Director-General/Executive Director
Dear participants,
Dear friends,
I am happy and honoured to welcome you to this year’s CND Youth Forum.
One of the best parts of working at the UN and at UNODC is getting to work with young people like you.
Investing in your health, safety, and well-being is an investment in a stronger, more sustainable world.
However, it is your contribution – your ideas and your actions – that will drive real progress.
We know that adolescence is a critical period. It is a time when many young people will experiment with substances.
But this is also when the brain is still developing, which makes early drug use particularly harmful.
Throughout much of the world, young people often make up the largest group receiving drug treatment.
In Africa, for example, 70 per cent of the people treated for substance use disorders are under 35.
In South America, almost half of the people in treatment are under 25.
And new drug trends are also increasing the risks.
The use of amphetamine-type substances is on the rise, especially for young people.
New substances and designer drugs that often appeal to teenagers and young adults are expanding quickly.
And dangerous synthetic drugs like fentanyl and Captagon are becoming deadlier every day.
But this isn’t just about the headlines. It is about real people – your classmates and your friends. As young people, you will feel the impact of today’s decisions the longest.
At UNODC, working with young people is one of the core parts of our work.
We are working in schools, with families and among communities.
Last year, we reached over 150,000 people, helping to prevent drug use among young people in 20 countries around the world.
Since 2021, our Youth4Impact programme in the Middle East and North Africa has reached over 140,000 people, and last year we created a Youth Network of changemakers throughout the region.
In India, our RiseUp4Peace initiative has helped more than 6,800 teachers and over 27,000 students with the knowledge and skills to promote peace, inclusion, and integrity in classrooms.
We are also working with Japan’s Drug Abuse Prevention Center, to provide funding and opportunities for NGOs across the globe, so they can meaningfully involve young people in supporting the health and well-being of their peers.
And during last year’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs, we launched CHAMPS, a new prevention model that helps children and teenagers to build resilience against substance use.
Dear friends,
This week at the Youth Forum, you will be sharing your ideas, your experiences, and your creative solutions with global policymakers.
Use this time to learn from each other. Build networks. Gain new insights into evidence-based prevention. What you learn here can help you make a real difference in your own communities.
At this year’s Youth Forum, we are also excited to introduce "Friends in Focus".
With this initiative, we look forward to working with you – to challenge misconceptions about drug use; to identify vulnerabilities; to encourage healthy behaviours; and to support other young people to promote drug-use prevention among their peers.
It was the talented young people who joined us in previous Youth Forums that helped shape the "Friends in Focus" programme, ensuring it reflects the real experiences, concerns, and ideas of young people.
And we are already seeing it in action.
In February, we piloted the programme in Serbia. This month, we are expanding to Italy, and in May, we will bring the programme to Central Asia.
During this Youth Forum, you will get a sneak peek into the programme, and we encourage you to think about how you can bring it to your own communities.
Beyond projects like this, previous Youth Forum participants are also working to shape policies and knowledge, co-authoring publications on drug prevention, and ensuring young voices are included in global discussions.
And today you will hear from a former Youth Forum participant – a young leader who is already using these tools to create positive change.
Dear friends,
I encourage you to make the most of this opportunity. Speak up. Ask questions. Challenge perspectives.
I hope you leave this forum energized and inspired.
And UNODC stands ready to support you, as you look to make an impact in your communities.
Thank you very much, and I look forward to hearing about your fruitful discussions and initiatives in the days to come.
