On 11-12 March, working groups of experts met at the Ministry of the Interior in Moscow to discuss ways to reduce the demand for narcotic drugs and to improve the legal framework for anti-drug cooperation as part of the Conference of the heads agencies of the SCO member states responsible for combating illicit drug trafficking.
Representatives of the concerned agencies discussed the implementation of the SCO concept to prevent narcotic-drug and psychotropic-substance abuse, analyzed current challenges and threats in this field, and agreed to continue cooperation to reduce the demand for drugs.
The experts also discussed the latest trends in the development of legal regulation of the circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors at national levels and analyzed the results of the steps being taken as part of the Action Plan for 2019-2020 on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2018-2023.
Following the results of two of the meetings, the parties agreed on the need for further consideration of current issues of multilateral anti-drug cooperation at the upcoming Meeting of senior officials of the anti-drug agencies of the SCO member states in Moscow on 7-8 April.