UNODC launches the Regional Youth Network in the Middle East and North Africa

Today, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime launched the Regional Youth Network in the Middle East and North Africa to support youth efforts against drugs, violence and crime.

The event was held in Egypt with the support of Germany, where the launch took place in the presence of Dr. Nevin Al-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, Dr. Omar Othman, Assistant Minister of Social Solidarity and Director of the Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction and Abuse, Mustafa Ezz Al-Arab, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports for Cultural and Community Development, and Christina Albertin. , Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the Middle East and North Africa, Holger Ehle, Representative of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, representatives of the United Nations Population Fund, experts in the field of anti-corruption and drug prevention, representatives of the League of Arab States and other relevant parties. .

*Al-Kabbaj addresses the youth: You are facing a noble message to spread peace and combat drugs

Dr. Nevin Al-Qabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, said in her speech to the youth: You are facing a noble message to spread peace and combat drugs and their repercussions related to societal violence, and I am confident of the impact of your rich participation in spreading this message among your peers.

The Regional Youth Network of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime aims to empower young people to become effective agents of change in their communities against drugs, violence and crime, through three axes: empowerment, active participation, youth-oriented partnerships and communication and coordination.

The young men and women said enthusiastically during their speech, “Launching the network is a belief in our right to participate in shaping the present and the future, and to strengthen youth and their effective role at the national and regional levels, especially in light of the circumstances and challenges that our region is going through.”

34 young men and women with exceptional community participation and distinguished leadership skills were chosen to represent their countries. Half of them were nominated by relevant ministries and national partners, while the other half were competitively selected from a total of 683 candidates.

*Albertin: We seek to empower young people to become agents of change

For her part, Christina Albertin emphasized in her statements that “through this network, we have gone beyond the stage of discussions of youth participation to activating their participation in practice. We appreciate the role of youth as equal partners in building the social fabric, and we seek to empower them to become agents of change and implement the prevention programs of the United Nations Office.” concerned with drugs and crime within their communities, as part of our vision to achieve sustainable and lasting change.”

While Mustafa Ezz Al-Arab, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports for Cultural and Community Development, noted: We hope that this network will be a real platform for young people through which they can achieve their ambitions and contribute to building a better future for their countries and homelands.

*Germany: Cooperation with the United Nations supports youth

In turn, Holger Ihle, representative of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, said that the distinguished cooperation between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Germany in the Middle East and North Africa region supports young people in empowering their peers, which contributes significantly to the establishment of institutions that enable a more effective response to the needs of youth and children. of vulnerable groups and those at risk, and in crime and violence prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration. Even amid the challenges of 2023, very impressive results have been achieved.

Youth representatives will meet in a 5-day training workshop, during which the Youth Network will be launched, where the primary focus will be on empowering young people to actively participate in society and assume leadership, by presenting and explaining the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the goals of the regional “Youth Impact” program, Develop strategies, critically analyze challenges, make decisions, develop partnerships, and advocate for social change. As a result of this gathering, youth representatives will formulate a plan for their action in their communities and countries.

Over the course of two days, the workshop program will focus on enhancing awareness among young people about corruption, governance, and anti-corruption strategies, and this will culminate in the formulation of the “Youth Anti-Corruption Vision in the Middle East and South Africa 2030,” in addition to participating in creative and strategic sessions to enable young people to implement anti-corruption activities. In the Middle East and North Africa region, as part of the Global Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment Initiative (GRACE). The initiative aims to employ education and empower young people to enhance transparency, accountability and integrity, and to promote a culture of rejection of corruption.

The initiative works through primary and secondary education, academies, research and youth empowerment, each targeting different levels of education and different aspects of society to instill anti-corruption awareness and mindset.

*The regional “Youth Impact” program

The UNODC Regional Youth Network is part of the regional “Youth Impact” programme, which aims to empower young people, including marginalized and most vulnerable youth, to face life’s challenges and increase their resilience against crime, violence and drugs.

Since its inception in 2022, the Youth Impact program has positively impacted the lives of more than 67,990 individuals in the region (2022-2023) by working with 58 national partners. The program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

The “Youth Impact” program adopts a “with youth” and “for youth” methodology in line with the UNODC Strategy 2021-2025, which emphasizes youth empowerment as a fundamental approach, which enhances cooperation and participation in the innovation process.