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Improving the Implementation of the International Drug Control Treaties through enhanced cooperation between INCB and National Drug Control Administrators

Addis Ababa -

Improving the Implementation of the International Drug Control Treaties through enhanced cooperation between INCB and National Drug Control Administrators

UNICRI and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Secretariat conducted a joint training seminar from 17-21 June 2013 at the headquarters of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for representatives of the national competent authorities of 12 West African countries.

The training was opened by the Deputy Director General of the Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Control Authority, a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Senior Drug Control Officer from the African Union (AU). The countries participating were: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ethiopia (as hosting country), Ghana, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia ,Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

The training seminar aimed to strengthen the capacity of the participating national competent authorities to implement their reporting obligations under the UN drug control treaties, to reinforce cooperation between governments in the West African region and the Board and to build synergies between regional stakeholders.

Topics covered included: general obligations under the UN drug control conventions, best practices in improving the collection and processing of data for the submission of reports to the Board, national control measures including those related to contacts with industry and measures to increase the availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. A presentation on electronic tools to assist national competent authorities in their work was made by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

The Seminar was highly interactive and was based on exchange of experiences, challenges and lessons learned including a presentation by Ghana on that country’s drug control measures.

The Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia, H.E. Amb. Renzo Mario Rosso, closed the training and delivered the attendance certificates to participants.