17 August 2020 - UNODC's Executive Director Ghada Waly met with the Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations in Vienna, Ambassador Takeshi Hikihara, in a handing over ceremony. The Drug Abuse Prevention Center (DAPC), based in Japan, raised funds in a campaign last year and donated USD 145,000 (JPY 16,000,000) to UNODC. Since 1993, DAPC Japan has made a total donation of approximately USD 6.4 million to UNODC.
The youth volunteers working with DAPC mobilise communities and raise funds that they donate to UNODC to support youth-centred activities to prevent drug use in low and middle income countries. This initiative is truly from youth, to youth, for youth!
Thanks to generous donation, every year, UNODC is able to promote drug use prevention and youth empowerment in many countries around the world by awarding small grants to youth organizations working in low and middle income countries. The aim is to empower youth to take more active roles in supporting the health and wellbeing of their peers, helping them to initiate and scale up concrete activities and to connect youth groups working in prevention, health promotion and youth empowerment via Youth Initiative. To date, 113 grants in 53 countries have been awarded.
At the signing ceremony, Ms. Waly expressed UNODC's appreciation for the support provided by the DAPC and commended their success in leading a fund-raising campaign involving youth and civil society. Ms. Waly also highlighted that this was an effective example of an NGO helping other NGOs, and of young people promoting effective, evidence-based drug use prevention and youth empowerment.
Ambassador Hikihara said: “Japan is very pleased to have the opportunity to hand over the donations made by DAPC Japan from its 2019 fundraising campaign in support of the United Nations. We request that UNODC use the donations to effectively support anti-drug abuse activities of national NGOs.”
