DR. CARLOS ENCARNAÇÃO, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF COIMBRA

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1 JAMES F. MACK, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, INTER- AMERICAN DRUG ABUSE CONTROL COMMISSION (CICAD), SECRETARIAT FOR MULTIDIMENSIONAL SECURITY, ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES OPENING SESSION MUNICIPAL DRUG POLICIES (EU-LAC COIMBRA CITY FORUM) Coimbra, Portugal. September 23, 2010 DR. CARLOS ENCARNAÇÃO, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF COIMBRA DR. JOÃO GOULÃO, PORTUGUESE NATIONAL COORDINATOR ON DRUGS AND CHAIRMAN OF THE MANAGEMENT BOARD OF THE EUROPEAN MONITORING CENTRE FOR DRUGS AND DRUG ADDICTION (EMCDDA) DR. FERNANDO RUAS, CHAIRMAN OF THE PORTUGUESE ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPALITIES DR. HENRIQUE FERNANDES, GOVERNOR OF COIMBRA DR. WOLFGANG GÖTZ, DIRECTOR OF THE EUROPEAN MONITORING CENTRE FOR DRUGS AND DRUG ADDICTION (EMCDDA) MS. ANN VANHOUT, COORDINATOR OF INTERNATIONAL DRUG ISSUES IN DG RELEX, EUROPEAN COMMISSION CITY MAYORS, REPRESENTATIVES OF NATIONAL DRUG COMMISSIONS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND CITY AND COUNTRY DELEGATES

2 2 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, COLLEAGUES IN APRIL 2008, WE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF CICAD S EULAC PROGRAM, CITY ALLIANCES TO IMPROVE DRUG TREATMENT. IT IS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU AGAIN IN COIMBRA TODAY. OUR GOAL, THEN AS NOW, WAS TO ENCOURAGE CITIES IN LATIN AMERICA, THE CARIBBEAN AND EUROPE TO PLAN AND ACT ON THE DRUG PROBLEM, AND PARTICULARLY, TO TAKE ACTION IN THE AREAS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT. I BELIEVE THAT YOU, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, HAVE TRAVELLED FAR IN THAT DIRECTION. YOU HAVE LOOKED AT A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENTS AND PLANNING FOR CHANGE; THE NEUROSCIENCE

3 3 OF ADDICTION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR MUNICIPAL POLICIES; TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG-DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS; PREVENTION OF DRUG USE, PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, AND DRUG TREATMENT COURTS, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION FOR DRUG-DEPENDENT OFFENDERS. SOME OF THESE SUBJECTS WERE PERHAPS NEW TO ALL OF US TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, WHEN WE FIRST MET IN SANTO DOMINGO, IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. NOW, WE ARE ON SURE GROUND, WITH SIGNIFICANT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT WHAT WE ARE DOING. WE HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM EACH OTHER, BY VISITING EACH OTHER S CITIES AND SEEING

4 4 HOW OTHER PEOPLE LIVE AND WORK, AND HOW OTHER MAYORS AND CITY OFFICIALS APPROACH THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE AT HOME. OUR CULTURES ARE DIFFERENT, OUR LANGUAGES ARE DIFFERENT, OUR RESOURCES ARE DIFFERENT. BUT WHAT WE ALL HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT WE SEE DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE TAKING ITS TOLL ON OUR CITIZENS AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO ACT. IN SHORT, WE HAVE BUILT A COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY OF COMMON INTERESTS AND UNDERSTANDING. EACH CITY IN ITS OWN WAY HAS TAKEN SOME VERY POSITIVE ACTIONS. MORE THAN 40 CITIES AND COUNTRIES HAVE TAKEN PART IN THIS EU-LAC INITIATIVE, THROUGH HORIZONTAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES AND EXCHANGES OF GOOD PRACTICES, PUBLICATIONS AND TOOLS.

5 5 AND NOW HERE WE ARE, IN COIMBRA, IN THE LAST FORUM OF THIS CYCLE OF THE EU-LAC PROGRAM. THANK YOU, MAYOR ENCARNACAO, FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE IN ORGANIZING THIS IMPORTANT EVENT, AND FOR YOUR GENEROUS HOSPITALITY. CICAD WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH THE NATIONAL DRUG COMMISSIONS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, MANY OF WHICH ARE REPRESENTED HERE TODAY. CICAD IS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT THAT THE NATIONAL DRUG COMMISSIONS HAVE PROVIDED TO EU-LAC. WE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO DRAW ON THE EXPERTISE OF PROFESSIONALS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE AMERICAS AND EUROPE, WHO HAVE STIMULATED US TO DEVELOP NEW APPROACHES TO

6 6 THE VERY COMPLEX PROBLEM OF DRUG USE AND ABUSE. I CONGRATULATE YOU ALL ON YOUR COURAGE, YOUR ENTHUSIASM, AND YOUR PROFESSIONALISM OVER THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AND FOR HAVING THE VISION TO LOOK FURTHER AFIELD FOR SOLUTIONS. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WE SEE FURTHER WHEN WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE. WE HAVE STOOD ON THE SHOULDERS OF THREE FINE MEN WHO WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT, AND WHO SADLY, ARE NO LONGER WITH US: DR. MICHAEL SULLIVAN, OUR OAS COLLEAGUE; DR. KRISS RAMBALLY, FROM SURINAME, AND DR. CARLOS RODRIGUEZ AJENJO FROM MEXICO. IN REMEMBRANCE OF THEIR WORK AND FRIENDSHIP, PLEASE RISE FOR A MOMENT S SILENCE.

7 THANK YOU. 7 OUR AGENDA IN COIMBRA IS A BUSY ONE, AND WILL BE PARTICULARLY FRUITFUL. ON FRIDAY, YOU WILL RECOMMIT TO THE DECLARATION OF LUGO, AND MAKE PLANS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEW EU-LAC CITY PARTNERSHIP IN DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION. ON BEHALF OF CICAD, LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT INSOFAR AS WE ARE ABLE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE NEW NETWORK AND MOVE VIGOROUSLY AHEAD TO PROMOTE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES IN DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION IN THE CARIBBEAN, LATIN AMERICA AND EUROPE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.