2005/63

SIXTH INT’L CONFERENCE OF DRUG LIAISON OFFICERS TO BE HELD IN MASHAD FROM 5-7 FEBRUARY

TEHRAN, 2 February 2005 (UNIC) – About 80 participants from more than 15 countries will participate in the Sixth International Conference of Drug Liaison Officers from 5 – 7 February 2005 in Mashad.

The Drug Control Headquarters, the Anti-Narcotic Police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Iran and the Tehran-based Drug Liaison Officers (DLOs) are jointly organising the conference.

The conference seeks to promote and enhance regional and international cooperation, especially in the light of the fact that 2004 saw record production of 4,200 tons of opium in Afghanistan which will have an impact on drug trafficking and abuse trends in the region and globally.

The Conference will focus on the following issues:

• Drug cultivation, production and stockpiling in Afghanistan. Status of the Eradication Campaign
• Overview of Drug Trafficking in the Region: Routes and Methods
• Trafficking in Precursors: Regional Trends and Patterns
• Intelligence Sharing and the Role of the Drug Liaison Officers in the Region. Needs for Proper Mechanism and Methodology
• Regional and International Cooperation in Drug Control

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime will submit proposals for future action in Iran. An overview of on going activities in Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan will also be provided.

Representatives from the Drug Control Coordination Unit (DCCU) of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) will discuss on going activities and future plans to further intensify drug control cooperation at the regional level.

On the third day of the Conference, the participants will be taken on a field visit to the Iranian border with Afghanistan to assess the current trends in drug trafficking.

The participants in the conference, most of them police and drug control experts, include a high level delegation from Interpol.

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