Remarks by Mr. Patrick Dunn,
Chargé d’Affaires, a.i.
Embassy of the United States of America
34th International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC)
May 16, 2017
Good morning,
On behalf of the United States Embassy in Santo Domingo, good morning and welcome to the 2017 International Drug Enforcement Conference.
First of all, I would like to thank our Dominican hosts not only for organizing this conference, but also for their long-standing commitment to the security of this region.
You are the key law enforcement professionals in the fight against drugs from the member countries or observers of IDEC. You have all learned from your arduous experience that there is no “miracle” solution to ending drug abuse or reducing the reach and power of drug trafficking organizations. Therefore, we work together, in the long term – with shared objectives. I assure you that our administration is committed to the fight against criminal activities, on our borders, in our judicial and financial system, as well as in other places. But we all depend on each other as partners in this effort.
Our job is to eliminate illicit drug trafficking, money laundering and narco-terrorism. For what? To make our communities safer.
It is strategies of collaboration that ensure that there is no shelter for drug trafficking organizations. How to achieve it? One way to do it is through “research excellence”, the theme of this year’s conference. Sharing best practices, both during sessions and during breaks, will help law enforcement agencies in each country identify the actions of illicit networks, investigate, prosecute, and bring them to justice. In other words, it will help end impunity.
I commend each and every one of you for your dedication to stopping illicit activities, to eliminating corrupt networks that seek to destroy the essence of institutionalism, as well as safeguarding our communities.
Thank you for the invitation to accompany you this morning. Thanks to the Dominican Republic for being the IDEC host this year. To all the delegates, I hope that the time invested this week in learning and sharing best practices will be beneficial to your work.
Thank you.
