CREATING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR A HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE
- renateamesb
- vor 11 Stunden
- 3 Min. Lesezeit
Commission on Narcotic Drugs CND69, March 12th, 2026,
Report:
On 12 March 2026, diplomats, international experts and representatives of youth and civil society organisations came together in a United Nations conference room to discuss one of the key challenges of our time: Protecting young people from the dangers of drugs and creating a supportive environment for their healthy development.
The event was opened by Angela Vigliotta Mella, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Austria. In her speech, she emphasized that the fight against drug abuse is not just a task of state policy, but a shared responsibility of families, educational institutions and society as a whole. Investments in young people are also investments in a stable future for societies.
Maria Riehl, Head of the Vienna Office of the Women's Federation for World Peace, also welcomed the participants and underlined the importance of a supportive social and educational environment for young people. This is the only way young people can develop skills that help them overcome challenges and avoid risky behaviour.
Karen Peters from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime presented the importance of integrated prevention strategies that take into account social and economic risk factors. Effective prevention requires close cooperation between educational institutions, families and local communities.
Sonia Turpo, Secretary General of the Women's Federation for World Peace in Santo Domingo, highlighted the role of values-based education. Personal development programmes could help to strengthen critical thinking, a sense of responsibility and social skills in young people and thus have a preventive effect against crime and drug abuse.
Further contributions came from international experts and practitioners from youth work. Moriko Hori, President of the Women's Federation for World Peace International, presented initiatives to encourage young people worldwide to take responsibility in their communities.
Rogers Kasirye, head of the Ugandan organization UYDEL, reported on his work with young people in particularly disadvantaged communities and emphasized the importance of education and training programs as effective prevention measures.
Laurenc Klas from the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace underlined the importance of actively involving young people in the design of prevention programmes.
Experiences from addiction rehabilitation were also presented. Father Georg Schwarz from the Cenacolo rehabilitation project explained approaches to support former drug addicts in their social reintegration.
Paul Kogi Mburu, founder and director of Sober Life International, emphasized the importance of early education and social awareness as central elements of sustainable drug prevention.
The event was moderated by Renate Amesbauer, President of the Women's Federation for World Peace Austria. In conclusion, she stressed that protecting young people from drugs requires long-term international cooperation between governments, international organisations and civil society.
The event was part of a series of side events within the framework of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, which is considered one of the most important international platforms for discussions on global drug policy as well as prevention and treatment strategies.
Key messages of the event
The discussion made it clear that prevention must already begin in the family and school environment. Education, the teaching of values and social skills play a decisive role in this. It was also emphasised that young people should be more involved in the development and implementation of prevention programmes.
In addition, the participants highlighted the need for close cooperation between governments, international organisations and civil society in order to develop effective long-term strategies for drug prevention and support for young people
Written by: Hala Maghawry & Renate Amesbauer, WFWPI UN Vienna Office
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