OEA - CP - Resolución CP CSH 2363

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OAS/Ser.G

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES CP/CHS-2363/26 26 January 2026

COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY Original: español/inglés CONCEPT NOTE ADV ANCES AND CHALLENGES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED BY THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT OF THE INTERAMERICAN DRUG ABUSE CONTROL COMMISSION (CICAD) ON DRUG SUPPLY

REDUCTION

(Presented by the SE/CICAD in preparation for the meeting of the Commission scheduled for February 5, 2026) This Concept Note is submitted in compliance with the provisions established in the Structure for the consideration of substantive issues during regular meetings (2025-2026), document CP/CSH/INF. 602/25. Table of Contents Drug Supply Reduction: A Hemispheric Perspective.............................................................................2 Impact of Illicit Drug Trafficking on Hemispheric Security ..................................................................3 Role of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the Supply Reduction Unit (SRU)..............................................................................................................................................3 Persistent Challenges and Measures Recommended by CICAD/SRU...................................................4

Guiding Questions: Delegations of Member States................................................................................6

Guiding Questions: Delegations of the Permanent Observers to the OAS.............................................62

Drug Supply Reduction: A Hemispheric Perspective Drug supply reduction constitutes a fundamental pillar of the hemispheric response to the world drug problem and a central component of member state’s efforts to strengthen security, governance, and the rule of law. In the Americas, drug trafficking dynamics have undergone profound transformations in recent decades, giving rise to an increasingly complex, diversified, and markedly transnational phenomenon that challenges traditional control, interdiction, and investigative capacities.

At present, the hemisphere faces historically high levels of plant-based and synthetic drug manufacture, as well as the detection of clandestine laboratories in countries and subregions where such activities had not previously been recorded. In parallel, the sustained growth of synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances (NPS) in the illicit drug market has substantially altered manufacturing, trafficking, and distribution patterns, reducing reliance on illicit crops, shortening supply chains, and enabling criminal organizations to rapidly adapt to State controls. These changes, combined with unprecedented growth in the international cocaine market, have significantly increased the unpredictability and adaptive capacity of criminal organizations. A key factor in this transformation is the increasing use of “designer” precursor chemicals and other non-scheduled substances, which exploit gaps in existing regulatory frameworks, making detection and control more difficult. These practices allow criminal organizations to access chemical inputs more quickly and with less traceability, optimize manufacturing processes, and increase production scale, thereby contributing to the expansion of consumer markets. At the same time, marketing and distribution modalities have expanded into digital environments, including online marketplaces, encrypted communication platforms, and the use of postal and courier services, posing additional challenges for regulatory and law enforcement authorities. These trends generate high profit margins for criminal organizations with a strong capacity for adaptation, resilience, and operational reconfiguration, operating through transnational networks characterized by increasing diversification, specialization, and independence among their various components. These networks encompass multiple actors and functions along the illicit chain, from the construction of vessels in clandestine shipyards to storage in transshipment countries and operations at borders and ports of entry. In this context, criminal organizations employ increasingly sophisticated methods for trafficking drugs and chemical inputs, exploiting vulnerabilities in control systems as well as asymmetries and differences in regulatory frameworks among countries in the region. Drug trafficking relies heavily on maritime, riverine, port, and air routes, taking advantage of the scale of legitimate international trade,

extensive borders, and the growing complexity of logistical flows in the hemisphere. Among the most recurrent trafficking modalities are the use of go-fast vessels, semi-submersibles and submersibles; the use of general aviation aircraft and clandestine airstrips; as well as increasingly elaborate concealment techniques in cargo containers and commercial aviation. In addition, the intensive use of geolocation technologies, encrypted communications, and advanced digital tools, facilitates operational coordination, , the evasion of controls, and the compartmentalization and fragmentation of responsibilities within criminal networks. The transnational nature of these dynamics implies that no country alone can address the challenges associated with drug supply reduction. Criminal organizations exploit differences in institutional3 capacities, regulatory frameworks, and levels of control to shift routes, diversify modalities, and rapidly adapt to interdiction actions. In this context, drug supply reduction requires comprehensive responses that combine operational capacities, appropriate regulatory frameworks, timely intelligence, and sustained regional and international cooperation. From a hemispheric perspective, these challenges underscore the need to strengthen coordination among member states, promote the exchange of strategic information and operational intelligence, and develop specialized capacities to anticipate and respond to emerging drug trafficking trends. A shared understanding of the problem constitutes an essential step toward advancing more effective, coherent, and tailored responses to the dynamic nature of the phenomenon. Impact of Illicit Drug Trafficking on Hemispheric Security Drug trafficking and related crimes generate direct and multidimensional impacts on hemispheric security, democratic governance, sustainable development, and the rule of law. Transnational criminal organizations involved in the production, manufacture, trafficking, and distribution of drugs not only control highly lucrative illicit routes and markets, but also finance and articulate other forms of criminality, including money laundering, corruption, arms trafficking, and armed violence, eroding State capacities and public trust in institutions. This criminal convergence, combined with the accelerated evolution of international drug trafficking

dynamics described above, has resulted in intensified disputes among criminal organizations over control of substances, routes, and markets, generating a direct impact on community public security. In numerous contexts, these organizations exploit institutional weaknesses, regulatory gaps, and limitations in control systems to infiltrate strategic sectors such as ports, airports, logistics chains, and legal markets. The infiltration of organized crime into these spaces increases risks to national and regional security, distorts local economies, facilitates institutional capture, and contributes to the normalization of illicit practices. Likewise, drug trafficking fuels dynamics of violence that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, exacerbate social inequalities, and generate negative impacts on the environment and social cohesion. The transnational character of drug trafficking amplifies these effects by transcending national borders and linking countries of origin, transit, and destination in interconnected criminal chains. Drug trafficking routes overlap with other illicit flows and adapt rapidly to control actions, displacing risks between subregions and generating spillover effects that affect hemispheric security as a whole. In this context, the impacts of drug trafficking cannot be addressed solely from a national perspective, but require a shared understanding of threats and coordinated responses integrating security, justice, governance, and international cooperation. Role of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the Supply Reduction Unit (SRU) The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) is the advisory and consultative body of the Organization of American States (OAS) on the drug issue. CICAD constitutes a hemispheric forum for political and technical dialogue that supports member states in the design, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive policies and strategies to address the world drug problem, in line with4 the OAS Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its Plan of Action, currently under update for the 2026–2030 period. Through its Supply Reduction Unit (SRU), the Executive Secretariat of CICAD supports member states

in strengthening their institutional, operational, and regulatory capacities to prevent, detect, investigate, and counter the illicit production, manufacture, and trafficking of drugs, through a comprehensive, operational, and intelligence-led approach. Considering the hemispheric context described above, CICAD’s Supply Reduction Unit carries out its activities across several priority programmatic areas. In the area of counterdrug police intelligence, CICAD provides specialized training and technical assistance to investigators and analysts of OAS member states through two regional schools:  Regional Counterdrug Intelligence School of the Americas (ERCAIAD, known by its Spanish language acronym), based in Bogota, Colombia; and  The Caribbean Counterdrug Intelligence Training School (CCITS), based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. These schools strengthen the analytical, investigative, and international cooperation capacities necessary to dismantle drug trafficking networks and other forms of associated organized crime. Likewise, the Unit supports member states in countering drug trafficking in the maritime, riverine, and port domains, promoting operational, legal, and interinstitutional cooperation among navies, coast guards, port authorities, prosecutors, and other relevant actors. In this area, CICAD coordinates the Group of Experts on Maritime Narcotrafficking, which constitutes a hemispheric technical forum for analyzing emerging trends, exchanging good practices, and identifying common challenges related to interdiction, investigation, and criminal prosecution. Regarding drug trafficking by air, the Supply Reduction Unit promotes capacity-building actions to address the use of general aviation aircraft, clandestine airstrips, air cargo, and, increasingly, unmanned aerial vehicles. Through the Working Group on the Control of Drug Trafficking by Air and through training and technical assistance activities, CICAD promotes information exchange, risk analysis, and regional cooperation to address these emerging modalities. Another central axis of the Unit’s work is strengthening control over precursor chemicals used in the

illicit manufacture of natural and synthetic drugs, including new psychoactive substances. In this area, CICAD provides training and technical assistance to competent national authorities and other relevant agencies and coordinates the Group of Experts on Chemical Substances and Pharmaceutical Products, a hemispheric technical forum that promotes the exchange of updated information, the harmonization and strengthening of regulatory frameworks, and public-private cooperation, with the aim of preventing the diversion of chemical substances for illicit purposes. Through these lines of action, CICAD’s Supply Reduction Unit contributes to strengthening a coordinated hemispheric response to a dynamic and transnational phenomenon, complementing national efforts and promoting regional cooperation, timely information exchange, and the development of sustainable capacities to address drug trafficking and related crimes.5 Persistent Challenges and Measures Recommended by CICAD/SRU Identified Challenges While relevant progress has been achieved, the region continues to face significant structural challenges in drug supply reduction. Among the main challenges identified by the Executive Secretariat of CICAD, through its Supply Reduction Unit, are the following:  Fragmented or outdated regulatory frameworks that hinder agile responses to new drug trafficking modalities, particularly regarding synthetic drugs, new psychoactive substances, and precursor chemicals.  Gaps in interinstitutional coordination among law enforcement authorities, prosecutors, customs services, port and airport authorities, and regulatory bodies.  Limitations in intelligence and analytical capacities to transform fragmented information into operational intelligence enabling the identification and dismantling of transnational criminal networks.  Persistent vulnerabilities in maritime, riverine, port, and air security, exploited by criminal organizations for the trafficking of drugs, precursors, and illicit products.  Insufficient sustained regional mechanisms for timely information exchange, early warning, and coordinated responses to emerging drug trafficking trends.  Insufficient training and specialized knowledge among frontline personnel for the detection, identification, safe handling, and proper preservation of seizures of synthetic drugs, new

psychoactive substances, and precursor chemicals precursors, limiting early detection and institutional response effectiveness.  Gaps in the incorporation and use of specialized technologies for the detection, monitoring, and neutralization of new drug trafficking modalities, limiting response capacity to increasingly sophisticated criminal schemes.  Technical, operational, and financial constraints affecting the sustainability and scope of national interdiction and control capacities. These challenges highlight the role of CICAD, as a specialized body of the inter-American system, in facilitating the articulation of a coordinated regional response to a dynamic and transnational phenomenon such as drug trafficking, complementing national efforts and promoting hemispheric cooperation. Recommendations In this context, the measures recommended by the Executive Secretariat of CICAD, through its Supply Reduction Unit, to strengthen member states’ capacities in drug supply reduction include the following:  Strengthen national regulatory frameworks, in line with the OAS Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its Plan of Action, and with relevant international obligations.  Reinforce counterdrug police intelligence capacities, promoting the systematic use of strategic and operational analysis for the investigation and dismantling of criminal networks.6  Promote operational and interinstitutional cooperation in the maritime, riverine, port, and air domains, including timely information exchange and coordination of interdiction actions.  Strengthen frameworks for the control of chemical substances, precursors, and pharmaceutical products, including in collaboration with the private sector, to prevent their diversion to illicit drug manufacture.  Promote hemispheric technical spaces for the exchange of good practices, identification of emerging trends, and confidence-building among member states, through expert groups and regional cooperation mechanisms.  Strengthen frontline personnel capacities through specialized training programs and technical assistance in the detection, identification, safe handling, and proper preservation of seizures of synthetic drugs, new psychoactive substances, and precursor chemicals, with emphasis on

personnel safety, evidence quality, and the effectiveness of subsequent investigations.  Promote the incorporation and strategic use of specialized technologies for the detection, monitoring, and neutralization of new drug trafficking modalities in the region.  Foster the sustained development of technical and operational capacities through specialized training programs and technical assistance adapted to the needs and realities of countries in the region.

Guiding Questions: Delegations of Member States  What are the main challenges your country faces in drug supply reduction?  Which technical, operational, or institutional capacities require greater strengthening at the national or subregional level?  How can regional cooperation be deepened to address emerging drug trafficking modalities?  What role can international partners and the private sector play in supporting these strategies?  How can CICAD continue to add value to national efforts in drug supply reduction?

Guiding Questions: Delegations of the Permanent Observers to the OAS  Does your country have international cooperation mechanisms with countries of the region to combat illicit drug trafficking?  Does your country have initiatives or good practices that could be shared to strengthen drug supply reduction in the region?