Japanese students support UNODC by raising money for drug control
Japanese students renewed their support for UNODC drug control efforts by making a donation of around $170,000. Continuing a 13-year tradition, six young people presented the money to Deputy Director-General, UNOV, Franz Baumann.
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The DAPC delegation meets with Mr. Baumann at UNODC Headquarters in Vienna. Photo: Jun Yoshino |
The "Young Civic Ambassadors" aged 14 to 17 represent the Tokyo-based Drug Abuse Prevention Center (DAPC), which has raised more than $4 million for UNODC in recent years.
This year's young ambassadors were Saki Fujita, Junko Mizuki, Masataka Mizunashi, Yuma Tasaki, Mei Wakabayashi and Rie Watanabe. The Director of DAPC, Shunzo Abe, accompanied them during their visit to the Vienna International Centre.
Since 1994, DAPC has been raising funds for anti-drug efforts. Every year six to eight of the most active participants are nominated Young Civic Ambassadors and invited to Vienna to present their contribution to UNODC. DAPC plans to continue this fund-raising campaign in support of the goals set by the 1998 UN General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem.
"Effective drug control goes beyond States. It must involve civil society, especially young people, in the fight," said Mr. Baumann. "This is exactly the direction we want to go."
The DAPC has raised money to provide more than 400 grants to NGOs in some 90 developing countries. "Your money-equal to the contribution of some major donor countries-helps us to support other NGOs and create a multiplier effect," said Mr. Baumann.