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Media Advisory


April 26, 2001

PRESS CONFERENCE: MULTILATERAL EVALUATION MECHANISM

Representatives of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission will hold a news conference Friday to discuss progress made this week on strengthening the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM), a new tool that measures national and hemispheric efforts against drugs.

Government experts have been meeting since Monday to review the mechanism and add indicators in such drug-related areas as firearms trafficking and corruption. The session of the Intergovernmental Working Group began the day after the hemisphere's presidents and prime ministers strongly endorsed the evaluation tool at the Third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City.

What:    News conference on the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM)

Who:     Paul Kennedy, Chair, MEM Intergovernmental Working Group
            Alvaro Ahumada, Vice Chair
            David Beall, Executive Secretary, Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission

When:   Friday, April 27
            1 p.m.*

Where: OAS headquarters - Miranda Room
           17th & Constitution Ave. NW
           Washington, D.C.


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* A light lunch will be provided.