Pubdate: Thu, 26 May 2005
Source: Gulf Daily News (Bahrain)
Copyright: 2005 Gulf Daily News.
Contact:  http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2979
Author: Abdulrahman Fakhri

GCC PLANS ANTI-DRUGS CAMPAIGN

A New Anti-Drugs Awareness Campaign Is To Be Launched Across The GCC.

GCC drug combating officials agreed at a meeting in Bahrain to set up a 
joint association to run the campaign.

Its creation is one of a list of recommendations to come out of the 19th 
meeting of GCC directors of drug-combating organisations.

The two-day meeting was held at the Diplomat Radisson SAS and ended on 
Tuesday and the recommendations were announced yesterday.

It was chaired by CID acting director Brigadier Farook Al Maawada and also 
discussed a variety of issues, including further efforts to combat drug 
trafficking between neighbouring Gulf countries.

The setting up of the Gulf Drugs Prevention Association aims at further 
improving joint operations to combat drug abuse in the Gulf region.

It will operate under the jurisdiction of the GCC General Secretariat and 
its work will focus on spreading awareness through various guidance 
programmes targeting Gulf nationals.

The association, which is yet to be allocated a headquarters at one of the 
GCC states, will also encourage the involvement of the private sector as 
well as governmental and non-governmental organisations in awareness efforts.

The Gulf officials also agreed to draft a unified model legislation to be 
used as guidance in the legal fight against drug related cases.

Specialised joint training programmes to further upgrade the skills of 
drug-combating security authorities and encouraging further studies and 
statistics on drug combating efforts, were also among the list of 
recommendations.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom