ASEAN, China Endorsed Joint Plan to Eliminate Illicit DrugsThe ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China signed a cooperation plan to eliminate illegal drugs in the Southeast Asia region Friday in Bangkok.The plan, namely "ASEAN and China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs" (ACCORD), is an action scheme to help realize the goal of a drug-free ASEAN by the year 2015, with establishment of a cooperative network responding to the danger of new-type drugs and a mechanism to measure the progress of cooperation. "The agreement is a major achievement of the three-day International Congress of 'in Pursuit of A Drug-free ASEAN 2015', "said Surin Pitsuwan, Thai foreign minister and chairmen of the meeting at the closing session of the meeting today. In the plan, he said, the signing parties agreed to strengthen coordination in four major areas or "pillars": advocating awareness on dangers of drugs and social response, building consensus and sharing best practices on demand reduction, strengthening the rule of law and eliminating supply of illicit drugs. He noted that the achievement of the plan will be continually measured through a regional monitoring mechanism owned by all participating countries. The meeting, under co-sponsorship of Thai government and the United Nations International Drug Control Program (UNDCP), attended by some 30 countries concerned with the drug problem in the region and the UNDCP, also announced a political declaration which vows to extend the anti-drug cooperations outside the region. It called upon G8 countries, the European Union, the United Nations and other international groupings to join the effort for achieving a drug-free ASEAN. The drug issue has became a major social and security concern in ASEAN, which now groups Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The group has been seeking help from China to resolve the problem and received an active response. Visiting Chinese State Councilor Luo Gan attended the meeting and made a keynote speech. He also signed a memorandum of understanding on anti-drug efforts with Thailand during his visit to the kingdom. |
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