Organised by
The CHILDREN MATTER FORUM is aimed at establishing the need to create Substance Abuse Free Environments for children around the world, advocating the relevance of primary prevention in national drug policies to protect children, empowering youth to be prevention influencers and sharing best practices that prioritises children.
Children Matter Forum
COUNTRIES
60
PARTICIPANTS
200
50
YOUTH
Civil Society Members
Policy Makers
Educators and Practitioners
Government Representatives
Prevention-treatment-recovery Professionals
Media Professionals
Youth Leaders
Establish the need for sensible media approaches to address the risk of normalisation of substance use and crime among children and young people.
Advocate for the creation of substance abuse free environments for children globally, with special emphasis on digital spaces.
Strengthen civil society responses in curating online safety and promoting positive youth behavioural health.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been helping make the world safer from drugs, organised crime, corruption and terrorism. We are committed to achieving health, security and justice for all by tackling these threats and promoting peace and sustainable well-being as deterrents to them.
The Office is committed to supporting Member States in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its core.
​Project VENDA© works to effectively contain and manage the abuse of narcotics and substances among children and young adults and has impacted the lives of over 1.2 million children. Recognised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as a best practice for prevention interventions, this evidence-based model works with multi-stakeholders to support the drug demand reduction efforts of the country.
The forum will have national and international speakers including media experts, cyber crime experts, civil society members, policy makers, national and state commissions on child rights, government representatives, prevention-treatment-recovery professionals and youth leaders from various nations.
Kristian
Hölge​
Regional Representative
UNODC Regional Office for South Asia
​
Akira
Fujino
President, Drug Abuse Prevention Centre - Japan
​
​
Rogers
Kasirye
Executive Director, Uganda Youth Development Link - Uganda
Carlton
Hall​
President and CEO, Carlton Hall Consultancy - USA
​
Maik
Dünnbier
Director of Strategy and Advocacy, Movendi International - Sweden
​
Raja Shanmugam
Advisory Board Member, Fourth Wave Foundation - India
​
Billy
Batware
Program Officer,
UNODC - Austria
​
​
Dr. Pall Rikhardsson
Chief Executive Officer, Planet Youth - Iceland
​
​
Dr. Edit Schlaffer
Founder and Chairperson, Women Without Borders (WwB) - Austria
​
Christopher
Schmitz
Therapist and Clinical Supervisor
- Denmark
Shane
Varcoe
Executive Director, Dalgarno Institute - Australia
​
Swarup B R
​
Advisory Board Member, Fourth Wave Foundation - India
​
Esbjörn Hörnberg
Executive Director, Movendi International - Sweden
​
Diana
Vincent
Founder, Director,
Fourth Wave Foundation - India​​
​​
Dr. Rafael Kropiunigg
Director of Research, Women Without Borders (WwB) - Austria
​
Cressida de Witte
Secretary General,
World Federation Against Drugs - Sweden
​
Ashwin Mahesh
Advisory Board Member, Fourth Wave Foundation - India
​
Vasanthi Srinivasan
Advisory Board Member, Fourth Wave Foundation - India
​
C C
Joseph
Executive Director,
Fourth Wave Foundation
- India
​
Berenice Santamaría
Consultant with the International Delegation of the Proyecto Hombre Association - Spain
Benjamin
Westhoff
Investigative Reporter - USA
​​
​
Dominic
Fernandez
Head, Corporate & Advocacy, Singapore Anti Narcotics Association (SANA) - Singapore
C Balagopal
​
Advisory Board Member, Fourth Wave Foundation - India
​
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
11th Asian Youth Forum on Drug Use Prevention 2024
The Asian Youth Forum on Drug Use Prevention was an Asian region platform that empowers young people to become informed advocates for substance use prevention within their communities by the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme (DAP) and supported by the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). The 11th edition of the Asian Youth Forum on Drug Use Prevention, organised by Fourth Wave Foundation, convened 150 young participants from 13 countries, fostering cross-country dialogue and youth-led solutions for a drug-free future. The forum brings together youth leaders for intensive learning on substance use disorders, prevention science, and community-based action.
Children Matter Forum 2022
Children Matter Forum (CMF) 2022 was a global advocacy platform organised and convened by Fourth Wave Foundation – Project VENDA©, World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), reaffirming every child’s right to a drug-free childhood. The forum advocated for the creation of Substance Abuse Free Environments by prioritising primary prevention in national drug policies, aligning with UNGASS recommendations, and placing children at the centre of global and regional responses. CMF brought together diverse stakeholders to share evidence-based practices, examine emerging challenges, and strengthen collective action across prevention, care, and recovery.
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S.A.F.E. Forum 2021
The S.A.F.E. Forum 2021 was a national advocacy and awareness platform organised by Fourth Wave Foundation - Project VENDA©, held virtually with the participation of government leaders, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector. The forum highlighted the growing challenge of substance abuse among children and youth in India, emphasising a child-centric, prevention-focused approach aligned with national initiatives such as Nasha Mukt Bharat and the National Action Plan. Bringing together experts from UNODC, WFAD, academia, and community partners, the platform strengthened multi-sectoral collaboration and reinforced the need for prevention education, early intervention, and long-term care to create Substance Abuse Free Environments in Kerala and beyond.
S.A.F.E. Forum 2020
‘Valaranam Keralam, Vellanam Lahariye’ was a virtual advocacy platform organised and convened by Fourth Wave Foundation - Project VENDA©, in association with the Narcotics Control Bureau (South Zone), as part of the S.A.F.E. (Substance Abuse Free Environment) Forum 2020. The initiative provided a space for Malayalam speaking participants across regions to engage in dialogue on narcotics and substance abuse affecting adolescents and young adults. The webinar series brought together stakeholders from health, education, media, and community sectors to raise awareness, promote prevention, and strengthen collective action to create safe and supportive environments for children and youth in Kerala.
Asian Regional Forum Against Drugs 2019
The Asian Regional Forum Against Drugs (ARFAD) was a regional advocacy platform organised by the World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD) and the Fourth Wave Foundation’s Project VENDA©, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Commissionerate of Excise, Government of Kerala. The platform advanced dialogue on drug policy grounded in public health and well-being by bringing together civil society members, key decision-makers, and practitioners from across Asia. ARFAD enabled the sharing of experiences, strengthened regional advocacy and networking, and supported the development of draft recommendations to guide coordinated action across prevention, policy, and community responses.
S.A.F.E. Forum 2018
The S.A.F.E. (Substance Abuse Free Environment) Forum was al multi-stakeholder conference hosted by Project VENDA© with the aim of sensitising, creating awareness and influencing policy change. This strategic effort enables stakeholders to understand the importance of their role in shaping the environment for children through best practices. The platform brings together stakeholders in the field of education, health, policy, media, sports, and arts to identify and share holistic approaches that showcase solutions to ensure thorough best practices.
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