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CICAD of the OAS Organizes Workshop on Alternatives to Imprisonment in Antigua Guatemala

  June 16, 2014

The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) will hold, from June 17 to 19 the "High-level Workshop on Alternatives to Incarceration" at the Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española in Antigua Guatemala.

The course will be taught by academics and experts on the drug issue, and it is aimed at judicial officials from fifteen countries of the region, with the aim of exploring different options for alternatives to incarceration for crimes related to drugs that can serve as a reference for OAS member states. It is estimated that about a third of the prisoners in the prisons of the Western Hemisphere are arrested for drug-related issues.

Beginning with this initiative, Colombia, which this year holds the Chair of CICAD, in collaboration with the Commission, shall prepare a technical report on existing and potential alternatives to incarceration for crimes related to drugs, in accordance with international drug control conventions. The report also takes into account the reality of violations, usage patterns and regulatory frameworks of each country and the contents of the Hemispheric Drug Strategy and Action Plan 2011-2015. Colombia will present a first report on the findings of the topic at the 56th meeting of the CICAD, to be held before the end of the year.

The workshop in Antigua Guatemala has the support of the Latin American Specialized Technical Training Program (PIFTE), carried out by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID).

WHAT: CICAD Workshop on Alternatives to Imprisonment in Antigua Guatemala

WHEN: From June 17 to 19, 2014

WHERE: Centro de Cooperación Española-AECID. La Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala.
6ª ave Norte Antiguo Colegio de la Cía. De Jesús

Reference: AVI-127/14