On 9 March at the 69th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the Global Commission on Drug Policy co-organized a side event with Youth RISE  entitled “The Next Generation of Care: Youth-Centered Innovations to Renew and Strengthen Health Systems”. The event explored youth leadership and health-centered approaches to drug policy reform.

Commissioner Adeeba Kamarulzaman delivered a video message highlighting key findings from GCDP’s forthcoming policy brief on children and youth. In addition, UNICEF delivered a video message emphasizing that “the international drug control system must place the best interests of children and adolescents at its center”.

The event also featured young speakers from the medical, service, and research sectors, alongside interventions from Commissioner Pavel Bém, UNDP, OHCHR, the Global Campus of Human Rights, and the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA).

Watch a video recording of the event here.