Ukraine expands cooperation within the Council of Europe on the fight against drug abuse and their illicit trafficking
Today, July 12, the Ministry of Internal Affairs held an interdepartmental working meeting on deepening cooperation of Ukraine with the Pompidou Group and certain legislative initiatives in the field of drug policy in the interests of ensuring public safety and mental health of the population.
The event was chaired by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko with the participation of Executive Secretary of the Pompidu Group of the Council of Europe (Cooperation Group on Combating Drug Abuse and Illicit Transportation), Denis Uber.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevhenii Yenin, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine for European Integration Oleksandr Komarida, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine Oleksandr Banchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation Oleksandr Merere Zhanat Kosmukhamedova, Head of the Regional Program Office in Eastern Europe of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, representatives of the project “Drug and Alcohol Dependence: Society Security, Protection of Minors, mental health” Anna Mishchenko and Victoria Mozhova.
The purpose of the multilateral meeting is to deepen Ukraine's cooperation with the Pompidou Group and discuss legislative initiatives on Ukraine's accession to this Group (No. 0114 of 18.06.2021), as well as to develop in Ukraine the sphere of treatment and medical and psychological rehabilitation of drug addicts and the response of criminal justice to the needs of such persons (No. 5715 from 29.06.2021).
Anton Gerashchenko stressed that today the accession of Ukraine to the Pompidou Group and the introduction of amendments to the current legislation on improving the regulation of the outlined legal relations, taking into account European standards and best practices, has become of particular relevance.
“Cooperation of Ukraine with the Pompidou Group ensures a qualitative transformation of the drug policy of our country, the implementation of a person-oriented approach of the state and society to solving problems related to psychoactive substances. Implementation of positive international experience on drug addiction prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of persons with such addiction is important for Ukraine,” the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs noted.
Thus, in July 2021, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky submitted to the Parliament of Ukraine a draft Law of Ukraine “On Ukraine's accession to the Partial Agreement on the Establishment of a Cooperation Group in the Fight Against Drug Abuse and Their Illicit Trafficking (Pompidu Group).
In addition, the draft Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Criminal Liability of Persons Who Commit Offenses Due to the Presence of Addiction to Narcotic and Other Psychoactive Substances, as well as Organization of Rehabilitation of Such Persons” has been registered. This Law aims to introduce legal mechanisms that will reduce the level of crime in the state caused by mental and behavioral disorders due to the use of psychoactive substances and to lay the foundations for the development in Ukraine of high-quality medical and psychological rehabilitation of persons with such disorders. In relation to the latter, it is important to ensure that such changes comply with European standards and recognised practices.
Anton Gerashchenko noted the importance of Ukraine's cooperation with the Pompidu Group and thanked Dan Uber for his support and readiness to cooperate.
For reference: The Pompidou Group is an intergovernmental body that has been part of the Council of Europe since 1980. Its main tasks include the implementation of a comprehensive study of the problems of drug abuse and their illicit trafficking, as well as the development and implementation of comprehensive measures to combat drug addiction at the national, regional and local levels. Within the framework of the European integration course, Ukraine is planned to join the Pompidou Group in the near future (draft law No. 0114 of 18.06.2021).
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Photo by Oleg Suprun
