The Mauritian government is willing “to put the emphasis on prevention with specific target groups, in the communities where it is needed and on how to tackle it”.
This was the important message from Mrs. B. Rajaballee-Cader, Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office of Mauritius, as she concluded her remarks at the recent Family UNited training workshop organized in Mauritius. She emphasized the importance of the Drug Users Administrative Panel, which seeks to divert individuals arrested for drug use towards treatment instead of prison.
On 23-25 July 2024, the National Drug Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office organized a three-day national workshop on the UNODC Family UNited Programme. This programme is a universal family skills programme effective in preventing a wide range of social and health problems, including preventing substance use, violence against children and youth violence, and crime. It supports caregivers in becoming better parents and strengthens positive, age-specific and age-appropriate family functioning and interactions.
The workshop brought together 32 participants from various sectors, including Citizens Advice Bureau and Citizens Support Unit (PMO), National Empowerment Foundation, Mauritius Sports Council, Child Development Unit, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare (Social Welfare Division), Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund, Cim Finance Group (CSR Lead, private sector sponsor) and three NGOs. The lead coordinator of the event was Mr. M. Imran Dhannoo, with Mr. A. Samad Dulloo and Mr. Giovanni Rose, all from the Dr. Idrice Goomany Centre, and who received technical support from Dr. Reychad Abdool.
In her closing remarks, Mrs. Rajaballee-Cader declared that “we need to join hands to protect our population from drugs”. She highlighted the High-Level Drugs and G+HIV Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, which includes the United Nations in Mauritius, various ministers, the private sector, and NGOs. This council works through a consultative process to gather the widest spectrum of ideas to address and combat the drug problem.
The feedback from participants was highly positive, reflecting the success and impact of the workshop.
Additional Resources
