The Drug Control Secretariat at the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development and Religious Affairs, informs the public that Grenada has successfully completed the first phase of its participation in the Seventh Evaluation Round of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM).
This process was completed when Grenada submitted its responses to the MEM evaluation instrument, which measures the progress made by member states of the Organisation of American States/Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (OAS/CICAD), on 26 April 2018. The submission was done one day ahead of the due date for such submissions.
The Drug Control Secretariat which serves as the National Coordinating Entity (NCE), for the MEM in Grenada, led the process to complete the evaluation instrument which would be used to measure the progress of actions taken by member states of the OAS/CICAD, in the area of drug control. The evaluation instrument examined actions taken by Grenada in 5 thematic areas: Institutional Strengthening; Demand Reduction; Supply Reduction; Control Measures; International Cooperation. Each component consists of several objectives and questions, regarding actions taken by all member states, including Grenada.
Several government ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Grenada Police Force and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), were involved in completing the evaluation instrument, between February and April 2018. Their responses were verified and compiled by the Drug Control Secretariat, in accordance with guidelines established by CICAD.
These responses would be examined by the Governmental Expert Group (GEG), a multidisciplinary group of experts from OAS/CICAD member states, which seeks to ensure the objectivity and the multilateral component of the MEM. The GEG would prepare a draft report based on Grenada’s submission and identify actions being implemented and gaps in the national drug control programme. The draft report would be reviewed by Grenada and amended as necessary later in 2018. The final report would be approved and disseminated in 2019.
Six evaluation rounds of the MEM were completed between 1999 and 2014. Grenada successfully participated in all these rounds and received financial and technical assistance for implementation of the national drug control programme.
The MEM is a mechanism established by the Organisation of American States/Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (OAS/CICAD), to evaluate the progress in drug control, in its member states, and to make periodic recommendations to member states on improving their capacity to control drug trafficking and abuse and to enhance multilateral cooperation.
Drug Control Secretariat, Ministry of Education
