With the support of the European Union in Bolivia, UNODC held the first meeting of the Thematic Group on Drugs (TGD) of 2021 with representatives of international cooperation in La Paz and the Ministry of Government.

La Paz, May 24, 2021 (United Nations). - With funding from the European Union in Bolivia, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held the first Thematic Group on Drugs (TGD) of the year 2021 with representatives of international cooperation in La Paz and as guests the Minister of Government, Carlos Eduardo Del Castillo and the Vice Minister of Social Security and Controlled Substances, Jaime Mamani, who presented the "Strategy against illicit trafficking of controlled substances and control of the expansion of coca crops 2021 - 2025".

The UNODC Representative in Bolivia, Thierry Rostan, opened the session by highlighting the importance of the meetings of the Thematic Group on Drugs Meeting, which have been consolidated as a space for the exchange of information among members of the international community accredited in Bolivia on issues related to drug production and trafficking. Additionally, he highlighted the most significant UNODC activities that have taken place during the last months in the following areas: i) Monitoring of coca leaf crops, ii) Drug use prevention and treatment, iii) Food Security and Integral Development and iv) Interdiction (a. Regional Cooperation and Legal Technical Assistance, b. Border Control, c. Post-seizure support and d. Loss of Domain and Legitimization of Illicit profits).


The Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union in Bolivia, Joerg Schreiber, referred to the importance of accompanying and assisting Bolivia in the fight against drug trafficking since, in his words, it is its main partner in the region. He emphasized that in recent years more than 72 million dollars were invested in anti-drug matters and that for new projects an additional 60 million dollars are estimated to be invested. He stressed that the European Union will accompany Bolivia in the task of returning to the 22,000 hectares of coca crops established by law. Finally, he stated that the European Union values the efforts made by the Bolivian people to meet their development objectives with dignity, independence and respect for national laws.


In his speech, Vice Minister Jaime Mamani, thanked UNODC for its support to the anti-drug work and proceeded to the presentation of the Strategy against illicit trafficking of controlled substances and control of the expansion of coca crops 2021 - 2025. The plan for the next 5 years is based on 5 central axes: 1. the efficient control of controlled substances, 2. the sustained reduction of surplus coca crops, 3. the comprehensive prevention of drug use, 4. the regionalization of international efforts in the framework of common and shared responsibility, and 5. environment, gender and human rights, as a transversal axis.


The Minister of Government, Carlos Eduardo Del Castillo, thanked for the space to show the strategy elaborated by the State and highlighted that it was built in a multidisciplinary team in which the Ministries of Government, Health and Rural Development and Lands participate, where respect for Human Rights is a central theme of the integral strategy. He emphasized that the fight against drug trafficking is not the task of a single country, but is a transnational fight in which international cooperation is crucial to achieve the objectives set. He also stressed out the need to review Bolivia's anti-drug regulations, where, in his words, penalties should be proportionalized, because "...in the crimes the levels of participation vary and a big fish cannot be judged like a woman who is forced to traffic drugs in her stomach while pregnant and out of necessity or pressure".


The meeting was attended in person by representatives of the Embassies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Egypt, Spain, United States, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, Switzerland and Venezuela, as well as representatives of the Office of the United Nations System Coordinator in Bolivia and the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and virtually connected representatives of Germany and UNODC from Vienna.