Asian Drug Demand Reduction NGO Association (ADNA): From an idea to a thriving network
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In 1999, the Asian Drug Demand Reduction NGO Association (ADNA) was just an idea by the 'Rebirth Society', an Iranian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), to become a focal point, building a linkage among NGOs active in the field of Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan; countries that share a common language and problems with regards to illicit drugs. In 2011, the idea had developed into reality, bringing together 35 NGOs from the region, sharing a commitment for launching a common network through working together to draft a proposed constitution. Finally, in 2014, ADNA was born through a consultative meeting held with the support of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC).
During the closing ceremony of the three-day consultative meeting that was held in Tehran in 2014, with the support of the UNODC Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries, the ADNA constitution was endorsed and the members representing seven countries in the region elected the organization's board of directors. Shortly after its establishment, ADNA became a member of the Vienna NGO Committee (VNGOC) and participated at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in 2015, communicating the voices of its member NGOs from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Participation of the ADNA's board of directors at the CND has given the network an opportunity to join the Civil Society Task Force at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem to be held in 2016. Through its secretariat in Tehran, these days ADNDA is organizing consultative meetings at the regional and national levels to collect feedbacks of the experts and active NGOs and civil societies for the upcoming UNGASS 2016. This network has translated the UNGASS 2016 Global Civil Society Taskforce Survey into Russian and promoted the link to this survey in English and Russian by distributing it through its members at the regional level. ANDA plans to have a regional consultative meeting in Tehran to incorporate the feedback collected from the regional countries and experts into one document to be presented at the UNGASS 2016. 
Mr. Abbas Deilamizadeh, the head of the ADNA board of directors in a meeting with Dr. Nadeem Rehman, the coordinator of the sub-programme 3 of the UNODC Regional Programme for Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries
Mr. Abbas Deilamizadeh, the head of the ADNA board of directors believes that ADNA will be involved in policy making in the field of drug demand reduction in the near future. While noting that there is a need for more technical and financial support for capacity building for NGOs of the region, and naming different rules, regulation and approaches toward NGOs in the region as a challenge; he is hopeful that with the support of the UNODC, this network could contribute to a more comprehensive and coordinated approach toward drug demand reduction at the regional level. |
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