At the Santiago Summit 34 Presidents, including President Clinton, agreed to create a new Hemispheric Alliance Against Drugs. The Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism, or MEM, is an unprecedented initiative designed to ensure that every nation in the hemisphere develops and implements comprehensive national drug control strategies. Implementation of promises made during the Santiago Summit is already well under way. There are a great many complex issues that still need to be addressed, including funding and process issues. After the expert team has gathered sufficient information they will send their written report to the country for comment.
Further discussions follow between the evaluators and the national experts.
By law, the President is required to determine whether countries have cooperated fully with the United States or taken adequate steps to meet the counter-narcotics goals and objectives of the 1988 U.N. Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Denial of certification involves foreign assistance sanctions, as well as a mandatory U.S. vote against multilateral development bank loans. Additionally, the United States moved forward on a number of other initiatives to support antidrug policies and programs in our hemisphere. The U.S. has expanded the International Law-Enforcement Academy, which provides professional development opportunities for Central American officers and created a demand reduction training center in New Mexico. Further, our nation, in collaboration with other countries, have established a Judicial Center in Latin America to train judges and court personnel.