General Information of MDG
The Dublin Group was established in 1990 on the occasion of a CELAD meeting in Dublin under the Irish Presidency. However, it is not an EU mechanism but, rather, a broad based initiative.*
The Dublin Group is an informal co-ordination group made up of like-minded countries that meets periodically with three main objectives: firstly, to analyse and exchange views on international drug problems - as regards production, trafficking and abuse - particularly in mainly-producing and transit countries. Secondly, to make recommendations both to its members and to its partner countries on how to address these problems. Thirdly, to co-ordinate their response to these problems particularly as regards their members' cooperation with partner countries.
Members of the Dublin Group are the European Commission and the Member States of the EU, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Norway. The UNODC also participates in the Group's meetings and the Secretariat of the Group is assured by the EU Council Secretariat.
The Dublin Group meets in Brussels at * central level* twice a year in June/July and December/January. Delegations are usually led by officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, or similar departments, often at Ambassador level. Every two years the Regional chairs are elected by consensus at these meetings. Each of these chairs -- there are about ten -- have the responsibility for monitoring and informing the Dublin Group at the central level about the evolution of the drug situation in a particular region. They do so by preparing once a year a "regional report" (and six months later a "follow-up" to this report) which contains (sometimes proceeded by a regional summary) the information and recommendations submitted by the mini-Dublin Groups established in the region.
These *mini-Dublin* Groups (one per host country) consist of representatives from the Missions and Embassies of Dublin Group members in each host country. They usually meet twice a year at the initiative, and under the chairmanship, of the Mission whose country holds the regional chair. Often, their meetings are also attended (in part or entirely) by officials from the host country. The reports for these meetings, which are drawn up by the Chair, focus on three main areas of work:
1) the drug situation and policy initiatives in the host country;
2) review of the co-operation of Dublin Group members with the host country; and
3) analysis of priorities and recommendations for further cooperation. In addition to preparing these reports, these meetings are also used by their members for both coordinating their action in the host country and maintaining a dialogue with the drug authorities in that country.
The Commission is a full and very active member of the Dublin Group. Therefore, Commission Delegations in third countries are encouraged to participate actively in the meetings of the mini-Dublin Groups in their host countries as they provide excellent opportunities for exchanging views and information on both the host country and each member's drug projects, as well as for coordinating efforts in this regard.
Moreover, Delegations should be vigilant to ensure their status as Dublin Group members is acknowledged by the corresponding Regional Chair in every host country where there is a mini-Dublin Group. This should help prevent situations in which, due to insufficient awareness of the Dublin Group rules, Delegations fail to be invited by the corresponding regional chair to participate in mini-Dublin meetings.
Finally, Delegations should ensure they send to Headquarters their own reports of the mini-Dublin Group meetings and, as soon as available, the reports established by the Regional Chairs of these meetings. Both sets of documents provide particularly valuable information to Country Desks at Headquarters.
