Guatemala – 10 December 2025
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s innovative peer-to-peer drug prevention programme, Friends in Focus, continues to expand its reach across regions worldwide. Last week marks another milestone: Friends in Focus was introduced in Central America, presenting the programme’s first regional implementation in Spanish. This was made possible through the generous support of the Drug Abuse Prevention Center of Japan, in close coordination with the UNODC Regional Office for Central America and the Caribbean. The regional pre-pilot will be rolled out in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, working hand-in-hand with civil society partners in each country.
Since its launch earlier this year, Friends in Focus has equipped young people in Serbia, Italy, Central Asia, and Montenegro with practical tools and skills to positively influence their peers through cascade prevention sessions.
Friends in Focus in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic
In Guatemala, Centro de Prevención de la Violencia en Centroamérica (CIPREVICA) is the local implementing partner for Friends in Focus, leveraging its expertise in community-based interventions on violence prevention, youth empowerment, and social cohesion. CIPREVICA also hosted the regional Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop, which brought together youth trainers from Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. In Costa Rica, Fundación Parque Metropolitano La Libertad (FPMLL) will lead the pre-pilot implementation with its strong connections to local youth networks through partnerships with grassroots organizations, universities, and government institutions.
In the Dominican Republic, Instituto Dominicano de Desarrollo Integral (IDDI) brings extensive experience in youth development and implementation of initiatives that encourage healthy lifestyles and civic engagement among adolescents.
Together, these partners will play a pivotal role in implementing Friends in Focus across their respective countries, working with schools, youth centers, and community organizations to engage with peers and organizing the cascade prevention sessions. Their collaboration will be essential in amplifying the programme’s impact and ensuring its sustainability within communities beyond the initial Training of Trainers.
Training Highlights
During 1 – 3 December 2025, UNODC organised the three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Throughout the training, participants were introduced to evidence-based approaches to drug prevention, explored what effective prevention looks like, gained insights into peer dynamics and the power of group influence within youth networks. The workshop emphasized experiential learning, enabling participants to practice delivering mock sessions, envision how they would facilitate sessions in their own communities, and anticipate potential challenges along with strategies to overcome them. After completing the three-day training and strengthening their skills and knowledge in prevention work, the young participants have returned to their home countries to prepare for the implementation of Friends in Focus. They will work closely with local teams and support coaches to build resilience, foster youth development, and create positive change within their communities.
As the first implementation delivered in Spanish, this momentum opens the door for more Spanish-speaking countries to join Friends in Focus. It also provides UNODC with a valuable opportunity to hear perspectives from youth in diverse cultural contexts and to evaluate whether Friends in Focus continues to resonate and remain relevant across different settings. For more information, please visit the Friends in Focus website and stay up to date through the UNODC PTRS social media channel (@UNODC_PTRS).
