEAN Drug Monitoring Team would be formed which requires contact persons from demand reduction and supply reduction with one additional person for data management appointed from their respective Government to work and to be central coordinator. They will work together to coordinate, analyze and gather all data and information on drug situation as ASEAN Drug Monitoring Team. This Workshop will be within the framework of ASEAN-NARCO which will reflect the attempt and efforts of ASEAN Member States to work toward ASEAN Drug Free which remains to be the ultimate goal of ASEAN Member States. The ONCB, as the project coordinator of ASEAN Drug Monitoring Network, has presented the result of the ASEAN+3 Workshop on Drug Monitoring Network of the ASEAN - NARCO to the 36th ASOD meeting in Singapore held during 24 – 26 August 2015. ASOD has officially endorsed this project result. Moreover, Thailand also submitted the 1 year work plan of data analysis and linkage of drug monitoring data to the 36th ASOD as well. The 1st ASEAN-NARCO Drug Monitoring Network Operational Workshop, to be held during 24 – 26 February 2016, is the first follow-up activity that was specified in the 1 year work plan of ASEAN Drug Monitoring Network. Three appointed contact persons are invited from each country and relevant organizations to develop and adopt a common direction including guidelines for collecting, analyzing, interpreting and synthesizing data and drug information. Such process reflexes our strong aspiration and proactive measures to effectively monitor illicit drugs threats in this region.