PRESS RELEASETHE 2ND MEETING OF THE NATIONAL FOCAL POINTSOF THE COLOMBO PLAN – DRUG ADVISORY PROGRAMME (CP – DAP)JAKARTA, 2 – 4 DECEMBER 2009

1. The Colombo Plan (CP) which was originally called the CP for Cooperative Economic Development in South and Southeast Asia. It was launched on 1 July 1951. It is a cooperative venture for the economic and social advancement. It has grown from a group of seven Commonwealth nations: into an organization of 26 countries: Afgha nistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldive, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, PNG, The Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, USA, and Vietnam. 2. In 1977 it was changed into The CP for Cooperative Economic and Social Develop ment in Asia and the Pacific.Its membership and the scope of its activities was expanded. Adopting the principles of partnership, self-help and mutual help in the development process, it focuses on human resource development and south-south cooperation. The CP programmes encompass: 1) Programme for Public Administra tion 2) Programme for Private Sector Development 3) Drug Advisory Programme (DAP), 4) Long-term Fellowship Program 5) Programme on Environment.3. The 1st Meeting of the CP-DAP National Focal Points which was held in Male Maldives in June 2008 was aimed to respond to the needs of the member states for demand reduction initiative. There were 9 long term programmes and 37 short term activities agreed upon and initiated in the first meeting. A total of 2.179 participants from all the Colombo Plan member states directly benefited from the short term programmes The CP-DAP has been focusing on the need of the member states for drug demand reduction human resource development programme.4. In Indonesia, it focuses on Pesantren based drug demand reduction initiative where Nahdatul Ulemma served as its counterpart. In Afghanistan, it has supported 26 treatment centres. In Asia it has been attempting to establish the Asian Centre for Certification and Eductaion (ACCE) of addiction personnel. 5. Now the 2nd Meeting of the CP-DAP National Focal Points is held in Jakarta, 2 -3 December 2009. It will focus on: Reviewing the effectiveness of the on-going CP-DAP programmes and activities agreed upon in the 1st meeting in Maldives last year; and assessing the need of the member states for new initiatives in the areas of drug demand reduction, as well as to identify and discuss issues related to the activities of the Colombo Plan- Drug Advisory Programme in the Asia Pacific region, including education and certification of treatment personnel and mapping of treatment facilities.6. This 2nd Meeting of the CP-DAP National Focal Points is jointly organized by , the BNN and the Secretarian of the CP-DAP, sponsored by the United States Department of States, Bureau fo International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) It is participated by 50 participants from 20 out of 26 Colombo Plan member states The opening ceremony of this meeting is also attended by Datoâ