UNODC Launches Youth Network for MENA

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) has held on Tuesday an official ceremony to launch the Youth Network to support youth leaders from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, and Sudan1 as active agents of change against drugs, violence, and crime. The event was hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt and supported by the Federal Republic of Germany. 

The launch was attended by H.E. Dr. Nivine El Kabbag, the Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity, Dr. Amr Osman, Director of the Egyptian Fund Drug Control and Treatment of Addiction, Mr. Mostafa Ezz Elarab, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports for Youth Policies, Ms. Cristina Albertin, the UNODC Regional Representative for the Middle East and North Africa, Mr. Holger Illi, the Representative of the German Federal Ministry of Development and Economic Cooperation (BMZ), UNFPA representatives, youth, anti-corruption and drug prevention experts, representatives from the League of Arab States (LAS) and other relevant stakeholders.

Addressing the youth, Nivine El Kabbag, the Minister of Social Solidarity, noted “You are carrying a noble mission to spread peace, and combat drugs and their associated societal violence. I am confident that your rich participation will have a significant impact in spreading this message among your peers.'"

The UNODC MENA Youth Network aims to empower young people to become active agents of change in their communities against drugs, violence and crime through three pillars: empowerment, meaningful participation and youth-focused partnerships and networking.

The youth passionately declared during their speech, "Launching the network stems from the belief in our right to participate in shaping the presence and the future, and it reinforces the active role of youth on both the national and regional levels, especially amidst the circumstances and challenges facing our region."

34 youths, distinguished by their exceptional community engagement and leadership skills, were chosen to represent their countries. Half were nominated by relevant ministries and other national implementing partners, while the remaining half were selected competitively from a total of 683 candidates.

From her side, Ms. Cristina Albertin stressed in her remarks that “through this Network, we [UNODC] have advanced beyond mere discussions on the meaningful participation of youth to actualize their involvement in action. We acknowledge the youth's role as equal partners in building the societal fabric, empowering them to act as agents of change and implement UNODC's prevention programmes within their communities, as a part of our vision for enduring change and sustainability.” 

Mostafa Ezz Elarab, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports for Youth Policies, affirmed that “We pin our hopes on this network being a genuine platform for youth, enabling them to achieve their aspirations and contribute to building a better future for their countries and homelands.”

"The excellent partnership with UNODC and Germany in the MENA region (….) supports young people to empower their peers significant contribution for institution allowing more effective response to the needs of vulnerable and at risk youth and children, crime prevention, violence, rehabilitation and reintegration, and even with the difficulties of this year of 2023 achieved very impressive outcomes" added Mr. Holger Illi, the Representative of BMZ.

The youth representatives will gather for a 4-day training event

The launch concluded the first two days of the agenda with the focus on empowering youth for community engagement and leadership through the introduction of UNODC's mandate and the Youth4Impact regional programme objectives, strategy development, critical analysis of challenges, decision-making, partnerships, and advocacy for social change. As a result of this training, the youth representatives drafted their relevant envisioned actions to implement in their respective countries’ communities.

Over the next two days, the agenda focuses on enhancing the young participants’ awareness about corruption, governance, and anti-corruption strategies, culminating in the development of a "MENA Youth 2030 Anti-Corruption Vision" and engaging in creative and strategic sessions to empower youth-led anti-corruption actions in the MENA region, as a part of the Global Resource for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment (GRACE) initiative.