Side Event, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Vienna
Benedicta Apuamah opened and welcomed attendees to the side event “Won’t Somebody Think of the Children? Youth Welfare in Drug Policy”, organised by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) with support from Canada, Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and Youth RISE. The session took place on 17 March 2022 during the Commission on Narcotic Drugs meetings in Vienna.
Following Benedicta’s welcome, a diverse panel of youth advocates and civil society representatives shared first-hand perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of meaningfully including young people in national and international policy processes. Panel contributions included:
- Hajar Seiyad (Canada) and Keelin O’Reilly (Australia) describing their experiences as Youth Forum delegates and calling for concrete mechanisms that ensure youth participation is meaningful rather than tokenistic.
- Mayank Singh (YouthRISE) and Meryem Nagehan Ulusoy (Turkish Green Crescent Society) emphasizing that young people should be recognised as active stakeholders — not merely beneficiaries — in policy formulation and service design.
- Iulia Vatau (Students for Sensible Drug Policy) closing the session with a summary of key recommendations and drawing attention to a civil-society Open Letter on Youth Engagement addressed to the UNODC Executive Director.
The discussion highlighted that youth welfare in drug policy requires:
- genuine, sustained engagement mechanisms for young people;
- stronger representation of youth voices at national and UN fora;
- policy approaches that view youth as rights-holders and partners in co-creating solutions; and
- cross-sector collaboration between governments, civil society, and youth networks.
Benedicta’s opening remarks framed the session within a broader call for youth-centred policy approaches that combine evidence, lived experience, and participatory practice. The event concluded with clear recommendations for delegates and organisations to integrate youth-led perspectives into program design and policy review processes.
