WASHINGTON, USA – The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) through the Inter-American Commission for the Control of Drug Abuse (CICAD) and the ministry of citizenship of Brazil and its Secretary for Care and Prevention of Drugs (SENAPRED) signed today -in virtual mode- a cooperation agreement for the reduction of demand for drugs in the South American country.
The Secretary-General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, stressed that the agreement “takes on special relevance in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic” because “it has impacted and will impact our work from all possible angles, especially in the prevention and treatment programs for people with drug use problems and their families, as well as service providers.”
For his part, the permanent representative of Brazil to the OAS, Fernando Simas Magalhães, said the agreement will serve to promote “the best international care practices” for drug dependents. “We are sure that the joint work of CICAD and SENAPRED will bring tangible contributions to Brazil,” added the Brazilian diplomat.
The head of the OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security, Farah Urrutia, said the global problem generated by drug use continues to pose challenges for the health, safety, and well-being of all humanity. “The measures and actions embodied in this agreement will have a positive impact in addressing the drug problem from the perspective of reducing demand in Brazil,” added secretary Urrutia.
The agreement between CICAD and SENAPRED includes the elaboration of an annual work plan that establishes the implementation of programs and projects. It also foresees that CICAD will provide training courses on drug demand reduction to Brazilian professionals and technicians who work in the prevention and treatment programs for drug-dependent users, as well as to civil society organizations and universities that work in this area.
