Ms. Rasamee Vistaveth, Deputy Secretary-General, NCB, leaded Thai delegation to participated the annual senior official round, MOU Signatory Countries and UNDCP, Meeting during May 20-22, 2002, in China. High level senior officials from seven signatories of MOU on Drug Control - namely Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and UNDCP - have presented. The forum has reviewed and shared their current drug situation, cooperation's progress, and new project proposals. The meeting was presided by Mr. Bai Jing Fu, Deputy Commissioner and Secretary General of the National Narcotics Control Commission and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Public Security, and chaired by Mr. Yang Feng Rui, Permanent Deputy Secretary General, National Narcotics Control Commission.
Having entered 10th year of cooperation on drug control since the first establishing of five signatories of MOU on Drug Control in 1993, all Greater Mekong Subregion partners are well aware that drug problems remaining high priority concern in the world issue. It has been quoted from the meeting Press Release that:
   • Over 80% of the global seizures of amphetamines (ATS) in 2000 took place in East and South East Asia;
   • About half of the world's population abusing ATS are found in East and South East Asia;
   • Over 70% of the global seizures of heroin and morphine in 1999 occurred in Asian;
   • Between 1993 and 2001 a tremendous increase in the use of ATS was reported in Thailand;
   • In Asia and the Pacific (excluding Central Asia), over 1 million adults and children were newly infected with HIV in 2001;
   • HIV infection among injecting drug abuse groups continues to be high in the region; in some countries over 70%.
The forum has reviewed the current 15 projects of Subregional Action Plan Programme. Since the programme needs the budget over US$ 22 million, it has been urged to the floor for more concrete on contribution in order to have an effective implementation. All these MOU projects, which practically are supply reduction and demand reduction on drug control, has been highlighted to the floor on the following aspects: the control measure strategies, application of computer-based training, cross-border cooperation, the threatened increase of trafficking and abuse of ATS, the spread of HIV/AIDS through injecting drug, rural drug demand and poverty reduction, and alternative development. In addition, the approach of regional cooperation under the International Congress "In pursuit of a drug-free ASEAN 2015" which was held in Bangkok has been addressed. On that congress, ASEAN countries and China jointly endorsed the ACCORD (ASEAN and China Co-operative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs) Plan of Action. All ASEAN members and China together with those governments and organisations who ratified the said plan, have shown their full responsibilities on this matter. Furthermore, the new challenge on the maritime control of the Greater Mekong River has been proposed. Since, there is a ground reason to believe that Mekong international river has been illegally used by organized crimes. Moreover, a subregional project on Reducing HIV Vulnerability from Drug Abuse has been signed and Beijing Declaration has been adopted.
The meeting was pleased that Viet Nam will hold the next MOU Ministerial Meeting in May 2003.