DUBAI // Arab countries have been urged to agree on a unified strategy for the prevention of drug abuse, based on international standards prepared by the UN.
The 10th Hemaya International Forum on Drug Issues on Thursday heard that Arab states should continue with their policies to fight drug supply and demand until the Council of Arab Interior Ministers decides on new standards.
More than 70 officials and experts from around the world took part in workshops on the final day of the three-day conference, which was organised by Dubai Police and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime.
The forum heard that drug-prevention agencies in each country should work with policymakers to further study the international standards, with a view to introducing them at national levels.
Participants also called for a team of experts from Arab countries to discuss and develop the standards.
They are based on “interventions and policies that have been found to result in positive prevention outcomes by the scientific evidence, and could serve as the foundation of an effective, health-centred national drug prevention system”, the UNODC said.
Delegates called for more workshops and training on the UN’s standards, while universities were asked to conduct research on the feasibility of adopting them.
It is also hoped that the standards would be integrated into existing training programmes for officials involved in drug prevention, such as the Hemaya International Programme’s e-diploma for the strategic planning of drug prevention.
Giovanna Campbell, of UNODC, talked about the basic components of implementing the strategies nationally and in the region.
Ms Campbell said that all parties, and not just security agencies, should cooperate to implement an effective method of drug prevention.
She said that Arab countries should apply them according to each country’s environment.
Delegates thanked Dubai Police chief Maj Gen Khamis Al Muzeina, Chief of Dubai Police, the Hemaya International Programme team and other relevant authorities for the forum, which gave them an important opportunity to exchange expert opinions and experiences.
“We meet annually to carefully consider with an open mind the most important experiences and latest studies that our local, regional and international governments and institutions conduct to combat drugs,” Maj Gen Al Muzeina said.
“We do this to examine the facts, familiarise ourselves with them and be inspired by [others], as well as look to [a brighter] future by protecting the nation from the dangers that surround the region.”
The suggestion was raised that the Hemaya International Programme should consider holding its annual forum on drug issues in different parts of the region.
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
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- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
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Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
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A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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