Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Anti-drug trafficking agreement signed in Suriname

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

by: Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnewa.com

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Caribbean, South American, European countries and the US signed an agreement in Suriname on Friday to work closely together to combat drug trafficking through the Caribbean and dismantle trafficking organisations.

Twelve nations, including Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, the Netherlands, France, Great-Brittain and the US, signed the so-called ‘Paramaribo Declaration’ at the end of a two-day international anti-drugs conference.

Suriname justice minister, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, who hosted the meeting, said that months of hard work eventually paid off, with the declaration being adopted unanimously.

Amongst other things, the agreement is a framework to establish an intelligence sharing network, coordinate and execute sting operations and other actions simultaneously in several countries, while tackling money laundering. Forfeiture of assets gained from drug trade are also objectives in the agreement.

“The success of the conference started with the commitment of all the delegates and participants to come to Suriname despite all the travel difficulties and we had good and fruitful discussions on operational, technical and policy making levels,” said Santokhi.

During the meeting, Suriname was given the lead to set up a secretariat to monitor and oversee implementation of the agreement. Since the pact is a framework, officials of the participating countries will hold several meetings to draw up the necessary action plans how to realise the objectives.

Recognising Suriname’s success in identifying the ten largest criminal organisations in the country five years ago, with eight having already been dismantled, participants also agreed to a similar approach regionally. The ten largest drug trafficking organisations in the region will be identified and targeted.

US ambassador to Suriname, Lisa Bobbie Schreiber-Hughes, said she felt especially empowered by the commitment of all participants to the conference to tackle the drugs trade in the region, while Colombia’s representative, Alvaro Ayala, also stressed that his country is determined to eliminate cocaine production.

However, Ayala argued that Columbia can’t accomplish this enormous task on its own. Assistance from other countries is necessary. Especially countries that are producing and supplying cocaine producers with chemicals, he further added.

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