US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS139

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000139 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL/PC MAREN BROOKS AND EUR/SE SUZANNE 
YOUNTCHI; INL/AAE FOR LEON WEINTRAUB; USUNVIE FOR HOWARD 
SOLOMON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EU, KCRM, PREL, SNAR, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: CENTRAL DUBLIN GROUP MEETING: JANUARY 2004 
 
REF: 03 BRUSSELS 03243 
 
1.  This cable contains an action request.  See para. 8. 
 
2.  Summary.  During its January 9 meeting, the members of 
the Central Dublin Group reviewed regional reports from the 
Baltic states (Norway), Central Europe (Netherlands), 
Northern Africa (Spain), Africa - apart from North Africa 
(France), the Caribbean (France), South America (Spain) and 
Central America/Mexico (U.S.).  This was the first time the 
U.S. has served as regional chair for Central America and 
Mexico, having agreed to a temporary switch with Spain for 
South America.  This was also the last time regional reports 
will be submitted for the Baltics and Central Europe as these 
countries will be joining the European Union on May 1.  Two 
scientific presentations on the neurotixicity of cannabis 
were presented, one by Dr. Steven Childers of Wake Forest 
University.  Members discussed the request by Turkey to join 
the Dublin Group, but took no action.  Instead, they decided 
to develop criteria for the admission of new members, to be 
discussed at the next meeting of the Central Dublin Group in 
June.  Raymond Yans of the Belgian MFA agreed to extend his 
tenure as Dublin Group Chair for another year.   EU accession 
state members were present at the meeting as observers but 
will become full participating members at the next meeting. 
U.S. rep to the meeting was USEU/NAS Frank Kerber.  End 
summary. 
 
Technical Presentations 
----------------------- 
 
3.  Dublin Group chair Raymond Yans opened the meeting with 
two technical presentations on the neurotoxicity of cannabis. 
 The presentations were made by Dr. Steven Childers of the 
Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Dr. Thomas 
Lundqvist, associate professor and clinical psychologist at 
the Drug Addiction Treatment Center, Lund University 
Hospital, Sweden.  Dr. Childers addressed the recent 
scientific findings on the actions of cannabinoids on the 
brain, and Dr. Lundqvist spoke about the practical behavioral 
and cognitive effects of short-term and long-term use.  While 
no policy implications were drawn by the two experts, Dr. 
Childers opined that medicinal use of marijuana perhaps 
resulted in more negative effects than positive, and that 
direct administration of THC might be preferable to inhaling 
the drug (just as medicinal use of heroin as a painkiller is 
preferable to smoking opium). 
 
Regional Reports 
---------------- 
 
4.  The members reviewed regional reports from the Baltic 
states (Norway), Central Europe (Netherlands), Northern 
Africa (Spain), Africa - apart from North Africa (France), 
the Caribbean (France), South America (Spain) and Central 
America/Mexico (U.S.).  (Reports will be pouched to INL/PC.) 
This was the first time the U.S. has served as regional chair 
for Central America and Mexico, having agreed to a temporary 
switch with Spain for South America.  This was also the last 
time regional reports will be submitted for the Baltics and 
Central Europe as these countries will be joining the 
European Union on May 1.  The U.S. report was well received 
and the recommendations contained in the report were adopted. 
 
 
Paris Pact 
---------- 
 
5.  Bernard Frahi of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 
in Vienna presented a draft paper on the Paris Pact.  The 
Paris Pact examines the opium route from Afghanistan to 
Western Europe.  He asked that comments on the proposals 
contained in the paper be submitted quickly so that the final 
version could be distributed to Pact members.  The Italian 
delegation distributed an EU paper on the Paris Pact and 
stressed that demand reduction analysis should be considered 
in the second round of technical "rooundtables".  (The EU 
paper has been sent to USUNVIE and to INL/AAE).  Frahi 
acknowledged the EU desire to include demand analysis be 
included in Paris Pact deliberations, but asked for 
"pragmatism" given that no additional funding is available 
for the Paris Pact initiative.  USDEL seconded this position. 
 Noting that UNODC projected 2004 roundtables to be held in 
Moscow, Tashkent, Albania, USDEL reminded the group that the 
Pact consultative  meeting in Rome in November had considered 
the possibility of focusing the roundtables on the countries 
immediately surrounding Afghanistan rather than scattering 
its deliberations too widely.  He also reminded the group of 
Iran's unexpected invitation for the Pact to meet in Teheran. 
 
Turkey's Application for Membership 
----------------------------------- 
 
6.  The chair noted that Turkey had approached all the 
members regarding its request to join the Central Dublin 
Group.  He and the Commission deplored Turkey's past 
unwillingness to cooperate with a Mini-Dublin Group in Ankara 
- most recently in 1995.  The Commission denied that it had 
offered membership in the Central Dublin Group to Turkey in 
2001.The Japanese delegate noted that there were no 
agreed-upon criteria for the admission of new members and 
recommended that such criteria be developed.  USDEL seconded 
this recommendation and noted the UNODC threshold for 
membership in "major donors" might perhaps be included among 
the criteria.  The chair invited members to submit 
suggestions for membership criteria for consideration at the 
next meeting.  Meanwhile, Italy may approach Turkey to assist 
with its Central Asia regional chair responsibilities.  The 
issue of whether to try again to establish a mini-Dublin 
Group in Ankara will be taken up at the next meeting of the 
Central Dublin Group. 
 
Next Meeting 
------------ 
 
7.  The next Central Dublin Group meeting will be held in 
Brussels either June 22-23 or July 6-7.  It was agreed that 
one and half days were required for this meeting.  Belgian 
MFA Raymond Yans agreed to extend his tenure as Dublin Group 
Chair for another year. 
 
 
Action Request 
-------------- 
 
8.  The U.S. report on Central America and Mexico contained 
several recommendations for each country in the report 
(Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, 
Guatemala and Mexico).  Mini-Dublin Group chairs are expected 
to submit an interim follow-up report at the following 
meeting which summarizes events that have occurred since the 
report was written and action taken on the recommendations. 
The interim report should be submitted no later than two 
weeks before the meeting, i.e., June 8. 
 
FOSTER