| Overview | Strategies | Programmes | Statistics | Contact | Links |

UNDCP - Drug Control Assistance Projects

UNDCP's assistance Programme for the Baltic States started in 1993. From the outset, it was oriented towards the development of legal and institutional structures for drug control as a prerequisite for the implementation of sound and comprehensive drug control capabilities. The creation of national drug control strategies has also been a major goal. Since then, various assessment and advisory missions have addressed such objectives as development legal and institutional frameworks, creation of adequate operational structures, improvement of existing laboratory services, and new demand reduction methods and concepts as an integrated part of balanced national drug control strategies.

Main objectives of UNDCP assistance include:

• development of comprehensive national drug control legislation in support of international drug control conventions;
• reduction of illicit drug trafficking and other drug-related criminal activities in the subregion;
• development and expansion of existing capabilities for undertaking of effective prevention and rehabilitation programmes;
• prevention and detection of diversion of licit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances;
• introduction of effective drug control co-operation at the subregional level.

In all three Baltic countries national inter-ministerial commissions for co-ordination of drug control have been established with assistance from UNDCP and are fully operational. The national drug control master plan was adopted in Latvia in 1998, and in Lithuania in 1999. In Estonia, Principles of Drug Policy were approved by the Government in 1997. Central drug enforcement units have been established and are fully operational. The project has strengthened significantly the inter-agency cooperation on national and subregional levels.

PROJECTS