Sintra, 13 October 2000                                                                                                      

P-PG/MIN/CONF (2000) 5

Ministerial Conference

Sintra, 12 and 13 October 2000

Political Declaration

Drug abuse, by its nature and consequences, represents a serious risk for the health and well being of drug users, of their families and of society as a whole and seriously endangers the process of development and attainment of autonomy of younger generations. It removes a sense of dignity and meaning from the life of those who suffer from it and fosters social exclusion. The proceeds of drug manufacture, production and trafficking and the related money-laundering and other illicit activities affect the economy, foster criminality and create unease and insecurity of populations. 

Ministers and government representatives of the states and representatives of the European Commission participating in the Sintra Ministerial Conference on co-operation to address drug abuse and illicit trafficking in drugs;

Conscious that real co-ordination of policies and strategies on the widest European and international scale decisively contributes to the effectiveness of actions conducted at the internal level of each State, and to the improvement of the situation at the global level;

Strongly committed to the targets and principles established at the 20^th Special Session of the United Nations on Drugs, in June 1998, namely the principles of shared responsibility and partnership, and to the adoption of the obligations stipulated in the UN drug control conventions.

Supporting the objectives and measures laid down in the Demand Reduction Action Plan, adopted in application of the declaration from the Special Session and according them priority at national level by implementation of programmes and actions on drug demand reduction such as information, prevention, and the reduction of risks and adverse consequences for individuals and society, as well as by the evaluation of these programmes.

Noting the recent developments in the field of national strategies on drug demand reduction, in compliance with ECOSOC Resolution 1999/29 and the European Union Strategy and Action Plan on Drugs 2000/2004;

Recognising the importance of international and regional co-operation and the work developed by international, regional organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, as well as of professionals working in the field;

Welcoming the results obtained over the last ten years in associating central and eastern European countries with European co-operation on drugs and recognising the role played by the Pompidou Group in this context;

Fully convinced of the added value that the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe represents, as a regional, pan-European framework for co-operation, debate and exchange of knowledge and as a forum, in particular for epidemiological monitoring and professional training;

Underlining the value of sub-regional co-operation among neighbouring countries – such as the existing co-operation between the Nordic countries and the newly established Mediterranean network – aiming to promote better knowledge of the drug situation and the policies implemented and, hence, to foster a scientific approach to problems and the exchange of best practices in the region;

Pursuing an integrated, balanced and multidisciplinary approach to the world drugs problem, focusing on all aspects: demand and supply reduction, social and health-related problems, control of precursors, illicit drug trafficking and money laundering, as well as measures to counter drug-related crime;

Noting that drug abuse represents a risk in respect of the health and social problems which may be associated with it (in particular multiple substance abuse, psychiatric co-morbidity, infectious and contagious diseases, imprisonment and social exclusion);

Recognising that social exclusion and drug problems are sometimes associated with marginalised communities and individuals and that this suggests the need for better knowledge of this phenomenon and for structural responses and more specific interventions;

Considering the social implications of the drug phenomenon, in particular the social cost of drug addiction, risk behaviour and related public nuisance in society;

Calling attention to the growing obstacle that drug abuse by specific groups represents to their integration within society;

Addressing, where appropriate, the problem of risk behaviour and addiction in general terms, including consumption of legal psycho-active substances which might cause serious social and health problems;

Noting the various approaches developed by some European States as regards different kinds of risk reduction - the theme of this conference - and the objective of such practices to bring drug abusers into contact with health services and local social support as a first step towards rehabilitation, as well as the initiatives taken to promote scientific evaluation of these new approaches;

Concerned that the new contexts of drug abuse, especially among young people, as well as the emergence of new synthetic drugs, seem to indicate a lack of perception of the acute and chronic health risks of such consumption and that the spread of these behaviour patterns is facilitated by new means of electronic communication;

Giving particular importance to the role played by new electronic means of communication in respect of access to information promoting the production and supply of drugs and the dissemination of drug abuse, but also as effective and interactive prevention tools and as a forum for civil society and experts to discuss responses to the drug problem.

Reaffirm their commitment, in the spirit in which the Pompidou Group was created and has continued to operate, to continued and increased co-operation and efforts throughout Europe to address all aspects of the drug problem within the framework of a comprehensive, balanced, multi-disciplinary strategy, and in particular agree as follows:

1. We reaffirm our commitment to the 1961, 1971 and 1988 United Nations Conventions as the basis of international efforts to control the abuse and traffic of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals, and stress that these instruments should be extended wherever appropriate to newer synthetic drugs, many of which, including amphetamine type stimulants, are already covered;

2. We recognise the importance of and the need to enhance international and regional co-operation to address the world’s drug problems, based on the principles agreed at the 20^th UNGASS, and we underline the importance of and the need to promote demand and supply reduction action plans in accordance with those principles in our countries;

    iii.        We encourage countries and international bodies to implement a mechanism for multidisciplinary risk assessments on psycho-active substances in order to create a more evidence-based drug policy regarding drug control measures and prevention and treatment policies;

4. We support the functioning of the Pompidou Group as a multidisciplinary, pan-European forum for co-operation against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in drugs and invite all countries to involve the public health, education, social policy, criminal justice and law enforcement sectors in the development of their prevention and treatment policies aimed at reducing drug abuse and related delinquency and social exclusion, and we engage our political responsibility at the wider European level in this respect;
5. We support the establishment of Memoranda of Understanding with organisations and institutions which operate in similar fields in order to create synergies and to avoid duplication of efforts, focusing on data comparability and on increased scientific co-operation; we stress the importance of exchange of the knowledge and experience of the different networks and institutions working at the European level;
6. We urge members to reinforce the role of other international, regional and national organisations, as well as of other institutions, to counter problems associated  with drugs;
7. We reiterate the importance of prevention, particularly in schools, with families, in the media and within and in conjunction with specific target groups, in order to avoid and reduce drug abuse and to encourage drug addicts to undertake rehabilitation, calling attention to the option to conduct prevention programmes/actions in the work place;
8. We stress the importance of using new technologies, such as the Internet, as a tool for civil society and experts in prevention, information, monitoring and co-operation to tackle the drug problem as well as the need to take appropriate measures to counter the misuse of these technologies by those promoting drug abuse;
9. We acknowledge the importance of research and evaluation concerning new approaches for prevention, treatment, care and rehabilitation of drug abusers and will seek to ensure that national administrations and professionals give higher priority to such studies;

    x.        We stress the need to reach drug abusers at the earliest possible point of their drug use career and to facilitate their contact with health and social services, even where they do not express the immediate wish to become drug free, and will ensure that care services are sufficiently available, diversified and accessible to meet this objective and assist drug abusers in reducing health risks;

   xi.        We encourage States to adapt risk reduction measures to both the individual and society, taking into consideration the local drug abuse situation and the related cultural context;

12. We also stress the importance of public health aspects related to drug use and of the need to take measures and reinforce health promotion, preventive activities and risk reduction programmes against HIV infection, hepatitis and other infectious diseases;
13. We recognise the importance of non-governmental institutions and organisations in providing care for drug abusers and in the prevention of drug abuse and we will support their activities, seek to improve co-operation between them and the competent authorities and continue to involve them in Pompidou Group activities promoting exchange of experience and knowledge and dissemination of best practice;
14. We stress the need to strengthen judicial co-operation in the action against drug trafficking and money laundering, and reiterate the need for judicial, police and customs co-operation against illicit trafficking, including the establishment of effective governmental structures and legislative provisions;
15. We acknowledge the fundamental role of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and urge members to apply its recommendations. We further urge them to ratify and implement the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the proceeds of Crime and, where appropriate, the Agreement on Illicit Traffic by Sea implementing Article 17 of the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances;
16. We support every effort to fight against drug-related organised crime and corruption and the need to share common approaches and create common mechanisms to address these problems, within the respect for national sovereignty;
17. We reiterate the need to use these instruments of co-operation in an expedious and flexible way and to promote, where necessary, new methods to address common problems;
18. We encourage co-operation with the chemical industry and distribution to fight the production and manufacture of illicit drugs, calling on them to exert particular vigilance concerning the trading of precursors and chemicals as well as to inform authorities on suspicious transactions;
19. We further invite governments to consider taking measures to counter the diversion of licit trade in psychotropic substances, to monitor the prescription and abuse of such medicines and to raise awareness of health professionals as to their role in reducing potential abuse;
20. We stress the need to reinforce co-operation between national, regional and local health, social, education services and the criminal justice system;
21. We further support every effort to foster social cohesion and to allow drug abusers to live a well-regulated existence in society, and will continue to share information on successful approaches to promote the social integration of those with drug problems.