Over 70 policymakers, educators and young champions ideated and charted a roadmap for fostering peace, inclusion, and lawfulness in education at a RiseUp4Peace policy consultation convened by India’s apex curriculum body, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNODC. Participants exchanged practical insights on curriculum integration, good practices and new ideas to develop resilience, integrity and a sense of social responsibility in young minds, aligning with NEP 2020 and NCF 2023. Educators called for more capacity building efforts in this direction, voicing support for RiseUp4Peace.
UNODC, India Vision Foundation, and Uttar Pradesh Prisons Department hosted a consultation engaging prison officials from across Uttar Pradesh to enhance prison healthcare, tackle mental health, substance use and infectious diseases. An interactive toolkit was launched with peer guides and games to educate prison staff and inmates on Mandela Rules and HIV prevention. The consultation also had a dedicated session addressing the unique health challenges faced by women, including reproductive health, maternal care, and mental health support, in line with the Bangkok Rules.
34 officials from the District Counterterrorism Units, Range Police, Metropolitan Police, and Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) in Sylhet and Rangpur received training to integrate trust-building into counterterrorism efforts. Discussions emphasized fostering trust as a critical component of modern policing, introducing strategies for promoting procedural justice, ethical leadership, and effective communication. Through a mix of presentations, discussions, and practical exercises, participants worked on developing tailored action plans to integrate these strategies into their daily work, ensuring that trust-building becomes a sustainable practice within law enforcement operations.
India: UNODC, LPAI convene multi-stakeholder consultation on combatting illicit trade and enhancing border security
UNODC and the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) co-hosted a multi-stakeholder consultation in Delhi on combatting illicit trade and enhancing border security in South Asia. Officials from key government agencies, partners and experts discussed areas of cooperation to strengthen security and counter organised crime. Chairperson of LPAI, Mr. Aditya Mishra, Director General (Training), Uttar Pradesh Police, Ms. Tilotama Varma, Inspector General (Traffic), West Bengal, Mr. Sukesh Jain and UNODC Regional Representative for South Asia Mr. Marco Teixeira chaired the discussions, calling for a 'collaborative approach.'
Through sports and arts, young people can be empowered to make positive life choices, fostering resilience and a sense of purpose that can keep them on a healthy path. In the village of Chak Hakim in Punjab’s Phagwara (India), over 1500 students and educators of the Kamla Nehru Public School championed this vision with a dynamic whole-of-school initiative in support of RiseUp4Peace. Using sports and the arts to raise awareness against drug use, violence and crime, they emphasized how strong education, family bonds and mentorship can help young people in resisting negative influences.
Joining hands with the RiseUp4Peace initiative, over 70 educators from 18 schools in Kolkata convened at the Sushila Birla Girls' School to discuss how education can empower students to resist negative influences. The wide-ranging dialogue was centered on promoting peace, health, integrity, and the rule of law, with a strong emphasis on NEP2020 and integrating SDG 16 in classroom interventions. Educators shared innovative practices such as creating safe spaces for open discussions and offering counseling support, recognizing the need for holistic approaches to address both victims and perpetrators of bullying.
Through the RiseUp4Peace initiative, 25 education stakeholders from 18 schools and NGOs of Kolkata were empowered to strengthen students’ resilience against risky behaviours, using workshops and arts-based programs. This united approach with schools and families fosters a safer, more supportive learning environment for students. Hosted by Indus Valley World School, BD Memorial School, and the Funlish Language School, the program explored the pressing need to help students navigate emerging risks in today’s world as well as NEP2020's vision in this direction. The dialogue built a roadmap to impact more than 3,500 students in Kolkata, equipping them with resilience against peer pressure and mental health challenges.
Nepal: Strengthening legal responses to combat money laundering and organised crime
UNODC and the Office of the Attorney General, Nepal joined forces to train over 80 prosecutors, investigators, and officials on tackling organized crime and money laundering--a critical step to strengthen Nepal’s justice system and implement recent legal reforms.
Join the UNODC Network in South Asia
Our Partners
Our activities in South Asia are possible
due to the generous support of:
Canada
European Union
Germany
India
Japan
Joint UN Program Fund
Norway
Sweden
Portugal
United Kingdom
United States of America
UBRAF/UNAIDS
Government Partners:
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Call for Partnerships:
Impacting Lives with Innovation
Advancing Crime Prevention, Justice and Health in South AsiaUNODC Regional Office for South Asia has developed a wide range of projects and initiatives on the following thematic areas:
-Building law enforcement capacities against drugs and organised crime
-Addressing drug use and HIV/AIDS -Enhancing multi-stakeholder responses to counter Trafficking in Persons -Engaging young people and educators on crime prevention, integrity, Global Goals and peace with educational interventions
-Promoting family skills to reduce risky behaviours among young people -Countering corruption -Addressing Gender-based Violence
-Strengthening responses to prevent and counter wildlife crime
-Countering cybercrime and promoting online safety
We seek activesupport to enable the implementation of these programs and to scale-up efforts to promote security, justice and health among vulnerable groups in South Asia. Our partnerships aim at building national and regional alliances on our mandates, which are closely linked to national, regional and global priorities as well as the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Let's join hands to enable and aid large-scale and impactful initiatives that help people lead safer and healthier lives . Your support can make all the difference!
To know more, please contact:
Mr. Samarth Pathak
Communications Officer
UNODC Regional Office for South Asia
Email: samarth.pathak@un.org Cellphone: +91-9811347927
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) assists Member States in their efforts to combat illicit drugs and international crime. Over the past two decades, the UNODC Regional Office for South Asia(ROSA) has been working with governments and civil society in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, providing specialized assistance to address challenges pertaining to drugs, organised crime, security, justice and health. The commitment to Sustainable Development Goals, human rights and the rule of law is at the core of our mandate.
Contact Us
C-97 (Ground Floor), Defence Colony, New Delhi-110024, India
Email: samarth.pathak@un.org
