What is CHAMPS?

CHAMPS is a unique initiative in the scope of UNODC operations. It aims to amplify the resilience of children from birth to adolescence and by doing so preventing the use of drugs and other outcomes sharing a similar vulnerability faced by children as they grow.

The amplification of the prevention effect is sought by:

Applying science and standards in prevention
leaving no child behind, covering all ages of development through multiple interventions accounting for the social setting and
by building a system of prevention bringing a strong partnership between public, private, academic, civil society, international organizations sectors and beyond.

It targets healthy and safe development of children at all ages, all levels of risk and in diverse settings. Implemented through integrated services aligned with science and applied through impactful systems focused on the child. Supporting the expansion of issue-based themed to a person/population focused approach
CHAMPS will also mean investing in interventions aligned with science which will be actually effective in preventing the use of drugs and of other psychoactive substances

Why CHAMPS?
Why CHAMPS Now?

We chose the name “CHAMPS” because it is a term that is appealing for children to be part of the paradigm shift in prevention. We want them to be part of the making and to become the CHAMPS of tomorrow.
Protecting children and safeguarding their health, including from drugs, is a common concern for all Member States.
Such protection needs serious investment in prevention. However, the prioritization of prevention in the context of competing challenges that countries are facing, requires further advocacy work.

We know individual service in line with standards work but we also know that bringing a set of such interventions have a multiplicative preventive effect and mainstreaming and building bridges between social institutions and agents of prevention as a system carry a large amplification effect.
We also know the resilience built to overcome vulnerabilities in children per such standards is common to support other strategies including violence, violence against children, crime and more.
The political commitment and the rise of interest in prevention (and early prevention) aligned with science is there. CND resolution 65/4 is but a clear example of such a will.
What is missing beyond the political commitment is the will to put such work in action and put it at scale.
As we are moving to the mid-term review of the political declaration of 2019 and as to regain momentum on the road to 2030, CHAMPS is an initiative to reinvigorate the momentum, interest and value of prevention.
CHAMPS aims to demonstrate through the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and return on investment in such a system based model of operation aligned with science.