OEA - CP - Resolución CP CSH 2377

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OAS/Ser.G

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES CP/CHS-2377/26 10 February 2026

COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY Original: Spanish/English

CONCEPT NOTE

ADV ANCES AND CHALLENGES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS AND

PROJECTS CARRIED OUT BY THE CICAD EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT, AIMED AT

COLLECTING AND GENERATING DATA AND KNOWLEDGE ON DRUGS AND WITHIN

THE FRAMEWORK OF THE MULTILATERAL EV ALUATION MECHANISM

(Presented by the CICAD Executive Secretariat in preparation for the meeting of the Commission scheduled for February 19, 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 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………... - 2Drug Research, information, and monitoring .........................................................................................2 Evaluation of policies and programs through the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism .........................3 Role of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Section: Information, Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Data Collection and Analysis..........................................................................................................................4 Persistent Challenges and Measures Recommended by CICAD/MEM-OID.........................................6 Identified Challenges ..........................................................................................................................6 Recommendations...............................................................................................................................6

Guiding Questions: Delegations of member states.................................................................................7

Guiding Questions: Delegations of the Permanent Observers to the OAS.............................................82

Introduction 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 serves as 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 global drug problem, in accordance with the OAS Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its Plan of Action, which is currently undergoing an update for 2026–2030. Through its Evidence-Based Drug Policy Section: Information, Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Data Collection and Analysis, the CICAD Executive Secretariat supports OAS member states in the collection and analysis of data on the drug problem, with the aim of enabling governments to design more effective national drug policies, through the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) . In addition, it manages the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), which assesses how each OAS member state is implementing the OAS Hemispheric Drug Strategy, thereby contributing to strengthening their capacity to control drug trafficking and drug abuse and to reinforcing multilateral cooperation. Drug research, information, and monitoring CICAD’s Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) works with OAS member states to strengthen their capacity to conduct research, generate information, and monitor drug use and drug supply, through technical assistance for the implementation of national drug use surveys and the provision of standardized protocols for conducting surveys among the general population, secondary school students, and university students, as well as other specific population groups. The OID also provides technical assistance and coordinates with National Drug Observatories (NDOs) or equivalent entities in the collection of data on drug use and drug supply, the preparation of subregional and regional reports, training activities, technical cooperation, and the development of policies and good practices for the implementation of evidence-based intervention programs. In the context of the rapid expansion of synthetic drugs and highly adaptive illicit drug markets, these information and monitoring systems also constitute a strategic tool for hemispheric security, as they enable the early detection of emerging

threats and help guide more timely responses to transnational criminal dynamics. The OID works with a wide range of strategic partners in member states , including National Drug Commissions and, through them, other governmental and non-governmental organizations, universities, civil society entities, and individual experts specializing in illicit drugs, emerging drugs, adulterants, and chemical precursors used in the manufacture of illicit substances. In addition, the OID works closely with similar units and programs of other international organizations, such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), and NDOs and other entities dedicated to research on the drug phenomenon at the regional and global levels. For more than two decades, OAS member states have requested technical assistance from the OID for the implementation of national drug surveys based on standardized protocols, with the aim of obtaining information that is comparable in terms of national trends and across countries in the region. In addition, member states have requested technical support for the implementation or strengthening of3 National Early Warning Systems (EWS), in order to generate real-time data on new and emerging drugs, such as synthetic opioids, new psychoactive substances (NPS), and amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). The rationale for involving NDOs in all actions undertaken by the OID is to ensure that studies, methodologies, training programs, and projects are appropriate, effective, and viable for member states. This is because experts from NDOs, or those working with them at the national and local levels, are best positioned to understand country-specific realities. Through coordination with these entities in the development, adaptation, and implementation of all drug monitoring and surveillance initiatives, the sustainability and long-term success of the actions undertaken are ensured. Drug research, information, and monitoring activities are grounded in and consistent with the 2020

Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its 2021–2025 Hemispheric Plan of Action, developed and approved by the OAS member states and currently undergoing an update for 2026–2030. These research, information, and monitoring activities complement one another and, on the part of the member states, support compliance with the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) directly, by taking into account its recommendations and results, and indirectly, by contributing to the indicators related to drug supply and demand reduction under the aforementioned Strategy. Evaluation of policies and programs through the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism The Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), mandated by the Summit of the Americas since 1998, is CICAD’s peer-review evaluation process through which OAS member states periodically analyze the design, implementation, and results of their drug policies and programs in relation to the Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its corresponding Plan of Action. Through structured evaluation rounds based on parameters agreed upon by consensus, the MEM makes it possible to identify progress, challenges, and areas for improvement, while promoting the strengthening of national capacities, the exchange of good practices, and multilateral cooperation. The CICAD Executive Secretariat, through the MEM Unit, manages and coordinates this process, providing technical support to member states and ensuring methodological coherence and hemispheric comparability of results. To date, the MEM has completed eight evaluation rounds. The eighth round, carried out from 2021 to 2024, provided information on the implementation of all areas of the 2021–2025 Hemispheric Plan of Action on Drugs. The results were published in thematic national reports (129) and annual hemispheric briefs (4). For the ninth round, an updated evaluation process was approved in 2025, under which a specific line of action of the current OAS Hemispheric Drug Strategy will be evaluated each year between 2026 and

2029. In 2026, the evaluation will focus on the design and implementation of national drug policies and

strategies. The Executive Secretariat will request information from countries through their designated National Coordinating Entities (NCEs) on five specific thematic axes related to this topic, which will serve as the primary input for the evaluation process. From a hemispheric security perspective, the MEM makes it possible to identify structural gaps in national responses to dynamic illicit markets and to guide policy adjustments that reduce institutional vulnerability to an increasingly adaptable drug phenomenon.4 Role of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Section: Information, Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Data Collection and Analysis The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) is the advisory and consultative body of the Organization of American States (OAS) on drug-related matters. CICAD serves as 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 with the OAS Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its corresponding Plan of Action, which is currently being updated for 2026–2030. Through the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Section: Information, Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Data Collection and Analysis, the CICAD Executive Secretariat supports member states in strengthening their institutional, operational, and regulatory capacities to prevent, detect, investigate, and counter drug use, abuse, production, manufacture, and illicit trafficking, through a comprehensive, operational, and evidence-based approach. In light of the aforementioned hemispheric context, CICAD’s Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) carries out its activities across several priority programmatic areas. In the field of research, monitoring, and information, CICAD provides specialized training and technical assistance to researchers and analysts from National Drug Observatories (NDOs) or equivalent entities in member states, through two key areas of development:  The establishment and development of a National Drug Information Network (DIN); and  The establishment and development of a National Early Warning System (EWS) on Emerging Drugs. Since 2005, the OID has supported member states in the development of their NDOs, with the long-

 The establishment and development of a National Drug Information Network (DIN); and  The establishment and development of a National Early Warning System (EWS) on Emerging Drugs. Since 2005, the OID has supported member states in the development of their NDOs, with the longterm objective of building a comprehensive hemispheric Drug Information Network. Located within each National Drug Commission, NDOs are responsible for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of drug-related information in their respective countries. Information generated by NDOs is used to support national policies, programs, and interventions, as well as to fulfill international reporting obligations. Most member states in Latin America and the Caribbean have an NDO or an equivalent entity responsible for collecting and analyzing national-level drug data. The majority of OAS member states have developed and strengthened their national drug information networks, and some of them routinely publish annual reports produced through their DINs, describing their current drug situation. The OID leads drug-related research among member states through the development of manuals, guidelines, research protocols, and indicators on a wide range of topics, supporting scientific research on drugs. In 2017, the OID launched a project to study heroin, other opioids, and NPS in the Americas. The project supported research on the chemical composition of seized substances, user populations, and the availability and quality of services to address treatment needs. In the context of the expansion of synthetic drug markets and new psychoactive substances, these information and monitoring systems play a strategic role in hemispheric security by enabling the early detection of emerging threats and the adaptation of State responses to rapidly evolving dynamics.5 Since 2018, the OID has supported the establishment and development of Early Warning Systems (EWS) in member states and provided seed funding to develop the Early Warning System of the Americas (SATA), a regional repository of all information on new and emerging drugs detected by national EWS. To date, 19 countries in the Hemisphere have developed or launched national EWS, and

another six are in the process of doing so. The articulation between national EWS and the regional SATA helps reduce the time required to detect new substances and trafficking patterns, strengthening the capacity of states to anticipate and respond early to threats with direct implications for human security. The OID regularly publishes Information Bulletins containing the most up-to-date information on drugrelated research, as well as annual SATA Information Bulletins compiling alerts and information on emerging drugs generated by member states. On a monthly basis, the SATA e-Newsletter is distributed to the hemispheric network of national EWS, providing a monthly compilation of newly detected substances that pose serious risks to public health and safety. The OID provides technical assistance and training to member states in the detection of new and emerging drugs, such as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, new psychoactive substances (NPS), and other emerging substances. To this end, it strengthens interinstitutional and multidisciplinary collaboration and supports coordination between professionals from forensic and toxicological laboratories engaged in drug analysis and professionals from other disciplines and law enforcement agencies that are part of national EWS networks. Through these lines of action, CICAD’s Inter-American Observatory on Drugs 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 both drug use and drug supply. In the area of policy and program evaluation, CICAD, through its Executive Secretariat and the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) Unit of the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Section, manages and coordinates the MEM process, which constitutes a peer review evaluation through which OAS member states periodically assess the implementation of the Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its Plan of Action. This Unit provides technical support to member states throughout the different stages of the evaluation process, including the application of methodological instruments, the collection and

validation of information, and the preparation of national and hemispheric reports, ensuring methodological coherence, comparability, and the technical quality of the results. Likewise, the MEM constitutes a key tool for strengthening political and technical dialogue among member states, as it enables the identification of progress, challenges, and priority areas for improvement in drug policies, as well as the exchange of good practices and successful experiences. The inputs generated through the MEM complement the information produced by the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) and contribute to guiding the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based public policies, reinforcing multilateral cooperation and member states’ capacity to respond to the drug problem in the hemisphere. These challenges are of particular relevance to the Committee on Hemispheric Security, insofar as gaps in information, coordination, and early warning directly affect the capacity of member states to anticipate and respond to drug-related threats that transcend national borders.6 Persistent Challenges and Measures Recommended by CICAD/MEM-OID Identified Challenges While relevant progress has been achieved, the region continues to face significant structural challenges in the areas of information, design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and data collection and analysis related to the drug problem. Among the main challenges identified by the CICAD Executive Secretariat, through its Evidence-Based Drug Policy Section, are the following:  Lack of budgetary resources in member states to conduct national drug surveys/studies, which hinders the availability of up-to-date epidemiological data on drug use.  Lack of standardization in drug supply data reported by the various law enforcement agencies and prosecutorial authorities in member states.  Insufficient sustained regional mechanisms for the timely exchange of information, early warning, and coordination of responses to emerging drug trends that pose serious risks to public health and security.  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 chemical precursors, which limits early detection and the effectiveness of institutional responses.  Challenges in coordination among the various institutions addressing the drug problem at the national level for the establishment of a national Early Warning System (EWS).  Challenges in coordination among the various institutions addressing the drug problem at the national level, which hinders the effective functioning of an interinstitutional and multidisciplinary network for the operation of a national EWS.  Insufficient or non-existent national budgets allocated to drug research and monitoring.  Gaps in the availability and quality of information reported by member states within the framework of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), which hinder a comprehensive and fully comparable evaluation of the design, implementation, and results of drug policies.  Institutional and human resource limitations in some National Coordinating Entities (NCEs) to effectively coordinate the collection, validation, and consolidation of the information required by the MEM.  The need to strengthen the technical capacities of member states for the systematic use of MEM results in the formulation, adjustment, and monitoring of drug policies and programs. These challenges highlight the role of CICAD, as a specialized body of the inter-American system, in facilitating the delivery of a coordinated regional response to a dynamic and transnational phenomenon such as drug use and drug trafficking, complementing national efforts and promoting hemispheric cooperation.

Recommendations: In this context, the measures recommended by the CICAD Executive Secretariat, through its units of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) and the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID), to strengthen the capacities of member states in the areas of information, design, implementation,7 monitoring, evaluation, and data collection and analysis related to the drug problem, include the following:  Reinforce the technical capacities of professionals dedicated to the research, monitoring, and

evaluation of national drug programs.  Promote interinstitutional and multidisciplinary cooperation among professionals involved in National Drug Information Networks (DINs) and National Early Warning Systems (EWS) on emerging drugs, including the timely exchange of information and coordination of actions to generate updated, evidence-based data.  Promote hemispheric technical forums for the exchange of good practices, the identification of emerging trends, and the building of trust among member states, through expert groups and regional cooperation mechanisms.  Strengthen the capacities of professionals in forensic and toxicological laboratories engaged in drug analysis through specialized training programs and technical assistance in the identification, safe handling, and proper preservation of seizures of synthetic drugs, new psychoactive substances, and other new and emerging psychoactive substances.  Foster the sustained development of technical and operational capacities through specialized training programs and technical assistance tailored to the needs and realities of each member state.  Strengthen the capacities of National Coordinating Entities (NCEs) to ensure effective interinstitutional coordination in the processes of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), including the timely collection, validation, and consolidation of the required information.  Promote the systematic use of MEM results and recommendations as inputs for the formulation, adjustment, and monitoring of national drug policies, strategies, and programs, fostering evidence-based public management.  Strengthen the articulation between the information generated by the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) and MEM evaluations, in order to improve the quality, comparability, and coherence of the data used in hemispheric evaluations.  Ensure the sustainability and continuity of the MEM through the allocation of adequate financial and technical resources, enabling the timely implementation of evaluation rounds and the strengthening of the peer review approach.

Guiding Questions: Delegations of member states  What are the main challenges faced by your country in the areas of information, design,

implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and data collection and analysis related to the drug problem?  What technical, operational, or institutional capabilities need to be strengthened in order to carry out this data collection, analysis, and evaluation?  How can regional cooperation be strengthened to address the challenge posed by the emergence of new and emerging psychoactive substances such as fentanyl, other synthetic opioids, new psychoactive substances, and other substances that pose serious risks to public health and security?  What role can international partners and the private sector play in supporting these strategies?8  What challenges has your country faced in interinstitutional coordination and in the collection, validation, and consolidation of information required within the framework of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM)?  How have the results and recommendations of the MEM been used to strengthen the formulation, implementation, and/or evaluation of national drug policies and programs?

Guiding Questions: Delegations of the Permanent Observers to the OAS  Does your country have international cooperation mechanisms with countries of the region with regards to information, design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and data collection and analysis related to the drug problem?  Does your country have initiatives or good practices that could be shared to strengthen the generation of information, design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and data collection and analysis related to the drug problem?  Does your country have a National Drug Information Network (DIN) that generates up-to-date, evidence-based information on the drug problem at the national level?  Does your country have a National Early Warning System (EWS) as an interinstitutional mechanism to address the challenge of emerging drugs?  In what ways could your country or organization support, through technical cooperation, exchange of experiences, or financial contributions, the strengthening of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) as a hemispheric tool for improving drug policies?