National Anti-Drug Secretariat General Functions

• The maintenance of a comprehensive overview of drug control activities of Government Ministries/Agencies, NGOs and community organizations and others entities concerned with drug control;
• Assistance in the development of policies and programmes for prevention of drug abuse, treatment and rehabilitation and supply reduction and related matters;
• The collection, compilation and analysis of national statistical and other data on drug abuse and illicit trafficking, including the regular conduct of surveys and studies that inform policy, and the regular assessment of the state of drug control and implementation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy;
• The preparation of reports and papers, including an Annual Report on the drug situation in The Bahamas, and the encouragement in, and assistance for, research and production of scholarly works by individuals, academics and academic institutions, including the College of The Bahamas and the University of the West Indies;
• Cooperating with, and facilitating collaboration among Government Ministries/Agencies, non-governmental and community organizations and the media, to support the implementation of anti-drug projects, programmes and public information campaigns;
• In conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant Governmental entities, assisting in the implementation of obligations arising from the international drug control treaties, articulating Government policies in regional, hemispheric and international organizations, and participating in international standards setting exercises, including in the Caribbean Community, the Organization of American States, the Commonwealth and the United Nations;
• Cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Ministries/Agencies and partners in carrying out The Bahamas reporting obligations, including under regional, hemispheric and international treaties and arrangements;
• Coordination of Bahamas delegations and representation of The Bahamas in bilateral, regional and international forums concerned with drug abuse and illicit trafficking;
• The convening, organization and management of national drug control forums, and assisting in the convening and organization of bilateral and international meetings held in The Bahamas, including the tripartite Joint Task Force (The Bahamas, the United States and the Turks and Caicos Islands).

NADS: A Drug Control Body

As the principal national body for building coherence and cooperation in drug control, the NADS is positioned to have an overview of the broad range of national action to counter drug abuse and illicit trafficking, as well as cooperative action taken at the regional and international levels.

The relationship between the NADS and the Bahamas National Drug Council (BNDC), situated in the Ministry of Health, has been revised for greater coherence in the work of the two bodies and to avoid duplication. BNDC is mandated to organize and coordinate initiatives for the prevention of drug abuse, drug education and treatment and rehabilitation of persons with substance abuse problems. BNDC’s Governmental and non-governmental members are appointed by the Minister of Health.

With the passing of specialist counselling and other drug demand reduction and related services to the SRC/LVU and non-governmental and community organisations, the remaining functions of the BNDC centres in the main on spearheading collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other partners in the organization, administration and implementation of demand reduction projects, with expert input from its various committees.

The BNDC will retain lead responsibility for drug prevention and demand reduction initiatives, and would advise the NADS in these matters. The two bodies would collaborate in the implementation of demand reduction strategies and policies. For clarity regarding the standing of the NADS, the broad drug control body, and the BNDC which is charged with demand reduction matters, the new nomenclature for the BNDC would be the “Council for Drug Prevention and Demand Reduction” (CDPDR). The feasibility of merging the BNDC with the NADS will be actively considered over the course of the Strategy.

Ministry of National Security (NADS)/Ministry of Foreign Affairs Liaison

It is important to ensure that the work under the Strategy, in addition to meeting national goals and objectives, is closely linked to the country’s international relations, for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have lead responsibility. To ensure coherence between action at the national level and obligations at the regional and international levels, the close collaboration between the Ministry of National Security’s NADS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, essential to achieving drug control objectives, will be enhanced through a special liaison arrangement. The NADS will liaise with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on matters including:

• The designation and accreditation of Bahamas delegations to regional and international drug control meetings and forums;
• Receipt and dissemination of information on drug control, including reports of Bahamas delegations to various meetings, and The Bahamas monitoring of the implementation of decisions of various drug control bodies and forums;
• Monitoring of The Bahamas reporting and other obligations, including coordination of the preparation of questionnaires and other documents to be submitted to regional, hemispheric and international organizations;

Organization and management of drug control meetings hosted by The Bahamas, including the OPBAT Joint Task Force