UNODC signs a partnership with Recife City Hall to prevent drug use
Recife, 29 June, 2017 - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the City Hall of Recife on Thursday afternoon (29) to ensure the monitoring of the use and prevention programme of drug abuse, launched by the city of Recife on Tuesday (27), as part of the Drug Prevention Week programme. The technical cooperation agreement signed by Mayor Geraldo Julio and the representative of UNODC in Brazil, Rafael Franzini, will ensure support to City Hall in the monitoring of the 'Mobiliza Recife' programme, which is part of the Mais Recife Policy on Drugs System, that focus on prevention of drug use and abuse, caring for users and their social insertion.
"We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNODC so that our public policies on drugs can be followed by those who have helped to formulate them. The intention is that the results achieved here in Recife can be taken by UNODC to other cities in Brazil. We are together in this challenge", said Mayor Geraldo Julio.
Through the partnership, the Municipality will follow up with UNODC in the implementation of the 'Mobiliza Recife' programme, which is part of the Mais Recife Policy on Drugs System, which focuses on the prevention of drug use and abuse, Users and their social insertion. The word MAIS highlights the pillars of the system, being the M of Mobilization, A of Acolhida (Welcome), I of Integration and S of Systematization.
The 'Mobiliza Recife' programme is the prevention part of the Mais System. The objective is to identify, based on scientific evidence, guiding principles of prevention in the Brazilian and Latin American context. The initiative is also based on the premise that, in order to prevent, strategic mobilization is necessary, with lines of action based on principles such as shared responsibility and the influence of good.
UNODC Health and Development Unit programme analyst, Francisco Cordeiro - who represented UNODC at the ceremony signing the document - was encouraged by the possibility of working together with the capital of Pernambuco. "This is the first technical assistance partnership formalized with a municipality. It is part of our supporting role in the creation of strategies and activities that can contribute to the prevention of drugs, that can help the people of Recife and those of other countries. Will be an experience with many positive results", he said. The coordinator of the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programmes of the UNODC office in Panama, Melva Ramirez, was also present at the ceremony.