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Public Order

External Co-operation

Hong Kong supports international and Mainland action against drug abuse and drug trafficking and participates in a number of anti-drug related international and regional meetings and seminars. Three international anti-drug conventions, which provide a treaty-based framework for international co-operation to address the drug problem, apply to Hong Kong: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs as amended by the Protocol of 1972, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

In March, as members of the Chinese delegation, representatives from the ND, the Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department, the DH and the Social Welfare Department took part in the 56th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Vienna.

Research

Drug-related research studies assist the government's formulation of anti-drug strategies and programmes. The findings of a survey of drug use among students from upper primary to post- secondary conducted in the 2011-12 school year were released in 2013 and reaffirm the downward trend of drug-taking among students. However, hidden youth drug abuse continues to develop as about half of drug-taking students took drugs at home and the homes of friends and about 80 per cent never sought help. Three new research projects were launched in 2013 and seven existing research projects on various aspects of drug abuse continued.

The Beat Drugs Fund

With a capital base of $3.35 billion, the Beat Drugs Fund aims to support community efforts to combat drug abuse through financing worthwhile community anti-drug projects, assisting drug treatment and rehabilitation centres to meet their statutory licensing requirements and supporting schools in implementing the Healthy School Programme with a drug testing component.

In 2013, the fund approved about $78 million to support 41 anti-drug projects/programmes.

Action Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing

Hong Kong is committed to fighting money laundering and terrorist financing and has a robust system to combat these activities. Hong Kong is a member of the Financial Action Task Force, the international anti-money laundering/counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) standard setter, and is a founding member of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau co-ordinates the overall AML/CFT policies, while the ND is responsible for implementing a system to detect cross-border transportation of currency and bearer negotiable instruments, as well as the formulation of customer due diligence and record-keeping requirements in respect of the designated non-financial businesses and professions, including lawyers, accountants, estate agents, trust and company service providers and dealers in precious metals and precious stones.

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