18 March 2023 - Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt

Today, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) begins in Cairo the regional workshop for policymakers to support national responses towards enhancing youth resilience to drugs, crime and violence, in the presence of Ms. Christina Albertin, Regional Representative of UNODC, His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Mohamed El Amine, Head of Legal Affairs in the League of Arab States and Dr. Amr Othman, Assistant Minister of Social Solidarity and Head of the National Fund for Drug Control and Treatment.

The workshop is organized under the "Youth 4 Impact" regional programme, which aims to empower young people and strengthen their resilience against drugs, violence and crime in six countries, namely Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine and Sudan, with generous support from the German Ministry of Development and Economic Cooperation (BMZ).

One of the main results that the programme seeks to achieve is strengthening the legal, policy and institutional frameworks for the effective prevention of crime, drug abuse and violence among youth. In 2022, the "Youth 4 Impact" programme reached and positively impacted 34,414 people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including 25,206 young men and women, 8,316 families and 892 professionals.

The regional workshop brings together 28 policymakers from the Ministries of Youth, Health, Education, Justice and Social Solidarity, Drug Control Entities and other relevant institutions. On its second day, youth delegates from the participating countries will join the workshop in line with UNODC’s commitment to strengthening the role of youth as policymakers and facilitating their participation in the decision-making process.

During the workshop, the participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences and challenges related to national youth policies, learn about international standards for preventing drug use, violence and crime among youth, and work on the necessary interventions to improve the national and regional response in this regard. Discussions will focus on policy components that need to be integrated into national youth strategies, especially related to drug and crime prevention and how to successfully implement them. By the end of the workshop, the participants will formulate concrete recommendations, which will be integrated into national strategies and implementation plans.

Click here to read more about the programme's achievements in 2022