Vienna (Austria), 15 April 2021 — The 64th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) continued today with renewed efforts towards international cooperation in combating the world drug problem, protecting societies and recovering better from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the joint statement of the UNODC Youth Forum yesterday, side events today continued addressing youth inclusion in the policy-making process for drug prevention, and explored the research on leveraging sport for substance use prevention. Twenty-five side events took place on the third day of the CND, marking an inclusive approach towards multilateralism and engaging diverse voices in finding joint solutions to the world drug problem.
Co-organized by the Civil Society Unit, the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, the Kenyan Slum Child Foundation and the Russian National Anti-Drug Union, the two side events presented best practice work that Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are carrying out to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on people affected by drug use among families, children and youth. Geographically diverse perspectives from all over the world were presented. For example, Slum Child Foundation has been on the forefront supporting affected populations, offering cash transfer to some 4000 households through donations; providing psychosocial support to women, children and youth to help them cope with the impact of the pandemic. The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care is providing much needed access to medicine through telemedicine, electronic prescriptions, and using bodabodas to reach affected communities.
Organized by the UNODC Justice Section under the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration with the support of the Dominican Republic, and the UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section. Sport can be a powerful tool to engage communities and prevent crime, violence and potentially drug use among youth. In the context of the 64th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, international experts gathered virtually during a side event to discuss what the evidence says about the role of sport in supporting youth to prevent drug use and address related risk and protective factors. Experts at the event concluded that sport can present an opportunity to model healthy lifestyles for youth, increase prevention potential from risky behaviours including substance use, and develop important life skills such as critical thinking and resisting negative peer pressure. More information on this event here. The full story is available on the Doha Declaration website.
The CND convenes annually and is the foremost drug-policymaking body in the United Nations (UN) system, responsible for monitoring the world drug situation, developing evidence-based strategies for drug control and recommending measures to address the world drug problem.
