We are looking for speakers for two side events at the upcoming 63rd CND (02-06 March 2020). Apply before February 16.

UNODC has invited the VNGOC to nominate NGO speakers for two side events at CND 2020 (02 – 06 March 2020). (Detailed information see below.)

In order to apply for a speaking slot, please fill out and submit this form (https://forms.gle/QhwzyfDpEUtHB1hm6) by Sunday, 16 February, 11:55 p.m.(CET, Vienna local time). Selected candidates will be notified the following week.

N.b. no funding is available to support participation in the events. Speakers will have to cover their own expenses. Due to the short timeline we kindly ask you to only apply if you can travel to Vienna for the 63rd CND. Ground passes to the UN Vienna can be made available for all speakers for the duration of the 63rd CND. 

Please share this with your respective partners and networks to ensure a wide as possible opportunity to engage. We are looking forward to your applications. 

Side Events:

Field testing results and implementation of the UNODC/WHO International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders 
Wednesday, 04 March at 13:00 – 14:00, Room C3
UNODC and WHO jointly presented the International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders (Draft for Field Testing) during the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) 2016. The International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders have been field tested and/or implemented in over ten countries since their initial launch in 2016. 
The focus of the event will be on presenting the results of field testing, the tools that have been developed to facilitate implementation of the Standards, and experiences of implementation of the Standards in several countries. This will include a presentation of the revised Swedish National Guidelines for Treatment of substance use disorders, in particular its recommendation on Opioid Substitution Therapy and benefits of integrating it with psychosocial therapies. A particular focus will be on the challenges of comorbidity, based on recently published national study on persons with both substance use disorders and psychiatric disorders. 
In this regard, the event will be in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.5, in which Member States committed themselves to strengthen substance use prevention and treatment globally as a crucial pillar of Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being for All.

UNODC-WHO Community Management of Opioid Overdose – initials results from the S.O.S study  (Stop Overdose Safely) 
Friday, 06 March at 09:10 – 10:00 am, Room M3
The prevention of opioid overdose, through increasing access to naloxone and evidence-based drug dependence treatment, in particular psychosocially assisted opioid agonists maintenance treatment, has been one of the major areas of work of the UNODC-WHO Programme on Drug Dependence Treatment and Care. 
In response to the 2016 General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem, as well as the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) resolution 55/7 on “Promoting measures to prevent drug overdose, in particular opioid overdose”, UNODC, in close collaboration with the WHO, jointly launched the S-O-S (Stop Overdose Safely) Initiative to prevent opioid overdose at the 2017 CND. The SOS initiative aims to enhance opioid overdose prevention in line with the recommendations of the WHO guidelines on Community Management of Opioid Overdose. Under this initiative, a multisite implementation study on community management of opioid overdose has been conducted in three countries in Central Asia and one in Eastern Europe. The study gave special emphasis to increasing access to naloxone and training potential witnesses in overdose response including the utilization of injectable naloxone and basic resuscitation skills.
The SOS initiative involves training a target total of 16,000 potential opioid overdose witnesses on identification and management of opioid overdose in project countries couples with distribution of up to 40,000 take home naloxone ampules. This event will focus on describing the implementation of the SOS initiative and the results of the SOS study, including evidence on implementation barriers to and faiclitators for community management of opioid overdose. Lessons learnt, especially with a view to implementing take-home naloxone schemes in low-and middle income countries will be presented in addition. 
More information can be found under the following link: https://www.unodc.org/documents/drug-treatment/UNODC_SOS_Poster_updated_November_19.pdf

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