Dominican Republic secures EU support for drug prevention initiatives

Punta Cana.- The National Drug Council (CND) of the Dominican Republic signed an inter-institutional cooperation agreement with the European Union under the COPOLAD III program, strengthening collaboration on drug policy development through European technical and financial support. The agreement was formalized during the 4th Annual COPOLAD III Meeting, an international forum that gathered more than 170 specialists and representatives from over 60 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe.

The agreement was signed by Alejandro de Jesús Abreu, president of the CND and co-president of the EU-CELAC Mechanism, alongside Olivier Luyckx, head of country programs for Latin America and the Caribbean at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships. Dominican diplomatic and institutional representatives also attended the ceremony, highlighting the importance of the partnership for regional cooperation.

The alliance will launch three key initiatives: a National Survey on Drug Use among university students to guide evidence-based policies, the strengthening of the country’s Drug Policy Training School for decision-makers, and the “Wings of Transformation” strategy aimed at supporting children of incarcerated parents. The latter program will begin at the Baní Women’s Penitentiary Center as a pilot model that could later expand nationwide, reinforcing the Dominican Republic’s regional role in addressing drug-related challenges.