The Dominican Republic is hosting an Interregional Cities’ Forum on Public Policy and Drug Treatment this week in the Jaragua Hotel in the capital, Santo Domingo. This event, taking place between April 2-5, 2008, is being financed by the European Union and the Inter-American Anti-Drug Abuse Commission (CICAD). Dominican President Leonel Fernández, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) José Miguel Insulza, along with mayors, government representatives and anti-drug organizations from Latin America and Europe are attending the forum.

The purpose of the activity, being held in collaboration with theFundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) and the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), is to improve the formulation of policy that will lead to better treatment and rehabilitation programs; to facilitate the creation of a network of alliances between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and to sensitize lawmakers, law enforcement and family courts about the use of treatment and rehabilitation of drug addiction as an alternative to incarceration.

Mayors and representatives of anti-drug organizations attending the forum are from Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela. Representatives from cities in Germany, Belgium, Slovenia and Spain are the most numerous. Representatives from Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Russia and Sweden are also in attendance.

The international forum presents an opportunity to share experiences and draw up effective policies that will contribute to stopping the growing drug use among adolescents and young adults. Some 30 European, Latin American and Caribbean cities will participate is this effort.

Over the course of conversations during the forum, which will go on until April 5, various panels are meeting to discuss public drug treatment policy, drug treatment versus criminal prosecution, the viability of municipal drug treatment policies and drug rehabilitation and reinsertion into society of former users.