Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs (AIPACODD)
The idea to transform AIFOCOM into AIPACODD (AIPA Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs) was presented during the 13th Meeting AIPA Fact-Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) in Philippines, 2017. The idea was first conveyed prior to the meeting, during the consultation between the Philippines, as the host of the event, and AIPA Secretariat, regarding the status of Technical Working Group (TWG) of AIFOCOM which has not reached consensus and has no clear decision made by AIPA Member Parliaments. AIPACODD is proposed in order AIFOCOM to work beyond fact-finding into taking concrete action for better efficiency and coordination on drug menace across the region and also to strengthening its role and mandate as parliamentary tool to combat drug menace. AIPACODD is proposed to strengthen the role and mandate of AIFOCOM as parliamentary tool to combat drug menace across the region. Through AIPACODD, it will be no longer fact-finding only, but also taking concrete action by providing consultation and recommendation for executive and legislative bodies to have better coordination in combating drug menace. The resolution on The Transformation from AIFOCOM into AIPACODD was adopted during the 38th AIPA General Assembly in Manila, the Philippines. The first meeting of AIPACODD will be held in June 2018, and shall continue at least once a year in the future, preferably before the General Assembly. Further meetings may be agreed upon by the member countries on a consensus upon proposal of the chairperson with the consent of the incumbent president of AIPA.
Report AIPA Fact Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) to Combat Drug Menace
In September 1999, during the 20th AIPO General Assembly in Manila, the host country, Philippines, led to the establishment of AIPA Fact Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) on Drug Menace through a resolution which was thereafter approved on the 22nd AIPO (now AIPA) General Assembly. The first meeting of AIFOCOM took place in 2002 in Hanoi, Viet Nam. During the 7th AIFOCOM meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam in April 2010, members agreed to submit a draft resolution on facilitating the implementation of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Resolutions on Preventing and Combatting Illegal Drugs, and to Improve AIFOCOM activities. This draft resolution was then adopted at the 31st AIPA General Assembly in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, in September 2010 which recognized the limited operational effectiveness of the AIFOCOM in the implementation of AIPA resolutions on preventing and combating illegal drugs. The 8th AIFOCOM Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in May 2011 produced a draft resolution on the Creation of a Technical Working Group. This draft resolution was later adopted at the 32nd AIPA General Assembly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Res32GA/2011/Soc/05) which called for the importance of harmonization of laws in ASEAN member states, and declared the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) under the AIFOCOM. Considering that the formation of the Technical Working Group has not materialized, and the mindfulness on the alarming situation of drug abuse in the region and the need for the full commitment of all the ASEAN member countries to exert strategic and sustained efforts to achieve a drug-free ASEAN community in 2025, Delegation of the Philippines Parliament proposed the transformation of AIPA Fact Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) on Combating Drug Menace into AIPA Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs (AIPACODD) during the 13th AIFOCOM Meeting in Manila, the Philippines from 4 to 8 July 2017. The draft resolution on the transformation from AIFOCOM into AIPACODD has been agreed by consensus.