2020 OSCE-wide Conference on Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors: Strengthening Effective Prevention of Drug Use among Youth through Community Policing

Substance use and its negative consequences can have a profound damaging impact on the development of youth, and compromise their educational paths, work life and contribution to society. Police alone cannot provide the sole solution to the drug problems our communities face. Co-operation and co-ordination between the police, the public and private sector, and civil society lie at the heart of strong partnerships, including community policing. These partnerships complement traditional drug law enforcement and strengthen effective measures to prevent and reduce drug problems in the long-term. The best way to fight against the use of illicit drugs by young people is to prevent it.Community policing is about creating and building a bond of trust between the public and the police.

While traditional policing focuses on supply reduction and increasing the cost of drug use, community policing can embrace a broader, more effective approach that links supply and demand reduction by including prevention and treatment efforts.

Therefore, community policing is a significant tool for crime prevention and an important component of local efforts to prevent young people from using illicit drugs.

Community policing aims to establish close interactive relationships and trust between community members and the police to ensure that interventions occur at the earliest sign of emerging drug-related activities. It helps to develop a broad range of alternative activities that prevent youth involvement in illicit drugs

The conference will facilitate dialogue on:

• Enhancing the sharing of drug-related information in the OSCE area and the exchange of good practices and solutions to enhance effective and comprehensive drug prevention;
• Strengthening the role of community policing to develop and implement sustainable drug prevention, reduction and control efforts in partnership with young women and men;
• Focusing on coherent approaches to avoid overlaps in activities and verified practical proposals on future co-operation;
• Streamlining actions in implementing established policies and measures;
• Increasing co-operation between the OSCE and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as with other international and regional actors and stakeholders to advance the joint implementation of global commitments and make use of comparative advantages.

The conference targets experts from national drug control structures, representatives of relevant international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including youth. Practitioners from pertinent government ministries, such as the ministries of Interior, Justice, Health, and Foreign Affairs, as well as local institutions are especially encouraged to participate.

Live stream

Watch the opening remarks on October 6 from 9:00 to 9:30 live at: osce.org/live