WFWP UN Vienna - SideEvent at CND69 CREATING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTFOR A HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
Commission on Narcotic Drugs CND69, March 12 th , 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.
Maria Riehl, Head of the WFWPI Vienna Office 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 WFWP -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.
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 IAYSP, underlined the importance of actively involving young people in the
design of prevention programmes.
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 discussion made it clear that prevention must already begin in the family and school
Address: 4F Cheongpa Bldg., 319 Cheongparo, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 04308, South Korea
TEL: 02.703.9321 FAX: 02-703-9334 E-mail: ihq@wfwp.org Website: www.wfwp.org
3
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
Comments