Ensuring the involvement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ensuring the involvement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the drug policy dialogue 
 Ravi Kandiah Foundation for Innovative Social Development (FISD) Sri Lanka

Role of Civil Society Organizations • Civil Society Organizations play major role in prevention of and recovery from substance use. • In Sri Lanka, economically marginalized groups spend nearly 40% of their family income on substance use. • CSOs are much close to the vulnerable groups to substance use and first to know about ground situations • They are much empathetic towards substance users and the problems related to them

Drug Use Situation in the Developing Countries • Resources of the Government sector are stretched to the maximum • The role of CSOs on substance abuse prevention and control is not fully recognized or harnessed • Participation of CSO with Government Sector will enable more effective policy formulation and implementation. • Provide more broader and balanced perspectives for the substance use policy dialogue

Role of Civil Society Organizations in Drug Control • State sector and Civil Society Organizations working together will create synergies for substance use control policies and strategies • Provide more broader and balanced perspectives for the substance use policy dialogue • Ensure effective implementation of drug policies and strategies at the local level and grass root level

Recommendations to ensure the Participation of Civil Society Organizations • Request to make participation of Civil Society Organization mandatory in substance use policy dialogue. • Multilateral and bilateral donor assistance for substance use control need dedicated allocation for CSO capacity building and development • FISD urge Commission of Narcotic Drugs to move effective resolutions for UN member states to the participation of CSOs in substance use policy dialogue

Thank you