OSCE in co-operation with UNODC holds regional workshop in Belgrade for high-level policymakers on preventing youth crime and violence

How to prevent crime and violence committed by young people by encouraging their engagement in developing life skills, sports and education was explored at a workshop for

around 30 high-level policymakers from South-East Europe organized in Belgrade on 17 December 2018 by the Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-operation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

The policymakers, from the ministries of education, sports and youth, health and internal affairs of Albania, Montenegro and Serbia, shared details about relevant activities implemented in their countries as well as future plans.

Gordana Kosanovic, Serbia’s Assistant Minister of Education, highlighted the importance of co-operation on the national, regional and global levels, as well as the role of different actors, including civil society organizations, in designing and implementing prevention activities.

The participants were also provided with a comprehensive overview of tools and programmes developed by the OSCE and the UNODC to complement  states’ efforts in preventing youth crime, focusing on the importance of education. 

The OSCE and UNODC are active in crime prevention through different but co-ordinated efforts and they promote standards and best practices in crime prevention and criminal justice.

In the framework of the Doha Declaration, UNODC runs a global initiative that builds on the power of sport as a tool for developing life skills and strengthening the resilience of at-risk youth. The OSCE engages and promotes youth activities throughout its politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions of security.