The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have signed a declaration of cooperation in the areas of health, counter-illicit drugs, counter-terrorism, transnational organized crime, anti-corruption, human rights, and criminal justice.
The joint cooperation was signed by the PDEA director general, Undersecretary Moro Virgilio Lazo, and UNODC senior national program officer Jo-Ann de Belen represented by senior resident policy advisor Olivier Lermet.
Under the arrangement, the PDEA and UNODC have mutually expressed common interests to co-develop; institutionalize trainings and education; and research projects on human rights-based approaches on drugs, transnational crimes, cybercrimes, and financial crimes.
The UNODC donated to PDEA 35 Acer tablet computers each containing 80 training modules on human rights-based approaches against illegal drugs.
The portable devices would surely boost the training capabilities of the PDEA Academy, the institution responsible for the recruitment and training of future PDEA officers, and active administrative and technical personnel.
The UNODC is a global leader in promoting global peace and security, human rights, and development by making the world safer from drugs, crime, corruption, and terrorism.
Lazo vowed to ensure that the campaign is carried out with strict adherence to the rule of law, and respect of life and human dignity that is compliant with the international human rights standards.