Children Prevention Treatment P-M Glok42

UN Security Council, New York; Photo: Neptuul

Policy makers are crucially important for the support of the Children's Program because are responsible for policies and legislation with the potential to contribute to the effectiveness of the Program.

CND Resolution 43/04 (pdf; March 2000) served as the milestone to develop programmes and resolutions to deal with drug abuse in children and youths as it highlighted the importance of taking urgent actions to counter the world drug problem.

In recent years Member States have committed themselves to support the Sustainable Development Goals; thus supporting the Children's Program as incorporated in Goal 3: " Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages" more specifically in target 3.5.

UNODC has produced many documents regarding the Children Project that might be helpful for policy makers, including:

· Flyer (pdf) for the Children's Program serves as a precise overview of the whole project, highlighting the aims and objectives.
· Technical Report (pdf; 2014): " Preventing illicit drug use and treating drug use disorders for children and adolescents" is a preliminary description of the implementation of protocols, tools and guidance documents in Afghanistan.
· The Gap Assessment Tool (doc) is designed to open the discussion about children and adolescents at risk of drug use and dependence. It is designed to be completed at the national, regional and local level and answers to provide a more robust, informed and strategic planning process to meet the needs of children and adolescents.

Member States represented in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs have adopted many resolutions as part of the Political Declaration of the UNGASS 2009 on Global Drug Control (pdf). These resolutions incite policy-makers to counter the world drug problem while concentrating on children and youths, as:

· UNGA RES 64/182 (2009) emphasizing inclusion in action plan development at the national level;
· RES 30/1 (2016) adopted at the 2016 UNGASS, containing the outcome document highlighting the importance, promoting cooperation and encouraging efforts on abuse prevention especially in children and youths

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs has also issued resolutions aimed at preventing the abuse of illicit drugs relating to the Children's Program, such as:

· CND Resolution 58/3 (2015) (pdf) (promoting the protection of children and young people, with particular reference to the illicit sale)
· CND Resolution 58/2 (2015) (pdf) (supporting the availability, accessibility and diversity of scientific evidence-based treatment and care for children and young people with substance use disorders)
· CND Resolution 57/3 (2014) (pdf) (promoting prevention of drug abuse based on scientific evidence as an investment in the well-being of children, adolescents, youth, families and communities)
· The full list of resolutions issued by the CND

Policy-makers and legislators wishing to know more about the prevention of drug use in children and youths, as well as the treatment of drug use disorders, may also be interested in the High Level Review (of Member States' implementation of the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on the world drug problem) carried out by the CND at its 57 ^th session in March 2014.

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime