Arab ministers discuss draft law to combat narcotics

CAIRO: The second meeting of the joint committee of experts and representatives from Arab ministries of justice, interior, health and other concerned authorities convened in Cairo to discuss updates to the Arab Model Law on Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Kuwait is participating in the two-day meeting alongside delegations from across the Arab world. The gathering, organized under the umbrella of the League of Arab States, seeks to strengthen regional legal frameworks and cooperation in response to the evolving threat of narcotic substances, particularly synthetic drugs.

In her opening remarks, Dr Maha Bakhit, Director of the Legal Affairs Department at the Arab League, noted a concerning rise in the spread of synthetic narcotics. She highlighted that while the use of traditional drugs such as heroin and cocaine is waning, synthetic alternatives — due to their low production costs and ease of manufacture — are gaining traction, making them especially attractive to organized crime networks.

Kuwait delegation

Dr Bakhit also warned that these networks often exploit legislative loopholes to develop new psychoactive substances that are difficult to categorize and ban under existing laws. She cited comments from the President of the International Narcotics Control Board, Dr Jalal Tawfiq, who described the proliferation of such substances as a significant threat to global public health with potentially disastrous consequences.

“This reality places a tremendous responsibility on all participants to collaborate and formulate an effective draft that will help curb the spread of this scourge and protect Arab societies,” Dr Bakhit said. The committee will review and revise provisions of the model law, including the inclusion of updated schedules listing narcotic and psychotropic substances. The proposed draft is expected to be submitted to the upcoming sessions of the Council of Arab Justice Ministers and the Council of Arab Interior Ministers for approval.

Kuwait is represented at the meeting by a delegation led by Minister Plenipotentiary Mahdi Al-Ajmi of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The delegation also includes Colonel Saleh Al-Kandari, Assistant Director of the Fatwa and Preparation Department at the Ministry of Interior’s Legal Affairs Department, and Major Abdulrahman Al-Dosari from the Ministry’s Anti-Narcotics Department. – KUNA