About
Established in 1999, the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) is an initiative of the Organization of American States/Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (OAS/CICAD). The MEM is used to measure the progress taken by OAS member states to address the global drug problem and other related offenses. It assesses the individual and collective efforts of all countries taking part in the evaluation, indicating both results achieved as well as obstacles faced.
The objectives of the MEM are as follows:
- To identify the strengths, weaknesses, progress, and setbacks in each member state and the hemisphere, in order to help orientate policies and programs to more effectively confront the drug problem.
- To assist countries in generating internal support to fight the drug problem and stimulate change and development of the systems in drug control.
- To offer countries the opportunity to request technical or financial assistance and provide training to implement the MEM recommendations.
At the end of each evaluation round, hemispheric and individual country reports are prepared and disseminated.