International Congress in Pursuit of a Drug-Free ASEAN 2015, October 11-13, 2000.

The Royal Thai Government, UNDCP and ASEAN jointly organized the International Congress in Pursuit of a Drug-Free ASEAN 2015 during 11-13 October 2000, in Bangkok. The aim of the International Congress is to stimulate a constructive dialogue among ASEAN countries, China and organizations with an interest in the region in order to achieve consensus on a joint strategy to improve regional drug control efforts, coordination and impact. The International Congress was attended by 33 countries from ASEAN, China, Japan and donor countries as well as 16 organizations including the European Commission and the Doublin Group.

The International Congress endorsed the Bangkok Political Declaration and the ACCORD Plan of Action (ASEAN and China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs). To further state the need for improved regional coordination, the Bangkok Political Declaration affirms "the need for an intersectoral plan of action with clear objectives, measurable targets, collectively owned by the international community, that will enable ASEAN countries to execute the necessary actions towards the achievement of the common goal of a Drug-Free ASEAN 2015, and of the implementation of the ACCORD Plan of Action."
The ACCORD Plan of Action rests on four pillars : proactively advocating civic awareness on dangers of drugs and social response; building consensus and sharing best practices on demand reduction; strengthening the rule of law by an enhanced network of control measures and improved law enforcement cooperation and legislative review and eliminating the supply of illicit drugs by boosting alternative development programmes and community participation in the eradication of illicit crops. In response to the need for improved cooperation on drug control at all levels, the ACCORD Plan of Action envisages the creation of a regional mechanism for the exchange of information and for the monitoring of the implementation of the Plan of Action.

The Informal Preparatory Meeting of the ACCORD Plan of Action Task Force was held on 12 April 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to discuss how to operate the actions set in the Plan.