Adam E. Namm
Executive Secretary, CICAD
TheInter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (known by its Spanish language acronym, CICAD) is the consultative and advisory body of the OAS on the drug issue. It serves as a forum for OAS member states to discuss and find solutions to the drug problem and provides them technical assistance to increase their capacity to counter the drug problem.
Since its establishment in 1986, CICAD and its Executive Secretariat have responded to the ever-changing challenges of drug control, expanding its efforts to promote regional cooperation and coordination with and among its member states.
The CICAD Executive Secretariat, led by an Executive Secretary and Assistant Executive Secretary, is composed of two sections with a total of five units (see chart here):
- Drug Control Capacity Building and Technical Assistance Section
- Evidence-Based Drug Policy Section: Information, Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Data Collection and Analysis
In December 2020, OAS member states approved by consensus the new OAS Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its corresponding five-year Plan of Action 2021-2025. Through the Strategy, OAS member states recognize the importance of efforts made to address the world drug problem, including ratification and implementation of relevant international conventions, and at the same time, acknowledge the need to strengthen drug policies, strategies, and actions.
The Hemispheric Plan of Action on Drugs (2021-2025), a guide for the implementation of the Strategy, supports member states and reiterates their commitment to placing individuals at the core of drug policies and programs and furthering tangible progress in addressing the world drug problem within the framework of the three international drug control conventions and other relevant international instruments, in full respect of the principles of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
CICAD works closely with partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Narcotics Control Board, the Pan American Health Organization, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and the Regional Security System. CICAD also maintains strong ties with civil society, including the participation of civil society in all CICAD regular sessions.
@cicad_oea