DNA
Islamabad, September 13th: Amid a fervent gathering, the Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation jointly with the Ambassador of Spain Jose de Ory launched yesterday the Global Initiative on Drug Use Prevention, known as the Declaration of Oviedo at the Spanish Embassy to bring this global drug prevention movement to the forefront of Pakistan’s drug policies As the focal point for the Declaration of Oviedo in Pakistan, the KKAWF is leading the campaign for implementation of its 10 proposals on Prevention by strengthening partnerships across sectors, including govt, private sector, civil society & media to effectively combat drug use.
The Declaration of Oviedo, named after the Spanish city of Oviedo which hosted the initial expert consultations in 2023 was formally launched in March 2024 at the 67th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna to highlight the value of investing in evidence-based prevention. The Declaration supported by 127 countries with 109 country focal points and over 2,413 civil society organisationswas the outcome of these June 2023 meetings with the purpose to prioritize Drug Prevention as it was evidenced to hold the key to breaking the cycle of human suffering. The consultations concluded that drugs are at the root of this immeasurable devastation, and are inextricably linked to crime and financial burdens on nations.
The ten proposals of the Oviedo Declaration to scale up prevention in drug policies were read out by the Master of Ceremonies Iram Rehman which includes a call for countries to dedicate at least 25% of their drug demand reduction strategy and policy budget on prevention by 2030. Presentation of the Declaration was followed by officially launching it with all present gathered in a group holding placards in different languages and copies of the declaration.
Speaking on the occasion, Cristina Afridi, Chairperson KKAWF said that the worldwide support to this global initiative has raised the profile and understanding on the wisdom of Drug Prevention – to act before drug use may take hold. It has shifted the focus from addressing only the consequences of addiction to early awareness and education of youth targeting them from pre-teens. She stressed that breaking the cycle of drug use tomorrow requires youth engagement in prevention today. No more lives must be lost she lamented. With over 9 million drug users (2015 estimates) and a youth bulge of 150 million under age 30, Pakistan faces mounting challenges to protect its youth from the devastating harms that drug use brings, she highlighted.
Ambassador Jose de Ory in his welcome remarks, said that the commitment of the Government of Spain to promote this global initiative on drug use prevention has been vital to the efforts of civil society to successfully launch the Declaration. Recalling the problems of drugs in Spain he said that use od rugs is a major issue in Spain still and and countering its spread with Prevention is vital.
KKAWF was established in 2015 in memory of Cristina’s son, Karim Khan Afridi, who tragically lost his life to drug related incident and leads the mission to empower youth through effective Prevention Awareness and Education in line with the objectives of the Oviedo Declaration. In its first decade of working in this field, the KKAWF has led the efforts to break the stigma around drug use, and engaged with youth to build a better future.
According to the World Drug Report 2024 In just one decade, the use of drugs has grown globally by 20% to 292 million people -1 in 17 people using drugs. With an estimated 8.9 million people in Pakistan (2015) on drugs and 150 million youth under age 30, the need to implement Early Drug Prevention Strategies are a priority.
KKAWF Board members including Vice chairperson Mr. Nasser Jaffer, Amb Tariq Afridi, Mr. Naeem Sarfaraz, attended the launch.
The event also gathered a large number of senior officials from the government including the Anti-Narcotics Force, as well as former DG ANF Major General Khalid Jaffery. MNA Shaista Pervez and Mian Imran Mahmood, Asim Mustafa Regional Head Faysal Bank, and Habib Bank Limited Head, and heads of education institutions including Nasser Kasuri CEO of Beaconhouse University were amongst others who attended.
The launch saw a large presence of the diplomatic community including Ambassador of Brazil Olyntho Vieira, Ambassador of France Nicolas Galey, Ambassador of Portugal, DCM US Embassy Ms. Natalie Baker, British High Commission Consular Mr. Graham Orr, and Lewis Evans from FCDO.
Media reps included HUM News Regional Director Mr Rehan Ahmed and Fakhira Najib, CEO of FM 99. KKAWF youth volunteers team were present as well.
