PLEDGE 4 ACTION – FROM COMMITMENTS TO RESULTS
The CND’s PLEDGE 4 ACTION initiative, which aims to mobilize concrete, impactful actions by Member States along the key challenges outlined in the 2019 Ministerial Declaration including the cross-cutting challenge on data collection.
The initiative invites all Member States to make voluntary pledges to undertake specific actions or activities to accelerate the implementation of joint commitments, and to report on their progress and achievements. Detailed information on the initiative can be found here: https://www.unodc.org/documents/commissions/CND/CND_Sessions/CND_67/Pledge4Actions_Concept_Note_December_2023_for_submission.pdf
The initiative is open not only to Member States, but also to civil society organizations. NGO pledges will be coordinated through the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) in collaboration with the New York NGO Committee on Drugs (NYNGOC).
If your organization is interested in making a pledge, please fill out this online form by 15 February 2024. The form will ask you to provide some basic information about your organization, the thematic area of your pledge, and the specific action or activity you plan to undertake. The pledges can cover any of the thematic areas or cross-cutting issues addressed by the 2019 Ministerial Declaration, such as demand reduction, supply reduction, access to controlled medicines, human rights, civil society engagement etc.
To give you some examples of possible pledges for NGOs, here are two hypothetical ones:
- With a view to enhancing the implementation of all international drug policy commitments, and in addressing the challenge that drug treatment and health services continue to fall short of meeting needs and deaths related to drug use have increased –NGO XYZ pledges to train XX peer educators on overdose prevention and naloxone administration in X cities across the country by the end of 2024, and to monitor and report on the number of overdose reversals achieved by the trained peers.
- With a view to enhancing the implementation of all international drug policy commitments, and in addressing the challenge that both the range of drugs and drugs markets are expanding and diversifying – NGO XYZ pledges to develop and implement a school-based curriculum on life skills for students aged XX-XX in X schools by the end of 2024, and to evaluate its impact on students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.
NGO pledges will be formally handed over by the VNGOC chair in the framework of the High-level segment of the 67th session of the CND in March 2024, the joint NGO pledge document will also be posted on a dedicated website for the Pledge4Action initiative. The VNGOC will also endeavour to follow-up on pledges and facilitate information exchange and mutual learning among pledging organizations.
We hope that you will join us in this initiative and contribute to advancing the global drug policy agenda with your actions and expertise. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@vngoc.org.
