NEWS RELEASES
AXWORTHY SIGNS AGREEMENT ON DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION WITH COLOMBIA
January 14, 2000 (11:55 a.m. EST) No. 3
AXWORTHY SIGNS AGREEMENT ON
DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION WITH COLOMBIA
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today signed an agreement on drug demand reduction with the
Government of Colombia, in Bogotá. This is a direct follow-up to the Understanding between the Government of
Canada and the Government of Colombia to co-operate in combatting the world drug problem signed during
the visit of President Andrés Pastrana to Canada in May 1999.
On Saturday, the Minister will meet with President Pastrana and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for
trilateral discussions on Colombia, and particularly on approaches to combatting the problem of illicit drugs.
"Illicit drug trafficking is a major challenge facing all of us in the Americas," said Mr. Axworthy. "Our agreement
with Colombia and the discussion with President Pastrana and Secretary of State Albright are important steps
in ensuring we deal with this regional human security problem in a concerted, co-ordinated manner."
Under the agreement the two countries will exchange experiences and practices to deal with trafficking of illicit
drugs, diverting of chemicals used to produce illicit drugs, money laundering, preventing drug abuse and
promoting drug treatment and rehabilitation, and prosecuting drug and related offences.
The demand reduction program will take an integrated approach, connecting not only government departments
of the two countries, but also non-governmental organizations. It will link law enforcement and health officials,
both of whom will bring different experiences and understanding of the costs of the problem.
A number of training programs and workshops will be organized in Canada and Colombia that will include
governmental and non-governmental participants.
Health Canada, the federal government agency responsible for demand reduction policies in Canada, and the
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Canada's national non-governmental addiction organization, will be the
operative agencies, illustrating the collaborative nature of Canada's domestic response to the illicit drug
problem.
In addition to the demand reduction work, the RCMP will be providing training in drug investigative techniques
and proceeds of crime investigations to Colombian law enforcement officials later in January.
Minister Axworthy is in Colombia as part of a visit to five countries in the Americas where he has discussed
issues of regional concern, in advance of Canada's hosting of the General Assembly of the Organization of
American States in June of this year and the Summit of the Americas in April 2001.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
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