​The 8th Meeting of the AIPA Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs (AIPACODD), hosted by the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Malaysia, was held on June 10 and 11 in Pahang, Malaysia.

The Legislative Council (LegCo) was represented by Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman and Yang Berhormat Hajah Safiah binti Sheikh Haji Abdul Salam, members of the LegCo.

The meeting was officiated by Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Malaysia and President of AIPA Yang Berhormat Tan Sri Dato (Dr) Johari bin Abdul and was attended by over 50 delegates from the parliaments of ASEAN member states.

The 8th AIPACODD meeting discussed the role of parliaments in shaping effective policies and emphasised collective cooperation among ASEAN member parliaments in combating the persistent threat of drugs, which continues to pose challenges to regional security, public health and well-being in realising the shared aspiration of a drug-free ASEAN.

The delegation from Brunei Darussalam shared a report on the drug situation in the country and efforts in addressing drug abuse issues.

The delegation also had the opportunity to exchange views on regional challenges, which were presented by representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD), as well as Malaysian enforcement and health a gencies.

The 8th AIPACODD meeting considered a draft resolution themed ‘Uniting Parliaments for an Inclusive and Sustainable ASEAN in Addressing Contemporary Drug Challenges’, which was agreed to be tabled at the 46th AIPA General Assembly scheduled to take place in September.

(News source: Borneo Bulletin)