DUSHANBE, October 29, 2010, Asia-Plus — A meeting of the min-Dublin Group, presided over by Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Giovanni Reculli (phonetically spelled), took place at the Drug Control Agency (DCA) in Dushanbe on October 29, according to the DCA press service.
The meeting participants included representatives from diplomatic missions accredited in Tajikistan, BOMCA/CADAP Programs and the UNOC Regional Office for Central Asia. Tajikistan was represented by the DCA first deputy director Vaysiddin Azamatov.
The meeting discussed issues related to the drug situation in the region and measures taken in the framework of the fight against drug trafficking in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as cooperation of the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with members of the mini-Dublin Group.
The meeting participants adopted recommendations on providing assistance to raise potential of Tajik competent bodies and expand international cooperation in combating drug trafficking, the press service said.
The Dublin Group was established in 1990 on the occasion of a CELAD (European Committee to Combat Drugs) meeting in Dublin under the Irish Presidency. It an informal coordination group made up of like-minded countries to: 1) analyze and exchange views on international drug problems – as regards production, trafficking and abuse – particularly in mainly-producing and transit countries; 2) make recommendations both to its members and to its partner countries on how to address these problems; and 3) coordinate their response to these problems particularly as regards their members’ cooperation with partner countries.
Members of the Dublin Group are the European Commission and the Member States of the EU, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Norway. The UNODC also participates in the Group’s meetings and the Secretariat of the Group is assured by the EU Council Secretariat.
The Dublin Group meets in Brussels at central level twice a year in June/July and December/January. Every two years the Regional chairs are elected by consensus at these meetings. Each of these chairs – there are about ten – has the responsibility for monitoring and informing the Dublin Group at the central level about the evolution of the drug situation in a particular region. They do so by preparing once a year a “regional report” (and six months later a “follow-up” to this report), which contains (sometimes proceeded by a regional summary) the information and recommendations submitted by the mini-Dublin Groups established in the region.
These mini-Dublin Groups (one per host country) consist of representatives from the Missions and Embassies of Dublin Group members in each host country. They usually meet twice a year at the initiative, and under the chairmanship, of the Mission whose country holds the regional chair. Often, their meetings are also attended (in part or entirely) by officials from the host country.
