‘Tis the season again, and things are getting busy here at the UNODC Youth Initiative in preparation of the Youth Forum 2022! After our first ever virtual Youth Forum last year, our hopes were to possibly revert back to an in-person event. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health risks have continued to restrict in-person gatherings, and after much deliberation, it has been decided that the Youth Forum 2022 will take place online.
Youth candidates nominated for participation in this year’s event went through a selection process to identify youth best suited to participate, contribute, and gain from the Youth Forum. Now with a list of youth participants ready in hand, UNODC has begun to engage with youth to support their preparation in anticipation of the activities lying ahead. Pre-forum activities consisting of introductions and greetings to other participants, together with a gradual lead-up to substantive content will help youth participants gain as much as possible from the Youth Forum. Although the Youth Forum this year is virtual, we anticipate that the extra layer of preparation acts as an additional channel of networking and a catalyst to motivate the selected active young leaders.
We would like to express our appreciation to Permanent Missions for nominating youth candidates interested in participating in the Youth Forum 2022. Through this annual event, the UNODC Youth Initiative strives to expand the youth community and connect youth leaders from around the world to advocate for and disseminate evidence-based drug use prevention. It is our hope that their experience from the Youth Forum will inspire youth participants to become changemakers in their own communities and exert positive influence.
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