ID :
184247
Wed, 05/25/2011 - 08:15
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http://m.oananews.org//node/184247
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Laos strongly pledges to struggle against drugs problems
VIENTIANE,MAY.(KPL) - Lao government is strongly committed to struggling against drugs problems by taking preventive, suppressive and curative measures, said Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong.
In addition, the effective struggle against drugs requires cohesive and resolute actions. Most importantly, comprehensive law enforcement and share responsibility must be ensured as drugs issue, in its nature, is an international issue and sans frontier, he continued.
The Lao government is also strongly committed to cooperating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Great Mekong Sub-region countries in setting up a National Drug Control Master Plan, scheduled for the 2009-2013 period, according to Prime Minister Thongsing’s speech giving at the Ministerial Meeting of the Signatory Countries to the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in Vientiane Capital, on 24 May.
The master plan includes nine programmed which I would not go for further details at this moment. Nevertheless, I believe that the implementation of such programme will result in a gradual reduction in drugs problem in the Lao PDR, this contributing to realising a Drug-Free ASEAN by 2015 as expected and planed, PM Thongsing has further stated.
The meeting was attended by Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office and Chairman of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision of Lao PDR Mr. Soubanh Srithirath, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Operation Division UNODC, Mr. Francis Martens, and representatives from Great Mekong Region of Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
“As we all are aware that countries in the world are encountering important problems which need both short and long-term solutions. Drugs issue, among others, attracts much of our concerns as narcotic drugs are the collective mankind scourge which greatly poses negative impacts on the socio-economic development and are the source of inevitable social evils,” he said.
For those reasons, countries and international community are actively seeking ways and means to resolve this problem. However, there are yet to be effective means and measures that definitely ensure the achievement in suppressing and tackling drugs issue, he urged.
The opium production has seen a decreasing trend for a while; the problem then relapses and has seen an increasing trend. Additionally, the illicit trafficking and trading of methamphetamines and other amphetamine-type of stimulants and its precursors which are well concealed in order to circumvent the inspection by relevant officers are increasing; the number of drug users is also on the rise. Drug abuse varies in methods but the most risky one is sharing injecting drug needles which results in a number of infections and transmission of HIV/AIDS.
All this clearly indicates that drugs issue constitutes a major problem that threatens humankind. Therefore, the solution to the problem is not an individual responsibility of any particular country.
“I earnestly hope that this meeting will be an opportunity for us to discuss and find the ways and mean for resolving drugs issue with effectiveness and sustainability. The Lao government is ready to fully support the concerted drug control efforts of the international community as well as of the UNODC,” he pledged.
The meeting provided opportunity for country participants to assess the achievements grained, the strengths, weaknesses and shortcomings of and lesson learnt from the implementation of the Sub-regional Action Plan 7 which was approved at the previous meetings. In addition, the meeting will also design and approve the future directions and plans of action which will be served as reference and guidelines for the cooperation in dealing with drug problems in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, he added.
In addition, the effective struggle against drugs requires cohesive and resolute actions. Most importantly, comprehensive law enforcement and share responsibility must be ensured as drugs issue, in its nature, is an international issue and sans frontier, he continued.
The Lao government is also strongly committed to cooperating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Great Mekong Sub-region countries in setting up a National Drug Control Master Plan, scheduled for the 2009-2013 period, according to Prime Minister Thongsing’s speech giving at the Ministerial Meeting of the Signatory Countries to the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in Vientiane Capital, on 24 May.
The master plan includes nine programmed which I would not go for further details at this moment. Nevertheless, I believe that the implementation of such programme will result in a gradual reduction in drugs problem in the Lao PDR, this contributing to realising a Drug-Free ASEAN by 2015 as expected and planed, PM Thongsing has further stated.
The meeting was attended by Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office and Chairman of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision of Lao PDR Mr. Soubanh Srithirath, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Operation Division UNODC, Mr. Francis Martens, and representatives from Great Mekong Region of Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
“As we all are aware that countries in the world are encountering important problems which need both short and long-term solutions. Drugs issue, among others, attracts much of our concerns as narcotic drugs are the collective mankind scourge which greatly poses negative impacts on the socio-economic development and are the source of inevitable social evils,” he said.
For those reasons, countries and international community are actively seeking ways and means to resolve this problem. However, there are yet to be effective means and measures that definitely ensure the achievement in suppressing and tackling drugs issue, he urged.
The opium production has seen a decreasing trend for a while; the problem then relapses and has seen an increasing trend. Additionally, the illicit trafficking and trading of methamphetamines and other amphetamine-type of stimulants and its precursors which are well concealed in order to circumvent the inspection by relevant officers are increasing; the number of drug users is also on the rise. Drug abuse varies in methods but the most risky one is sharing injecting drug needles which results in a number of infections and transmission of HIV/AIDS.
All this clearly indicates that drugs issue constitutes a major problem that threatens humankind. Therefore, the solution to the problem is not an individual responsibility of any particular country.
“I earnestly hope that this meeting will be an opportunity for us to discuss and find the ways and mean for resolving drugs issue with effectiveness and sustainability. The Lao government is ready to fully support the concerted drug control efforts of the international community as well as of the UNODC,” he pledged.
The meeting provided opportunity for country participants to assess the achievements grained, the strengths, weaknesses and shortcomings of and lesson learnt from the implementation of the Sub-regional Action Plan 7 which was approved at the previous meetings. In addition, the meeting will also design and approve the future directions and plans of action which will be served as reference and guidelines for the cooperation in dealing with drug problems in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, he added.
