9 May 2023 - Algiers, Algeria

The Algerian Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, the General Directorate of National Security and the National Office for the Fight against Drugs and Drug Addiction, together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) launched today the "Youth 4 Impact" regional programme in Algeria.

The programme aims to empower young men and women, including those who are marginalized and at risk, to face life's challenges and become more resilient against crime, violence, and drugs. "Youth 4 Impact" has already been successfully implemented in a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) including in Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine and Sudan. The programme has positively impacted the lives of 34,414 people in the region in 2022. The programme is implemented with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Development and Economic Cooperation (BMZ).

The launch ceremony for the "Youth 4 Impact" programme was attended by Mrs. Terkia Nasri, the Deputy Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad and Mr. Tobias Hübler, the First Secretary/Political Counsellor at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ceremony also featured an opening speech by Ms. Samia Chouchane, Head of the UNODC Office in Algeria, who emphasized the significance of the programme in empowering Algerian youth to be resilient to the risks posed by drugs, violence, and crime.

The "Youth 4 Impact" programme focuses on three main outcomes: enhancing legal, policy, and institutional frameworks for drug use and crime prevention for youth; strengthening the response of relevant sectoral systems and institutions to the needs of vulnerable and at-risk youth and families; and empowering youth to become more resilient, rehabilitated, and reintegrated.

Following the launch, the programme's implementation began with four "Line Up! Live Up!" workshops for a total of 120 professionals representing Algerian national counterparts and working with youth to build their capacities to implement sports and life skills training on crime and drug use prevention among youth.

Aligned with the UNODC 2021-2025 Strategy, which emphasizes the empowerment of youth as a cross-cutting approach, the "Youth 4 Impact" programme follows the approach of working “for youth” and “with youth” to allow for co-creation. It also goes in line with the UNODC Regional Framework for the Arab States 2023-2028, which recognizes youth as one of the main accelerators for strengthening crime/violence prevention and criminal justice. The youth programme is an essential enabler for the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in Algeria, particularly regarding the promotion of peaceful and sustainable societies.