On 23-24 June 2026, the EU-funded Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP-8) held two-day needs assessment workshops in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, focusing on supply reduction and security, as well as demand reduction and health. The workshops, organised with the Drug and Firearms Control Agency and the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, mark a milestone in the inception phase of the programme, bringing together government institutions, international organisations, academia, and civil society to identify priorities and challenges for future cooperation.
The first workshop on 23 June addressed Component 1 – Supply Reduction and Security, with participants from law enforcement, justice, customs, and border management discussing national priorities and technical cooperation needs to combat illicit drug trafficking and organised crime. The second workshop on 24 June focused on Component 2 – Demand Reduction and Health, where representatives from health, education, social protection, research, and civil society exchanged views on strengthening prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, social reintegration, and evidence-based drug policies.
Opening sessions featured representatives of the Government of Uzbekistan, the European Union, CADAP-8, and international partner organisations. Experts from Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP, Spain), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and CIVIPOL (France) presented the programme's objectives and planned intervention areas. The discussions and recommendations will contribute to developing the CADAP-8 work plan in Uzbekistan, ensuring alignment with national priorities, international standards, and a balanced, evidence-based, human rights-centred approach to drug policy.
CADAP-8 is funded by the EU with a total budget of EUR 18 million, implemented by a consortium led by FIAP in partnership with CIVIPOL and UNODC. Its overall objective is to reduce drug supply and demand in Central Asia to promote regional stability and improve public security. The programme's launch in Uzbekistan represents a concrete step in EU engagement with Central Asian states on drug policy, though no prior EU initiatives on this specific programme have been reported in recent months.