With the support of the European Union in Bolivia, UNODC held the first Coordination Meeting for Strengthening the Regional Center for Anti-Narcotics Intelligence – CERIAN

La Paz, January 7th, 2021 (United Nations) .- With funding from the European Union in Bolivia, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held the first Coordination Meeting for the Strengthening of the Regional Center for Antinarcotics Intelligence - CERIAN with the presence of the Minister of Government Carlos Eduardo del Castillo, as well as authorities representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Police and the European Union.

Mr. Thierry Rostan, UNODC Representative in Bolivia, opened the meeting by greeting and thanking the presence of the national authorities and stressing the importance of intelligence centers such as CERIAN for the exchange and analysis of information in the transnational fight against drug trafficking. In this respect, CERIAN is a process under construction that requires inter-institutional coordination between the Ministry of Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vice Ministry of Social Defense and Controlled Substances and the Anti-Drug Police, in addition to having UNODC's technical assistance, whose global experience assisting States in the constitution, strengthening and implementation of regional centers for the exchange of information and intelligence will facilitate the strengthening of CERIAN as a multilateral international organization.

 

On this occasion, the meeting was attended by Mr. Carlos Eduardo del Castillo del Carpio, Minister of State Government, and Mr. Jaime Mamani Espíndola, Vice Minister of Social Defense and Controlled Substances. During his speech, the Minister of Government said that the Bolivian Government is very interested in strengthening CERIAN and the possibility of learning from positive experiences abroad. In his words, “The idea is for CERIAN to have a presence throughout the region, so it will become an international organization, under the objectives of the Government, the European Union and the UNODC”. The minister pointed out that the support of organizations such as the UNODC is essential for the Bolivian state to be able to effectively fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.

 

This meeting was attended in person by representatives of the Anti-Drug Police (FELCN), the Intelligence Headquarters of the National Police, the CERIAN Headquarters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who unanimously expressed their support and commitment to joint work to strengthen CERIAN. In addition, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) participated virtually. Diego Zurdo, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union, expressed the need to promote the exchange of information at the regional level, given the high capacity for action and rearticulation by drug traffickers. Additionally, he reiterated the support of the European Union to the Bolivian State in the fight against drug trafficking.

 

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides support and technical assistance to the Bolivian Government, civil society organizations and academic institutions, among others, to strengthen responses against criminal organizations, within their national borders and between regions, both in the areas of prevention and in the fight against drugs and organized crime since 1985.