cannabisnews.com: High-Level Contact Group on Drug Control Meets 





High-Level Contact Group on Drug Control Meets 
Posted by FoM on November 10, 1999 at 11:03:40 PT
By Associated Press
Source: Boston Globe
The following was released by the Embassy of Mexico: The High-Level Contact Group on Drug Control (HLCG) held working-group sessions and its Plenary Meeting today in Washington, D.C. 
The Mexican and U.S. delegations discussed the advances achieved by each country, in their respective jurisdictions, against the scourge of drugs since the last HLCG meeting in Mexico City in June. Both delegations also worked towards achieving common goals to be reached in the year 2000. The discussions encompassed the broad array of drug-related issues and bilateral cooperation against drug trafficking, such as eradication, interception, training, and extradition. They also examined the progress being attained in the reduction of drug demand, the control of chemical precursors, and money laundering. In addition, they advanced in their discussions towards an Agenda for the year 2000. The inauguration of the Plenary Session meeting took place this afternoon. Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations, Rosario Green, praised the merits of the HLCG. She stressed that it has kept the communication channels open, even at critical moments, when our capacity to dialogue and our commitment to continue fighting together against this scourge, have been put to test. ''Thus, we must take advantage of what has already been constructed to continue strengthening a counter-narcotics cooperation sustained upon our willingness to reach longstanding commitments in order to discard doubts, distrust, surprises, and unilateral decisions,'' she declared. ''Upon looking towards the future,'' stated Secretary Green, ''the HLCG provides an inevitable legacy: our dialogue and our interaction have made us grow accustomed to undertaking a joint responsibility when confronting the problem of drug-trafficking.'' In this forum, Secretary Green presented two proposals of future actions: one multilateral and one bilateral. She underscored the importance of working together towards the success of the CICAD's Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism, which the countries in the Americas recently approved in Montevideo, Uruguay. Referring to the bilateral proposal, the Mexican Secretary suggested the adoption of a cooperation agenda for the year 2000, which includes the bilateral commitments to combat drug trafficking, undertaken by the Administrations of Presidents Ernesto Zedillo and Bill Clinton. ''Without a doubt, the creation and formal adoption of an 'Agenda 2000' will contribute toward the consolidation of the achievements which we have attained and toward the development of a legacy of institutional cooperation for future administrations.'' The Secretary stated that a first important step would be the adoption of the Report on the Implementation of the Measures of Effectiveness, agreed upon as a part of the effort to implement the Mexico-U.S. Bi-national Drug Strategy. The Mexican delegation is jointly headed by Secretary of Foreign Relations, Rosario Green, and Attorney General Jorge Madrazo. Other members of the delegation include Jesus F. Reyes-Heroles, Mexico's Ambassador to the United States; Juan Rebolledo, Undersecretary for North America and Europe at the Secretariat of Foreign Relations; Jorge Tello, Undersecretary for Public Security at the Secretariat of Gobernacion, Eduardo Ibarrola, Deputy Attorney General for International Legal Affairs; General Juan Heriberto Salinas, Chief of Staff at the Secretariat of National Defense; Admiral Manuel Garcia Carmona, Chief of Staff at the Secretariat for the Navy; Mariano Herran, Special Prosecutor Against Drug Trafficking; Admiral Wilfrido Robledo, Director of the National Preventive Police, at the Secretariat of Gobernacion, and officials from the secretariats of Finance and of Health. The U.S. delegation is headed by Attorney General Janet Reno and by General Barry McCaffrey, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The U.S. delegation also includes high-ranking officials from several cabinet departments and law enforcement agencies. The HLCG was established by President Zedillo and President Clinton in 1996 to ensure continuous coordination and cooperation in the fight against the common drug threat at the highest cabinet level. Since its creation, the HLCG has fostered dialogue, institutionalized cooperative efforts, and has established the need for a comprehensive approach to confront drug trafficking under the perspective of shared responsibility. On other matters, and continuing with her three-day working schedule in Washington D.C., Secretary Green met today with Javier Solana, European Union Commissioner for Security and Foreign Policy, who is also in Washington, and requested a meeting with Secretary Green. During the encounter, both officials exchanged viewpoints on the current situation in Latin America and its relations with the European Union. Secretary Green and Commissioner Solana discussed the proposals regarding the ratification of the Agreement of Economic Association, Political Concertation, signed between Mexico and the European Union. Hereby follows an unofficial translation of Secretary Green's statement to the HLCG Plenary Meeting: Statement by Rosario Green, Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Relations at the VII Plenary Session of the Mexico-U.S. High Level Contact Group for Drug Control Washington, D.C., November 9, 1999 Ms. Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States of America; Mr. Barry McCaffrey, Director of the Office for National Drug Control Policy; Mr. Jorge Madrazo, Attorney General of Mexico; Distinguished members of the Mexican and U.S. Delegations: It is a pleasure to co-chair, once again, along with my colleague, Attorney General Jorge Madrazo, over the work of this Plenary Meeting of the Mexico-United States High Level Contact Group for Drug Control (HLCG). I wish to convey our friends from the U.S. the appreciation of the Mexican delegation for the preparations they have made in order to guarantee the successful development of this encounter. Drug trafficking creates unacceptable costs for the welfare of our societies, putting at risk the future of our youths. It constitutes, moreover, a threat to the strength of our public and private institutions, as well as to our countries' national securities. For that reason, the Government of Mexico wishes to state once more its firm commitment to continue fighting strongly this transnational threat. We reaffirm our disposition to continue cooperating with the Government of the United States to strengthen our fight against our common enemy: criminal organizations that reap illicit profits, corrupt institutions and sow violence and destruction in both countries. The Delegation of Mexico is convinced of the important contribution that the High Level Contact Group has made over the last few years to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the war against drugs. The accords and understandings that, based upon joint responsibility and comprehensiveness as well as upon respect to the sovereignty and national jurisdiction of each country, we have been able to reach within this mechanism, has become the framework that rules over our bilateral counter-narcotics cooperation programs. The HLCG has allowed us to maintain our communication channels open, even in critical moments, when our capacity to dialogue and our commitment to continue fighting together against this scourge, have been put to test. We must acknowledge that, contrary to what was the case in the past, when we had not created this mechanism, we now have the capability to find early warning and timely information exchange formulas, that allow us to keep cooperating even under adverse circumstances. Thus, we must take advantage of what has already been constructed to continue strengthening a counter-narcotics cooperation sustained upon our willingness to reach longstanding commitments in order to discard doubts, distrust, surprises, and unilateral decisions. We should not allow past experiences that harmed the bilateral relation to happen again. We must avoid bureaucratic agendas or political parochialisms from derailing the advances we have reached within this Group and from undermining our capability to achieve the goals that we have together set for ourselves in the fight against drug-trafficking. Upon looking towards the future,'' stated Secretary Green, ''the HLCG provides an inevitable legacy: our dialogue and our interaction have made us grow accustomed to undertaking a joint responsibility when confronting the problem of drug-trafficking. We now rely, for the first time, upon a comprehensive perspective through which all aspects of this phenomenon receive adequate response, allowing us to leave behind the false dilemma about giving higher priority either to reducing supply or demand for illicit drugs. I wish, for these reasons, to take advantage of this opportunity to introduce to proposals for future action: one of a multi-lateral nature, the other one, bilateral. With regard to the first one, I would like to suggest that we work together to support the success of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism that countries from this continent approved in Montevideo within CICAD. The exercise that we will initiate in January 2000 will allow us to establish the parameters our Hemisphere requires to confront and attack, in an articulate, consensual and intelligent way, the increasing sophistication and aggressiveness of criminal organizations. As to the second one, I would like to propose the adoption of a cooperation agenda for 2000, where the commitments to effectively combat drug-trafficking assumed by the Administrations of Presidents Zedillo and Clinton, are established. Without a doubt, the creation and formal adoption of an ''Agenda 2000'' will contribute toward the consolidation of the achievements we have attained and toward the development of a legacy of institutional cooperation for future administrations. In that regard, a first step of great relevance will be the adoption of our joint report on the implementation of the Measures of Effectiveness we agreed to establish as part of our effort to implement the Mexico-U.S. Bi-national Drug Strategy. Madame and Monsieurs co-chairs of the HLCG; Distinguished members of the delegations of Mexico and of the United States: The Government of Mexico is firmly convinced we must institutionalize the HLCG. In order to do it, we must explore new formulas that allow us to further improve the working procedures of its groups of experts, streamline information exchanges and coordination between both our governments, and consolidate the trust we have been constructing; a trust we have developed with great care and that always runs the risk of vanishing; a trust that is our shield against those who intend to make us vulnerable; a trust that is our best weapon to defeat drug-trafficking. I hope this encounter will allow us to advance even more towards our common purpose: stop and dismantle drug-trafficking organizations, reduce crimes associated to it and diminish drug consumption. Undoubtedly, we could do much more if we remain united through bilateral cooperation. This is what societies in Mexico and in the U.S. expect and demand from us. Thank you. By Associated Press, 11/10/99 09:23 High-Level Contact Group on Drug Control Meets in Washington To: National and International Desks Contact: Jose A. Zabalgoitia of the Embassy of Mexico, 202-728-1650Web site: http://www.embassyofmexico.org U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770Related Articles:Anti-Drug Leaders Praise Cooperation - 11/06/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3580.shtml34 Nations To Coordinate Drug War - 11/05/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3575.shtmlMcCaffrey and Gaviria Conclude Western Hemisphere - 11/05/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3573.shtml 
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Comment #1 posted by Doug A on November 10, 1999 at 12:44:55 PT:
HLCG = HELL
>Drug trafficking creates unacceptable costs for the welfare of our societies, putting at risk the future of our youths.Replace the word "trafficking" with "prohibition" and the statement makes much more sense.>organizations that reap illicit profits, corrupt institutions and sow violence and destruction in both countriesSounds a little like the police enforcing drug prohibition...>stop and dismantle drug-trafficking organizations, reduce crimes associated to it and diminish drug consumptionLegalization, taxation and regulation would accomplish this much more effectively than current policies.
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