India: UNODC calls on India's Union Minister of Women and Child Development; offers technical support to curb drugs and crime

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

New Delhi/June 20, 2018: A UNODC delegation led by Deputy Regional Representative for South Asia, Dr. Suruchi Pant, called on India's Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Gandhi in New Delhi recently to extend support to collective efforts aimed at curbing drug abuse and crimes against women & children in India.

In the discussion with the Honourable Minister, UNODC offered its technical expertise to the Government of India in addressing drug use and violence against women and children through research and assessments, as well as capacity building and awareness. Dr. Pant was accompanied by Mr. Devendra Dutt, Law Enforcement Specialist and Mr. Samarth Pathak, Communications Officer at the UNODC Regional Office for South Asia.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Smt. Maneka Gandhi expressed interest towards the proposed initiatives and assured necessary support for cooperation with UNODC. The Honourable Minister also  shared a brief on the significant initiatives undertaken by the Government of India in the last 48 months.

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

A key flagship initiative of the UNODC, evidence-based family skills training programmes have been found to be the most effective way to  prevent substance use among children  and adolescents. These programmes target the whole family and offer skills-building for parents on monitoring and supervision of children's activities, communication and setting age appropriate limits.  Evidence-based drug education offers personal, social, resistance and communication skills, as well as information about the short-term effects of drugs through specialized sessions offered by trained experts. 

UNODC assists Member States in their struggle to combat illicit drugs and international crime. Over the past two decades, the Regional Office for South Asia has been working with governments and civil society in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, providing specialized assistance on challenges pertaining to regional security, crime prevention, justice and health. The commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), human rights and the rule of law is at the core of UNODC's mandate.