Ambassador Nocella Unveils Italian Initiative to Combat Drug Threats in Latin America
Washington: During an online conference organized by the Organization of American States (OAS), the Italian government officially launched a project aimed at bolstering drug early warning systems across Latin American and Caribbean nations. This initiative marks Italy’s commitment to addressing the rising threat posed by synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and pink cocaine, throughout the Western Hemisphere.
According to Ansa News Agency, Italian Permanent Observer to the OAS, Roberto Nocella, emphasized that emerging drug challenges transcend borders, with Italy actively engaged in combating these issues within the EU, UN, and G7 frameworks. Ambassador Nocella highlighted Italy’s ongoing financial support for projects fostering social reintegration of drug users. However, he stressed prevention as a crucial aspect, citing the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ decision to fund a cutting-edge project to enhance Early Warning Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. This effort aims to facilitate technical assistance and mutual knowledge exchange.
The conference featured prominent speakers, including Marya Hynes, Director of the Inter-American Drug Observatory (OID), Ivan Marques, Secretary for Multidimensional Security of the OAS, Angela Crowdy, Executive Secretary Pro Tempore of the Inter-American Commission for the Control of Drug Abuse (CICAD), and Dr. Andrea Zapparoli from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Crowdy noted that “polyaddiction” is prevalent in the region, stemming from mixing primary drugs with other substances, while Marques underscored the importance of Early Warning Systems as essential governance and prevention tools.
Dr. Zapparoli expressed his honor in sharing Italian best practices with other nations, aiming to support the development and strengthening of Observatories to better detect and manage new psychoactive substances globally. As part of the initiative, representatives from Latin American and Caribbean Early Warning Systems are set to visit Italy.