Update from Day Four of the 55th UN Commission of Narcotic Drugs - Eurad

Thursday 15th March 2012

Project DAWN: Specific Interventions targeted to better meet the specific needs of drug addicted women

This side-event was organised by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Team. This side event was linked closely to the resolution on "Promoting strategies and measures addressing specific needs of women in the contest of comprehensive and integrated drug demand reduction programmes and strategies", which aimed to support a gender specific approach in relation to drug prevention and treatment.

During the debate, female responsiveness to treatment, reasons for using drugs and links to poverty and sexual violence were all explored.

Thanks to Italy's commitment to this project, through the Department for Anti-Drug Policies, the United Nations and UNICRI action is further sustained in promoting the human rights and well being of vulnerable subjects, as in this case, drug addicted women. This project also includes the adoption of gender-oriented instruments and strategies for the prevention of the use of drugs among young girls as well as the support to drug addicted mothers and their children. Actions to reduce stigmatization of drug addicted women and related violence as well as interventions to reduce transmission of STDs and prevention of unwanted pregnancies are included in the project's activities.

To find out more, go to the Project Dawn website.

As well as the Project, the above mentionned resolution was also sponsored by Italy.

Vienna NGO Committee Meeting

In the afternoon, NGO's attending the CND gathered to discuss and give feedback to this years event. Not all NGO's attending the CND are members of the Vienna NGO Committee but others are welcome to come and observe. The aims of the Vienna NGO Committee are to maximise NGO contributions throughout the event as well as to implement the strategic plan of the Committee.

This year, NGO's were particularly grateful for the opportunity to host NGO Informal Dialogues with the CND Chairperson, the UNODC Executive Director and the INCB President as an Informal Civil Society Hearing.

We would like to thank the members of the the Vienna NGO Committee Board for helping to faciliate NGO engagement at this important event as well as thanks to the Civil Society Team, at the United Nations, for helping to make these contributions possible.