To kick off the establishment of a National Drugs Observatory in the country, experts from various Cuban organizations are participating in a workshop that will run until tomorrow, December 20, focused on the significance of this platform for the development of policies to combat drug use.
This initial meeting is organized by the Cuban Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the European Cooperation Program (COPOLAD III), led by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) of the Spanish Cooperation. The workshop also brings together experts from similar organizations in Portugal, Uruguay, and Panama.
The event addresses key issues to provide substance and functionality to the proposal. These include the importance of establishing a national research and information network on drugs, the formalization of a scientific advisory committee, and the development of a national research agenda on the issue.
It also delves into the relevance of defining the keys for establishing an Early Warning System for new psychoactive substances, emerging drugs, and other threats.
Experts from the Ministries of Justice, Interior, Education, Science and Technology, Public Health, and academia have presented the guidelines for a policy of confrontation and prevention of these issues in the country, the legal framework, the epidemiological situation, and the distribution market.
Through this, they emphasize the importance of prevention, treatment, and control policies for drug trafficking, as well as ongoing studies and research on various problems associated with these substances.
The technical assistance of COPOLAD III will continue until the launch of the National Observatory, scheduled for 2025.
