UNODC and Tajikistan work together to build youth resilience through sport

UNODC, with the support of Government of Tajikistan, conducted recently a three-day Line Up Live Up training of trainers event. The training was conducted in the context of UNODC's Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration and its Regional Programme for Central Asia.

The Doha Declaration, adopted in April 2015 at the conclusion of the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, highlights the importance of effective crime prevention and the need to involve youth in prevention efforts. Amongst the initiatives taken in response to the declaration, UNODC designed a unique global youth crime prevention initiative that builds on the power of sports as a tool for skills training and for the promotion of health, tolerance and peace.

As part of this initiative, Line Up Live Up offers a sports-based training curriculum of 10 sessions, to transfer the accumulated expertise of the United Nations and other partners in implementing life skills training for crime and drug use prevention to sport settings. Through the Line Up Live Up programme, sports coaches, teachers and others working with youth in sports settings in Tajikistan can target valuable life skills, such as resisting social pressures to engage in delinquency, coping with anxiety, and communicating effectively with peers, through a set of interactive and fun exercises.

Through this initiative, UNODC and the Government of Tajikistan demonstrate their commitment to using sports, not only to improve people's physical and psychological health, but also to promote mutual respect and tolerance and to teach important social and interpersonal skills that help youth to stay away from crime, violence and drugs.

"I believe the implementation of this programme is very timely. Thanks to this programme, our sports trainers learn how they can strengthen the life skills of youth using sports and improve protective factors related to crime, violence and drug use," stated Mr. Daler Sadullaev, from the office of the Mayor of Dushanbe.

Upon completion of the training and after having received their certificates, the first group of trainers is now ready to work with at-risk youth and pilot Line Up Live Up in sports facilities in the Dushanbe area, with UNODC support.