Shannon K. O'Neil discusses America's influential role in the war on drugs.

Joe Contreras, former Latin America bureau chief for Newsweek, says while Mexico and the United States step up engagement on battling drug traffickers, another priority--immigration reform--is unlikely to get top U.S. attention.

Markus Schultze-Kraft, Latin America program director at the International Crisis Group, recommends policies to combat drug trafficking in the region.

Elizabeth Kempshall, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Arizona, discusses her office's cooperation with Mexican law enforcement to fight drug trafficking.

The Organization of American States adopted its Hemispheric Action Plan on Drugs for 2011-2015 at the OAS session in El Salvador on June 8, 2011.

Despite the growing severity of the drug abuse problem in the United States and evidence that supply-control programs are ineffective, the supply-side approach to drug control has endured. This task force examined interdiction and source country programs in terms of their impact on the domestic availability of the targeted illicit drugs. The group's report, Rethinking International Drug Control, urged policymakers to reassess the effectiveness of interdiction and the certification process, and to consider adopting a strategy that focuses on strengthening democratic institutions at home and abroad, developing multilateral drug-control efforts, and reducing domestic demand.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the National Drug Control Policy, discusses global drug policy, including a new emphasis on programs that recognize drug addiction as a disease of the brain instead of a moral failure, domestic and international trends in drug consumption, and the diversification of transnational criminal organizations.

In this transcript of the second session of the symposium on U.S.-Mexico relations, experts discuss the difficulty of "chasing ghosts" perpetrating the drug-related violence in Mexico, the spillover into border regions of the United States and governmental initiatives to address the conflict.

As Mexico continues to struggle with the effects of illegal activity within and along its border region, evidenced by dramatic growth in drug-related violence, join U.S. Representative Kay Granger for a congressional perspective on the status of U.S. security assistance to Mexico and policy options moving forward.

A wide-ranging discussion with FBI Director Robert Mueller about the future of the organization he has tried to reshape since taking the helm in 2001. The event was moderated by Terence Moran of ABC's "Nightline."

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the National Drug Control Policy, discusses global drug policy, including a new emphasis on programs that recognize drug addiction as a disease of the brain instead of a moral failure, domestic and international trends in drug consumption, and the diversification of transnational criminal organizations.

Experts explore solutions for food and drug safety including stronger sanctions against organized crime, increased surveillance and monitoring of facilities, and better inter-country communication.

This session was part of CFR's Symposium on Food and Drugs: Can Safety Be Ensured in a Time of Increased Globalization? which was sponsored by CFR's International Institutions and Global Governance Program and made possible through generous support from the Robina Foundation.

Experts review case studies that frame the complexities of the food and drug supply chains and the policies which need to be addressed in order to protect consumers from fraud and food outbreaks.

This session was part of CFR's Symposium on Food and Drugs: Can Safety Be Ensured in a Time of Increased Globalization? which was sponsored by CFR's International Institutions and Global Governance Program and made possible through generous support from the Robina Foundation.