Joining International Efforts on Alternative Development

Expert Group Meeting on Alternative Development (EGM on AD)

Expert Group of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Comprehensive and Sustainable Alternative Development (GEDAIS)

Lima, Peru, October 11 -13, 2023

Hotel El Pardo - Jr. Independencia 141 (Event not open to the public)

Given the similar themes of the Expert Group Meeting on Alternative Development (EGM on AD) and the Expert Group on Comprehensive and Sustainable Alternative Development (known by its Spanish-language acronym, GEDAIS) of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (known by its Spanish-language acronym, CICAD), the co-hosts of each expert group considered it beneficial to hold both events during the same week and in the same location. This will facilitate collaboration between both groups. Both meetings will be held in person in Lima, Peru from October 11-13. Peru holds the Chair of GEDAIS, and participates as a co-organizer of the EGM on AD.

Expert Group Meeting on Alternative Development (EGM on AD)

Since 2016, the governments of Germany, Peru, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have co-hosted seven Expert Group Meetings on Alternative Development (EGMs on AD). These meetings serve as a platform for the open debate between AD experts from member states, international organizations, civil society, and academia to exchange knowledge on the topic of AD, and to prepare policies and decisions taken by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). The reference framework for the EGMs on AD discussions comprises several CND and UN General Assembly documents, including the relevant chapters of the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action, the 2013 UN Guiding Principles on Alternative Development, the 2014 Joint Ministerial Statement, the 2016 UNGASS Outcome Document, and the 2019 Ministerial Declaration.

The EGM on AD discussions have been evolving, focusing not only on integrating AD into a wider sustainable development agenda, but also on the implementation of AD programs, country-level experiences, and best practices, among others. As a result of these discussions, there has been greater visibility, and an increase in political support for AD at the CND, as well as a notable recognition of AD strategies in national drug policies of many countries. The EGM’s discussions are reflected in Conference Room Papers (CRP) and annual draft resolutions tabled by the governments of Peru, Germany, and the Kingdom of Thailand, which have been adopted by the CND.

CICAD’s Expert Group on Comprehensive and Sustainable Alternative Development (known by its Spanish-language acronym, GEDAIS)

CICAD/OAS member states promote national programs to reduce the illicit cultivation and illicit production of drugs through comprehensive and sustainable AD measures, where applicable, including social welfare strategies and targeted attention, according to the particular needs of sub-national regions.

GEDAIS is a "high-level technical space to address, according to the realities and needs of each country, the different experiences, principles, new trends, and challenges facing comprehensive and sustainable alternative development - and, where appropriate, preventive alternative development- in the hemisphere, with a focus on human development." GEDAIS is supported by the CICAD Executive Secretariat. Peru currently chairs GEDAIS.