1 June 2023 – The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia hosted the 6th meeting of the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs (AIPACODD) and more than 25 parliamentarians from the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Member of Parliaments attended the meeting. As one of the AIPA Ad-Hoc Committees, AIPACODD was established to enable the Ad-hoc Committee to work beyond fact-finding and taking concrete action for better efficiency and coordination on drug menace across the region. This year, the AIPACODD meeting took place in Bogor, Indonesia from 29 May – 1 June 2023 under the theme of ‘Supporting Inclusive Economic Growth for Drug-Free ASEAN.’ At the opening ceremony AIPA Secretary General, H.E. Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty Dato Haji Abdul Rahman emphasizes that economic growth is essential for job creation, income generation, and poverty reduction – all of which are critical for building a strong community and a drug-free environment. Furthermore, on behalf of AIPA President, Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Rachmat Gobel highlighted upon the crucial role of parliamentarians in encouraging efforts to combat drugs and achieve inclusive economic development through parliamentary diplomacy. The meeting was chaired by the Member of Parliament and Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, Hon. Dr. Fadli Zon. In the first session, the AIPA Delegation had a panel discussion with Ms. Kavinvadee Suppapongtevasakul, Regional Synthetic Drugs Analyst from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Prof. Irwanto, Ph.D., a Lecturer from Atma Jaya University, Dr. dr. Diah Setia Utami, SpKJ MARS, Trainer Specialist of National Anti-Narcotics Agency, Mr. Ivan Kurniawan Arifin (Ivanka Slank). The discussion was moderated by Hon Ms. Puteri Anetta Komarudin, Member of Parliaments from the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia. Each speaker shared their experiences and knowledge on the importance of inclusive economic growth to achieve the region’s ultimate goal of a ‘Drug-Free ASEAN’. The second session of the 6th AIPACODD meeting was focused on each AIPA Member Parliament presented their country’s progress report consisting of the drug and trafficking current situation, national law and policy, law enforcement, regional and international cooperation, and other action taken to combat drug and trafficking. The second session ended with the approval of a draft resolution on “Supporting Inclusive Economic Growth for Drug-Free ASEAN” which will be tabled at the upcoming 44th AIPA General Assembly. In the last session, all delegations adopted and signed the draft report of the 6th AIPACODD meeting. The closing ceremony began with a speech from Hon. Amphay Chitmanoh, Head of Lao PDR Delegation, Vice Chairman of Law Committee with an announcement of Lao PDR will host the 7th Meeting of AIPACODD next year in Vientiane, Lao PDR. In his speech, Hon Amphay Chitmanoh acknowledged the responsibility to continue to push forward the common goals of a “Drug-Free ASEAN” community. The session then concluded with closing remarks from Hon. Dr. Fadli Zon as the Chair of the 6th AIPACODD Meeting. He extended his gratitude to all Delegates, Moderator, and Panelist for their active involvement and valuable contributions. He further emphasized that the approval of the Draft Resolution reflected the shared commitment to addressing the drug menace and to promoting sustainable development in the region. On the sidelines of the 6th AIPACODD Meeting, the Indonesian Parliament have also invited the AIPA Delegation to visit the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Rehabilitation Center in Lido on 31 May 2023. The BNN Rehabilitation Center in Lido is the oldest and biggest rehabilitation center for drug users and addicts in Indonesia. Download for PDF