Ministerial Meeting on Enhancing the Cooperation Effectiveness in Combating Transnational Drug Crime on 9-11 September 2019, Hanoi, Viet Nam
News / View / ASEAN Information
Wednesday 11th of September 2019
Ministerial Meeting on Enhancing the Cooperation Effectiveness in Combating Transnational Drug Crime on 9-11 September 2019, Hanoi, Viet Nam
The Ministerial Meeting on Enhancing the Cooperation Effectiveness in Combating Transnational Drug Crime was held on 9-11 September 2019 in Hanoi by Ministry of Public Security and Counter Narcotics Department. Ministers and senior officials from ASEAN Member States that were affected by the illicit drugs from the Golden Triangle attended the meeting, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam as well as minister and senior officials from China and representatives from dialogues were invited to participate, namely, Australian Federal Police, Drug Law Enforcement Administration and United Nations on Drugs and Crime. This special Ministerial Meeting was the initiative of Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam since Viet Nam and other participating countries were affected by drug situation in the East and Southeast Asian region, particularly, in the Golden Triangle; in the first 9 months of 2019, Viet Nam arrested more than 13,000 cases, more than 20,000 subjects as well as seized 5 tons of drugs with more than 500 synthetic drugs, more than 750 kilogrammes of heroin, etc. The Meeting was held to raise the awareness on the increase of alarming challenges of drug problem in the region that needed mutual cooperation from concerned countries and organizations to tackle the illicit drug problem.
H.E. Mr. Troung Hoa Bin, Deputy Prime Minister delivered the opening remark and H.E. General To Lam, Minister of Public Security chaired the meeting. The meeting was held in plenary session and multilateral groups meetings on key illicit drug trafficking routes such as Cambodia-Thailand-Viet Nam, Lao PDR- Myanmar-Thailand-Viet Nam, China-Viet Nam, Philippines-Viet Nam, Viet Nam-AFP-DEA-UNODC and the bilateral meetings on the sidelines. At the group meetings, countries assessed and shared information on drug situation, trafficking routes in the region. The lists of drug offenders and wanted fugitives or suspects hiding in other countries were shared at the group meetings.
Facing complicated situation of drug-related crimes, in order to continue effectively implementing the contents of cooperation in the coming time, the Ministerial Meeting adopted the Joint Declaration aiming at promoting and enhancing the cooperation in fighting against drugs among countries and organizations attending the meeting. This meeting, therefore, is an important contribution to ASEAN region and its Cooperation Plan to Tackle Illicit Drug Production and Trafficking in the Golden Triangle, East Asia and the Pacific region as well as the worldwide joint effort on drug control.
