AG/RES. 2097 (XXXV-O/05) Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) Of The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission: Report On Its Third Evaluation Round

(Adopted at the fourth plenary session, held on June 7, 2005)

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,

HAVING SEEN the observations and recommendations of the Permanent Council on the annual reports of the organs, agencies, and entities of the Organization (AG/doc.4485/05), in particular with reference to the Annual Report of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission to the General Assembly (CICAD) (CP/doc.4033/05);

RECALLING that at the Third Summit of the Americas, the Heads of State and Government noted with satisfaction the creation and implementation of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), and reiterated their commitment to make this instrument, unique in the world, a central pillar of assistance toward effective hemispheric cooperation in the struggle against all the component elements of the worldwide drug problem;

RECOGNIZING that the MEM is a fundamental tool for obtaining a multilateral, objective, and transparentdiagnostic assessment of the manner in which states confront the drug problem in the Hemisphere; and that it also seeks to enhance inter-institutional coordination internally and internationally, dialogue among the competent authorities, and the optimization of resources devoted to cooperation among states in order to address the drug problem and related offenses more effectively;

CONSCIOUS that the changing nature of the world drug problem requires the MEM to evolve in a dynamic way so that its capacity to identify trends and follow up on individual and collective progress on the drug problem in the Hemisphere may be strengthened with each evaluation exercise; and

NOTING that the hemispheric report and the 33 national reports produced as a result of implementation of the third evaluation round of the MEM were approved by CICAD at its thirty-seventh regular session, held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in April 2005, and published with its recommendations in May 2005,

RESOLVES:

1. To note with satisfaction the approval by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) at its thirty-seventh regular session of the hemispheric report and the 33 national reports of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) produced as a result of its third evaluation round 2003-2004.

2. To endorse the reports of the MEM in their entirety; to urge the countries to implement the recommendations contained therein; and to request CICAD to present an updated report on compliance therewith to the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth regular session.

3. To urge member states to disseminate the national reports and the hemispheric report of the MEM, through their appropriate authorities, to their legislative branches and government institutions, the media, and civil society, so as to publicize the MEM and thereby increase the human and financial commitment of each member state and the Hemisphere to the fight against the drug problem and related offenses.

4. To welcome the striking progress made in national antidrug policies since the first evaluation round of the MEM 1999-2000 and its impact on the Hemisphere, which has made it possible to foster trust and dialogue among states; facilitated the exchange of information and best practices among governments in the Hemisphere; strengthened domestic legal frameworks in the member states, as well as the international legal framework by promoting a significant increase inthe ratification of important international instruments; and helped to optimize resources for hemispheric cooperation by channeling them to areas identified by the MEM.

5. To urge member states to renew the commitment they showed during the three MEM evaluation rounds, and to continue participating actively, fully, and in a timely manner in the fourth evaluation round, in particular by providing the introductory material required on the status of the drug problem and related offenses in each national report and by giving complete answers to the questionnaire and assuring the presence of their qualified governmental experts in the different phases of the process.

6. To recognize that the MEM is an evolving instrument that needs to be strengthened; and therefore to urge CICAD to continue striving to adapt and improve the evaluation process, through the Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG), before the beginning of the fourth evaluation round.

7. To recognize the dedicated work of the Governmental Experts Group (GEG) entrusted with preparing the reports during the third evaluation round; and to congratulate the National Coordinating Entities (NCEs), the institutions, and the numerous national agencies that cooperated by providing ample information for the process.

8. To urge member states and permanent observers to initiate, maintain, or increase their voluntary financial contributions to the MEM, in order to ensure its continuity and strengthen its impact.

9. To instruct the Executive Secretariat of CICAD to continue to support the member states in their national efforts to implement the recommendations made in the MEM process.