The United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) on December 5 hosted the fourth mini-Dublin Group (informal co-ordination group of like-minded countries on fight against illicit drugs) meeting in Ashgabat.

Chaired by Ambassador of Italy to Turkmenistan Marco Manchini., the meeting was reportedly attended by representatives of law enforcement agencies of Turkmenistan, embassies and international organizations based in Ashgabat.

According to UNRCCA, the meeting participants shared information about their current and planned activities related to fight against illicit drugs in order to better coordinate and complement their efforts.  

Established in 1990, the Dublin Group is an informal coordination group made up of like-minded countries to: 1) analyze and exchange views on international drug problems - as regards production, trafficking and abuse - particularly in mainly-producing and transit countries; 2) make recommendations both to its members and to its partner countries on how to address these problems; and 3) coordinate their response to these problems particularly as regards their members’ cooperation with partner countries.

Members of the Dublin Group are the European Commission and the Member States of the EU, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Norway.  The UNODC also participates in the Group’s meetings and the Secretariat of the Group is assured by the EU Council Secretariat.

The Dublin Group meets in Brussels at central level twice a year.  Every two years the Regional chairs are elected by consensus at these meetings.  Each of these chairs – there are about ten – has the responsibility for monitoring and informing the Dublin Group at the central level about the evolution of the drug situation in a particular region.  They do so by preparing once a year a “regional report” (and six months later a “follow-up” to this report), which contains (sometimes proceeded by a regional summary) the information and recommendations submitted by the mini-Dublin Groups established in the region.

The mini-Dublin Groups (one per host country) consist of representatives from the Missions and Embassies of Dublin Group members in each host country.  They usually meet twice a year at the initiative, and under the chairmanship, of the Mission whose country holds the regional chair. Often, their meetings are also attended (in part or entirely) by officials from the host country.

Located in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, UNRCCA was inaugurated in December 2007 to help the region’s countries respond more proactively to cross-border challenges and threats before they can become costlier and more difficult to control.

The Center is tasked with assisting the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in building capacities to peacefully prevent conflict, in facilitating dialogue, and in catalyzing international support behind projects and initiatives.