TUNIS, Oct 22 (KUNA) -- Secretary-General of the Arab Interior Ministers' Council (AIMC), Mohammad Koman, emphasized the need for concentrated efforts and constant vigilance to combat drugs in Arab countries during his speech at the 39th Arab Conference of Heads of Anti-Narcotics Agencies.
The conference kicked off Wednesday in Tunisia, with a Kuwaiti delegation chaired by Interior Ministry's Chief of the General Directorate for Drug Control Brigadier General Mohammad Qabazard.
In his speech, Koman reflected that the magnitude of the current challenges and threats associated with the spread of narcotics and psychotropic substances in Arab societies necessitates greater cooperation to confront them.
Rapid developments in the illicit drug trafficking market and the continued efforts of drug gangs to devise new methods for smuggling and concealing narcotics, imposes increasing burdens on anti-narcotics agencies in law enforcement operations.
He also emphasized the importance of joint Arab security coordination in addressing the drug phenomenon through the meeting of the working group concerned with the immediate exchange of information on narcotics and psychotropic substances within the conference proceedings.
He also discussed a proposal to establish an Arab drug observatory and reformulate the Arab strategy to combat the illicit use of narcotics and psychotropic substances, highlighting the critical importance of prevention and raising awareness of the dangers of narcotics in the Arab world.
These efforts include a proposal to organize an annual Arab Week for Drug Prevention and Control, which would provide a real opportunity to intensify awareness programs about the dangers of drugs and protect youth.
Koman said that the exchange of information and expertise between Arab drug control agencies reflects the member states' commitment to sharing best practices in the field of drug control by reviewing the plans of some countries to address narcotics and psychotropic substances, as well as examining recent developments and trends in trading and consuming them.
The conference will feature the heads of drug control agencies in Arab countries, along with the GCC's Criminal Information Center to Combat Drugs, the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime, the EU's Action Against Organized Crime and Terrorism, the EU's Drugs Agency, and the International Protection Center, with the aim of supporting joint Arab security coordination in combating the drug phenomenon.
Kuwait's delegation participating in the conference includes Qabazard, Director of the International Drug Control Department, Colonel Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, and First Lieutenant Abdulhadi Al-Attar, an officer in the General Department for Drug Control.
The conference was preceded by a meeting of the Working Group on the Immediate Exchange of Information which serves as an early warning tool within which member states immediately exchange up-to-date information on drug shipments, new substances, concealment methods, and smuggling techniques, and discuss periodic reports on drugs. (end) smb.maa.res