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the form of conference and thematic workshops were organised. In 2006-07 Hong Kong drew up an exchange programme and formed a forum at which the three parties discussed and shared their experiences. Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong took turns to host a five-day meeting on the exchange programme between December 2006 and January 2007. Participants met and shared experience with anti- drug workers from government departments and treatment centres, enhancing their understanding of the daily operations and underlying philosophies of the departments and centres concerned. The sharing session-cum-discussion forum was scheduled for the summer of 2007 in Hong Kong.

The Beat Drugs Fund

To promote community efforts in tackling the drug abuse problem, the Government established a Beat Drugs Fund in 1996 with a capital outlay of $350 million. In 2006, a total of $9.8 million were allocated to 18 projects. These included a programme for teaching parents to get the anti-drug messages across to their children through story-telling. Another project was funded to assist psychotropic substance abusers of South Asian origin to seek treatment.

Volunteer Scheme

The Anti-drug Volunteer Group comprised 106 members of the public and 91 company representatives in 2006. They participated in 20 anti-drug community and publicity activities, including district carnivals, visits to treatment and rehabilitation centres, exhibitions and seminars. During the year, they helped promote the anti-drug message during a jamboree organised by the Boy Scouts Association of Hong Kong. The event was attended by 4 000 local and overseas scouts. The group also organised a football competition in December 2006 to promote healthy living style and the anti-drug message.

Action Against Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism

As an international financial centre, it is important for Hong Kong to maintain an effective anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime. The Government adopts a five-pronged approach to combating money laundering and terrorist financing. It includes legislation, law enforcement, regulation by the financial regulators, publicity and education, and international cooperation.

To fulfil its international obligations under the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, Hong Kong enacted the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance in 1989 and the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance in 1994 which provide for the tracing, freezing, confiscation and recovery of proceeds from drug trafficking and other serious crimes. To give effect to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 and some of the measures stipulated in the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) Special Recommendations, the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) (Amendment) Ordinance was promulgated in 2004. It provides for, among other things, the power to freeze the non-fund property of terrorists and terrorist organisations. In order to fulfil another FATF Special Recommendation, the Government gazetted an amendment notice in December to amend section 24C(1)

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