March 14th 2025
Just this week, the Youth Forum 2025 took place during 10 – 12 March on the sidelines of the 68th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). This year, 32 youths from 25 countries were selected through a rigorous process, aiming to invite youths that had high interests and/or prior experience in drug prevention. The Youth Forum provided a platform for these dedicated young leaders to learn about effective prevention, share their experiences, and learn from each other.
Ms. Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC, welcomed the youth, reaffirming the organization’s steadfast commitment to their participation in drug prevention efforts. Encouraging them to fully embrace the experience, she stated, “I encourage you to make the most of this opportunity. Speak up. Ask questions. Challenge perspectives.”
Over the course of three days, participants attended interactive sessions focused on evidence-based prevention, rooted in the UNODC/WHO International Standards on Drug Use Prevention. Through collaborative activities, they exchanged best practices from their communities, analyzed challenges, and explored ways to strengthen youth-led prevention efforts. Utilizing the UNODC Handbook on Youth Participation in Drug Prevention Work, they shared past experiences of work and brainstormed on ways to be better be engaged and consulted as youth in prevention initiatives.
A new addition this year was the recently developed Friends in Focus programme, introduced as a resource and tool developed to support global youth be actively involved in evidence-informed prevention work. Youth participants had a sneak peek into some of the interactive activities, directly experiencing parts of the programme themselves. They reflected on the role that group dynamics have in peer selection, and learned to recognize risk and protective factors to drug use. Participants showed interest in being involved in Friends in Focus, including in their potential involvement in future pre-pilots or implementation of the programme. Participants also had the opportunity to attend CND side events, such as the event on "Engaging Youth as Agents of Change in Crime and Drug Use Prevention: Experiences of the Regional Youth Network for Central Asia” and “Ringing Out Hope and Unity: The Peace Bell’s 30-Year Message in Addressing Drug Abuse”.
Another key highlight of the Youth Forum was their collaboration for the creation of the Youth Statement, which captured the collective voices and recommendations of youth participants. The statement emphasized the urgent need for effective prevention, as new and emerging substances continue to impact individuals, families, and communities. Youth participants urged policymakers to invest in evidence-based prevention strategies, create protective environments at home, school, and in communities, and advocated for multiple sectors to converge and harmoniously work together.
As they reminded global policymakers that “Prevention efforts must not only be about us, but led by us”, they called on Member States to actively include young people in decision-making processes and prevention work. And they further highlighted their readiness in being equal partners with adult stakeholders in addressing the world drug problem, as they said: “We have no political bias, we bring innovation and youth perspectives, and we care about our future. And this is not a one-time investment. Continuous engagement and co-creation can help us collectively reach our mission together.”
UNODC congratulates the Youth Forum 2025 participants for their dedication, insightful contributions, and commitment throughout the three days. Their engagement throughout the Youth Forum highlights the crucial role that young people play in shaping effective drug prevention strategies and being implicated in the policy-making arena. Through the Youth Initiative and the growing alumni network, UNODC remains committed to fostering meaningful youth participation, providing opportunities for learning and development, and supporting young leaders in their efforts to create safer and healthier communities.
Read the Youth Statement below, and click here for more information about the Youth Forum 2025.
Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
As 32 youth from 25 countries, we gather here today as a unified voice to address the issue of substance use within our respective communities. This is not a new challenge, and has been tackled over the past decades. Despite efforts, everyday there are new substances that threaten not only individuals, but also society as a whole. It creates a ripple effect where individuals, families, communities are all directly and indirectly negatively affected. The consequences could lead to disruptive environments, higher rates of crime and violence, unemployment, economic challenges, and homelessness.
Therefore, prevention measures are essential to stop substance use before it takes hold. There are many risk factors that can lead to drug use, pushing a person to an extreme. Anyone could have these vulnerabilities, and thus none of them should be neglected. Effective prevention involves creating positive climates at school, home, and in the community to promote social, psychological and physical well-being. It cultivates opportunities, builds a brighter future, and represents a sustainable solution for a long-term problem. Moreover, it flourishes through collaboration among schools, families, communities, workplaces, the health sector, youth institutions, and social media – channels of communication which are closest to us. When prevention is a priority, resilience becomes a reality.
According to research, evidence-based prevention has proven to be, systematically, the most cost-effective. We urge Member States to prioritize funding to substance use prevention policies and solutions, and to invest in further research for drug prevention in aspects that do not have sufficient evidence, such as cultural, geographical, and demographical areas.
