This was agreed through the La Paz political declaration, the outcome of the High Level Meeting of the EU-CELAC Coordination and Cooperation Mechanism on Drugs on 22 February 2024 in La Paz (Bolivia), co-chaired by Belgium (as EU Presidency) and Bolivia.

This Mechanism has facilitated political and technical dialogue on how to improve the drugs situation in the two regions for over a quarter of a century.

In the La Paz declaration, issued 5 years after the one agreed in Sofia by the Mechanism, a more integral and multifaceted approach has been put forward for the bi-regional cooperation and coordination.

First, the blocs committed to counter the illicit production and trafficking of drugs, including cocaine. A second area of cooperation is the manufacture and trafficking of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and other synthetic drugs. The agreement also contains commitments on consequences on citizen security, and their social, health and economic impact on people and affected communities. Early warning systems will be a key area to develop.

The third set of issues is related to health, including mental health, and social vulnerabilities, focusing on prevention and treatment quality standards.

A fourth priority for bi-regional cooperation will be the link between drugs production and crimes that affect the environment and the local communities.

The fifth priority is the connected criminal activities that enable drug trafficking and make it a deadly threat for citizens and societies, such as money laundering and firearms trafficking.

The Coordination and Cooperation Mechanism will continue to be supported by the European Union's regional program on drugs in Latin America (COPOLAD III), that held its annual technical dialogue in the two days preceding the High Level Meeting. This technical dialogue involved 42 National Drug Agencies of Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union focusing on the promotion of more humane and effective drug policies, taking into account dimensions like health, human rights and the fight against drug trafficking networks.

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