ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD) Meeting In Partnership on Illicit Drug Control

Jakarta.To deal with the increase of transnational crimes in the 21st century, various countries form partnerships, and make agreements as well as commitments to anticipate and fight cross-border crimes. ASEAN, as one of the transnational organizations, also come to a decision to strengthen its partnership in the area through ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters or ASOD. ASOD main objective is to cut the chain of drug trafficking and drug-related money laundering. ASOD was officially established in 1984 and resulted in ASEAN Action Plan on illicit drug control. Then, in October 1984, ASEAN member states agreed that ASOD would focus on four areas: preventive education, treatment and rehabilitation, law enforcement, and research.Numerous efforts and actions have been taken concerning the above priorities, such as trainings and educations in preventive education on drug matters, treatment and rehabilitation trainings, exchange program for law enforcement, exchange of information on drug trafficking trends, modus operandi, and routes, as well as researches. The four priorities have also been supported and supplemented with training centers in various ASEAN countries: Training Center on Drug Law Enforcement in Bangkok, Training Center on Preventive Education in Manila, Training Center on Treatment and Rehabilitation in Kuala Lumpur, and Training Center on Drug Detection in Body Fluid in Singapore.ASOD meeting is conducted annually and attended by ASEAN member states. In the 31st meeting of ASOD in Jakarta, 103 delegations from 10 countries – Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam – are scheduled to be present. Indonesia, in particular the Head of the National Narcotics Board, has been trusted to hold the chairmanship for 2009 2010. The theme of this year