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Yesterday, on June 26 - International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, World Drug Report (2013) was launched at the high level for the first time within the framework of the CND, at UNODC Headquarters in Vienna.
Many prominent political figures within the drug policy field attended the event, among them were Austrian State Secretary, Reinhold Lopatka; Director of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service, Victor P. Ivanov; Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, White House, Gil Kerlikowski; INCB President Raymond Yans and many others.
Also in attendance was UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson (picture to the right), who said that there was neither peace nor development without the respect for human rights and the UN Conventions formed the basis for international law and human rights (i.a.).
Mr. Kerlikowski and Herr Lop
atka remarked on the growing input of civil society organisations to the work of states` structures. ECAD was present at the event, being a Board member of the Vienna NGO Committee on drugs. Committee Chair, Michel Perron (CEO of the CCSA, Canada Centre on Substance Abuse) made a statement (picture to the left) on behalf of all NGO-members (Download and read as PDF)
Executive Director of the UNODC, Mr. Fedotov noted that the international drug control conventions were helping to contain and stabilize the level of drug consumption, but said there were concerns about the violence generated by illicit drug trafficking, particularly, in Central America; as well as the fact that some national laws and practices could be vulnerable to human rights violations.
"The real issue, however, is not to amend the conventions, but to implement them according to their original spirit and intention. A first step towards achieving this goal is to recognize that the conventions were created to protect the health and welfare of mankind," said Mr. Fedotov.
Find the World Drug Report 2013 for download at the UNODC homepage.
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An impressive selection of high profile speakers makes this conference genuinely significant in modern drug policy field.
The 1st ISCE International Congress on Drugs and Dependencies was held by Social and Cultural Department in conjunction with the Centre for Drug Misuse Research - Scotland, in Lisbon – Odivelas, Portugal, and besides European Cities Against Drugs there were representatives of the World Federation Against Drugs, International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy, Drug Watch International, Association for a Drug Free Portugal and other national and international organizations.
ECAD Director Jörgen Svidèn participated in one of the forum panels with a presentation ”Drugs and the Media”. The Congress was initiated by ECAD’s National Representative in Portugal, Dr. Manuel Pinto Coelho.
This forum gathered many prominent speakers: Professor Neil McKeganey from Scotland, former director of the UNODC Antonio Maria Costa, Professor Kevin Sabet from Florida University, President of the INCB Raymond Yans, EMCDDA’s Executive Director Wolfgang Goetz, Executive Councellor David Raynes, Secretary General of EURAD Fay Watson and many others.
The Congress covered a wide range of important issues concerning drugs; it complements by far to the relentless work against legalisation of drugs and adds more structure to the forthcoming activities of many participating agencies and individuals, so that as few as possible will get addicted to narcotic substances.
Besides the Congress, several networking meetings were held among the delegates. It was decided i.a. to create a broad coalition that will show the unity among a vast majority of the world’s leaders and citizens against illicit drugs.
In fact, less than five percent of the worlds populations has ever tried illicit drugs the last year and a lot fewer are addicted to drugs.
Nearly 100 percent of the present leaders in the around 200 independent states of the world oppose drug legalization.
This unity is a strong message and the aim is to better express and illustrate this in the near future. ECAD are happy to play a vital role in this work.
Download Congress programme here (PDF)
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Gothenburg, Sweden
June 2-4, 2013
Please join us in order to develop methods for drug prevention, care and treatment, to promote alternatives to incarceration for petty drug-related crimes and methods for social inclusion of former prisoners!
Read more at http://www.drugprevalliance.org/
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ECAD was among plenty of NGOs supporting the role of the UN Conventions on narcotic drugs in the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, which acts as a common platform for NGOs willing to interact with governments at the CND level. In regards to working with the NGOs with polarising views on UN Conventions at the Vienna NGO Committee level, it is very important for our members that ECAD is active and dares to speak up. Therefore ECAD is glad to announce that we will continue capitalising on this work for the 2 years to come, as we were again re-elected to the Board of the VNGOC.Second Informal Civil Society Hearing was held by the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs with an active participation of the First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Finland, Ms. Kirsti Pohjankukka. Far from many governments are open for meeting eye to eye with NGOs working in their own country, but Finland, Norway and Sweden are the positive exceptions in this repect.
Many resolutions get adopted at the CND each year, however there is little follow-up on the plans mentioned there. Second Informal Civil Society Hearing focused on the implementation of the Political Declaration and the Plan of Action that mentions the cooperation between the governments and NGOs in question, their positive relationship in the Nordic countries is hard to underestimate.
Informal Dialogues, organized by the Vienna NGO Committee with Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC and Mr. Raymond Yans, President of the INCB were a positive proof of encouragement of civil society participation in the preparations of UN General Assembly Session (UNGASS) in 2016, so NGOs have some good hopes of organizing a Formal Civil Society Hearing next time.
This CND Session was very much about the implementation of the international drug control treaties, drug demad reduction and the launch of the International Standards on Drug Prevention. Among other interesting events was a statement made by the president of plurinational state of Bolivia, Evo Morales addressed the CND on the benefits of nationalisation of the working against drug trafficking. (As announced on many news engines, Bolivia requested the re-admission to the UN conventions with a reservation for respect to local culture and custom of coca leaf-chewing. Readmission does not mean the eradication of coca cultivation, but there is a comprehensive will of reducing the surplus of coca production, said Bolivian government representatives. The respect to UN initiatives is unanimous as long as the goal is peace in Bolivia.)
At the launch of the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention, UNODC head for prevention Dr. Gilberto Gerra spoke about maltreatment in childhood, making a change in the development of the brain, as the latest studies point that lower levels of maternal care create a "silenced DNA", as opposite to "active DNA".Dr. Gerra also mentioned new and interesting studies pinpointing cocaine-activated genes, which make people using cocaine more vulnerable to stress. UNODC Prevention science researcher and consultant, Dr. Zili Sloboda spoke ardently in favour of connecting to people and including, exploring resilience and vulnerability of young people in their family environment, underlining that prevention is very much about socialisation among humans.
The new Prevention Standards underline risk and protection factors, addressing the effectiveness of warning information that has to be accompanied by social disapproval and supported by the right educational approach. There are people, who are naturally resistant to this kind of information, the so called "novelty seekers", that is why developing selective prevention, where high risk groups are specifically targeted is of great importance. You will find the link to International Standards on Drug Use Prevention here.
Russian drug tzar, Mr. Victor Ivanov made a statement about the Afghan right to development, as a new paradigm and new philosophy for tackling drug production in the country. Alternative development and social and economic development is underscored in the speech of Mr. Ivanov "Afghan Drug production against the Right to Development" (PDF-file). This view as an alternative to waging war discussion gives a new angle to the old debate. The angle that is absolutely worth noting.
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"ECAD has on several occasions discussed how to relate to member cities, which take action, or have attitudes or strategies that are not fully in accordance with ECAD platform. There is now a broad consensus on the futility of excluding members.
The main focus must be on the preference for staying a member and taking part in the organization, along with generally supporting the main issues of the platform."
Read the whole historical account of ECAD and Norwegian network of ECAD cities here (PDF)
Subcategories
The ECAD Mayors' Conference
28th Mayor's Conference - Invitation - May 11th and 12th, 2023 - Malta
On May 11th and 12th, the 28th ECADs Mayor's Conference will take place at Dolmen Hotel in Qwara, Malta. We warmly invite you to join us and expand your knowledge on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. The conference will highlight best practices and research in the field. It will offer the opportunity to network with other ECAD members, representatives from local authorities, and non-governmental organisations. Registration is free for the first person attending from your organisation!
Additionally, the conference allows for a unique experience as it includes a full day of field visits on May 12th. All participants are invited to Komunita’ Santa Marija, which will be sharing information on their services, and their experiences, and will engage in discussions.
The Agenda has now been published! The deadline to register is April 22nd
Day 1
DATE | TIME | VENUE
11/05/2023 | 09:00 – 17:30 | The Oracle Conference Centre - Dolmen Hotel Qawra, St. Paul's Bay
08:30hrs – 09:00hrs| Registrations
09:00hrs – 09:05hrs| Welcome Address by the President of Local Councils’ Association - Mr Mario Fava
09:05hrs – 09:15hrs| Welcome Address by ECADs Chairman of the Board from Kristiansand, Norway - Mr Viggo Lütcherath
09:15hrs – 09:20hrs| Welcome Address by the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government - Hon. Alison Zerafa Civelli
09:20hrs – 09:40hrs| Inspirational speech – “Push yourself to do it because no one else is going to do it for you” by the President Northern Regional Council & LCA Executive Member - Mr. Clifford Galea Vella Maslennikov
09:40hrs – 10:30hrs| Panel Discussion and Presentation – Discussing the Local Context
The prevention team within Sedqa would like to present the following studies.
Study 1: The Role of a Workplace Policy in Addressing Employees’ Substance Misuse Difficulties.
Aim: To explore the probability of an employee seeking support for a substance misuse difficulty elicited by the workplace ethic fostered by management. Through this paper, we seek to determine a possible correlation between the implementation of a substance misuse policy at the workplace, and employees’ probability to seek guidance and support from their employers for a substance misuse-related difficulty.
Study 2: A Substance Misuse Policy in the Workplace: Senior Leadership Teams’ Attitudes
Aim: To explore how senior leadership teams’ (SLTs) attitudes inform the drafting of a substance misuse policy and how those attitudes inform job retention procedures in the case of an employee disclosing a substance misuse difficulty. Uncovering SLTs’ attitudes toward addiction is essential to understand how these beliefs inform workplace policy aims and actions on substance misuse.
Keynote speakers representing Sedqa Prevention team:
Mr Jareth Grima – Social Worker
Ms Sheryl Spiteri – Prevention Team
Ms Stephanie Mizzi Cascun – Prevention Professional.
10:30hrs – 11:00hrs| Coffee Break
11:00hrs – 11:45hrs| Mr Jon Sigfússon Planet Youth – Evidence-based drug prevention.
Mr Sigfússon is the international programme director for the evidence-based Planet Youth Guidance primary community-based health promotion intervention. Over the course of 20 years, Mr Sigfússon directed the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA).
11:45hrs – 12:30hrs| Mr Matej Košir - Strategies and tactics to prevent cannabis legalisation in Slovenia - The power of prevention science and advocacy.
Mr Matej Košir has been working in prevention and advocacy in the field of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for around 25 years. Since 2006, he has been involved in more than 30 European projects in the fields of health, justice, education, youth and research as a project or work package leader.
12:00hrs – 14:00hrs| Seated Buffet Lunch
14:00hrs – 14:45hrs| Profs. Christian Thurstone, MD - The impact of legalisation in Colorado, USA – challenges faced by [local] authorities and communities.
Profs. Thurstone is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado and a child psychiatrist who specialises in addiction treatment. He published some of the first papers on the potential effects of marijuana legalisation on youth and has devoted his professional life to preventing and treating adolescent substance misuse.
14:45hrs - 15:30hrs| Ms Mulka Nisic - Recovery Cities - Creating sustainable connections and networks in cities.
Ms Mulka Nisic has been involved as a Regional Project Manager and International Relations Officer at the NGO Celebrate Recovery, and Secretary General of the Recovered Users Network-RUN.
15:30hrs - 16:00hrs| Conclusive Remarks
16:00hrs – 17:30hrs| ECAD Plenary for ECAD Members only
19:30hrs – 23:00hrs| Welcome Dinner at The Pavilion Suite, Westin Dragonara St Julian’s - Separate Registration is required in the application form.
Day 2
DATE | TIME
12/05/2023 | 09:15 – 19:00
09:15hrs – 09:30hrs| Transport leaves from Dolmen Hotel & Salini Resort to Komunita Santa Marija
09:30hrs – 09:45hrs| Registration and Welcome Coffee
09:45hrs – 10:15hrs| Introduction to the services offered by Komunita’ Santa Marija.
10:15hrs – 11:00hrs| Sharing of good practices and discussion
11:00hrs – 11:30hrs| Tour around Komunita’ Sanata Marija premises
11:30hrs – 12:00hrs| Transport to Ħagar Qim in Qrendi
12:00hrs – 13:15hrs| Ħagar Qim Visit
13:15hrs – 13:30hrs| Transport to Xgħajra
13:30hrs – 16:00hrs| Lunch (you will have time for a short stroll by the seaside)
16:00hrs – 18:00hrs| Cultural Visit in Mdina – Visiting the National Museum of National History
18:00hrs – 19:30hrs| Visiting Dingli Cliffs
19:30hrs - 15:30hrs| Transport to Salini Resort and Dolmen Hotel
27th Mayors Conference - Gothenburg and online 2022
The 27th Mayors' Conference and 8th World Forum took place in Gothenburg and online 13-14th June 2022.
The World Forum and Mayor’s Conference is a meeting place for people from all continents who are working to prevent drug abuse, ensure evidence-based and gender-sensitive practices, increase access to treatment, and to promote recovery and reintegration services. This global forum is one of its kind where NGOs, self-help groups, treatment centres, scholars, local, regional, and national authorities, politicians and other decision-makers, and others from around the world will meet to share evidence and best practice experiences. This year’s World Forum will include three main tracks: Prevention, Treatment/Recovery, and Advocacy, which will stretch over 1,5 days followed by the WFAD Congress and ECAD Mayors plenary session.
We are proud to announce that the Forum was inaugurated by UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly and will be joined by experts from around the world.
Read more on the website: https://2022.wfad.se/ and access the full report here. 
26th Mayors Conference - Cork 2019 
25th MAYORS´ CONFERENCE
and 6th World Forum Against Drugs 
Conference materials
Kevin Sabet, PhD, Director, Drug Policy Institute, University of Florida, President, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), USA
Speech at the WFAD /ECAD 25th Mayors Conference, Gothenburg, May 15, 2018 (Video 5min.)
Supply reduction in Peril? A lot of the worlds`s drug supply emanates from a war-torn Columbia.
Dr. Michael Jonsson, FOI, Swedish Defence Research Agency
Text to the slides (PDF)
In Columbia, a peace deal has been struck, which gives hope for a closure of insurgency and violence. (PDF)
Thomas Pietschmann, Dr, Drug Research Section, Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs
The International drug control system, global/regional and national drug patterns and trends, and supply reduction efforts at the international level (PDF)
Photo: Götaplatsen @ Klas Eriksson
Annual Mayors` Conference and the 6th World Forum Against Drugs will take off on May 14-15 in Gothenburg this year.
This joint event will address a growing interest to the effective prevention practices, full recovery and alternatives to incarceration and to life-long dependency on drug treatment.
The conference will create a room for elaborating a practical guide to how a recovery city will look like, this will be grounded on the recent evidence-based research. Sheffield Hallam University (UK), Ghent University (Belgium) and the City of Gothenburg have already started working on this guide in practice.
In order to find out more and to register please visit a joint webpage here.
MAYORS` CONFERENCE 2017
ECAD 24th Mayors` Conference materials
On June 12-13, the city of Kaunas hosted ECAD 24th Annual Mayors`s Conference 2017
Safe Cities Without Drugs. Preventing, Protecting, Policing
Key-note speakers:
David W. Spencer, Field intelligence Manager, Drug Enforcement Agency, European Region
Supply reduction and dismantling drug trafficking organizations: In what ways can local communities benefit (PDF)
Kim Nilvall, Swedish National Bureau of Investigation, Intelligence section, Organized crime
Police work in socially disadvantaged areas in Sweden: Impact of drugs on urban crime (PDF)
Torsten Stodiek, Deputy Head, Strategic Police Matters Unit, Community Policing Advisor, Transnational Threats Department, OSCE
Preventing terrorism and countering violent extremism and radicalisation that lead to terrorism:
A community and intelligence led policing approach (PDF)
Jon Sigfusson, Director for Icelandic Centre of Social Research and Analysis, Reykjavik University, ICSRA
Youth in Europe and Planet Youth (PDF)
Laimonas Vasiliauskas, Senior Specialist, Serious and Organized Crime Department, EUROPOL
European Illicit Drug Market (PDF)
Antonio Boscini, Health Director, San Patrignano Community, Rimini, Italy
Recovery and social reinsertion: San Patrignano Community model extended (PDF)
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME (PDF)
FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT (PDF)
Conference Booking Form
Kaunas Castle
Picture: @Rokas Tenys
Warm welcome to Kaunas, Lithuania!