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The World Forum Against Drugs will open at 10 a.m. at the City Conference Centre Norra Latin, Drottninggatan 71 B, Stockholm.

The 2^nd World Forum Against Drugs has gathered delegates from 60 countries, including a large number of diplomats. 25 embassies are represented at the Forum, including 10 ambassadors.

The 1^st Forum was held in Stockholm in September 2008, initiated by a group of Swedish anti-drug organisations. Based on the response from the 1^st Forum a new organization, World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD), was founded in June 2009.

WFAD wants to create a global network for NGOs working against the illicit use of drugs, and stands for a restrictive and balanced drug policy based on the UN Conventions on Drugs.

A major issue for WFAD will be to arrange Forums. Once again, it takes place in Sweden this year, but in the future the Forums will be arranged in other parts of the world.

The three main themes for the Forum this year are:

·         New research on cannabis

·         Drugs in Sub-Saharan Africa

·         Adult drug abuse and its influence on children

The Forum has been made possible with generous financial support from the Ministry of Health in Sweden, the City of Stockholm, and private companies that have sponsored the Forum and Music Against Drugs.

Media information

Media are invited to follow the World Forum Against Drugs & Music Against Drugs 24-26 May at the City Conference Centre Norra Latin, Drottninggatan 71 B, Stockholm and at the main stage, Kungsträdgården

Registration

For security reasons, media representatives who want to follow all sessions at the Forum are asked to register by sending an email with full name, media (newspaper, radio, television), and contact details to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Press room

A press room is available in room 354 at the City Conference centre, where press conferences will be arranged (see below).

Media contact

Sofia Modigh +46 766 27 67 60

Monday 24 May

09.15 – 09.45 Press conference with keynote speakers (Room 354)

·    R. Gil Kerlikowske, Executive Director ONDCP, USA 
·    Maria Larsson, Minister for Public Health, Sweden
·    Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director, UNODC, Vienna
·    Sven-Olov Carlsson, International President , World Federation Against Drugs

10.00-12.00  Official Opening (Main Hall, City Conference Centre)
Official opening with keynote speakers. Presentation of the first “Nils Bejerot Award” for international drug political work.  

18.00 Music Against Drugs ­(Main stage, Kungsträdgården, Stockholm)

Göran Hägglund, Minister for Health and Social Affairs opens Music Against Drugs 2010.

Tuesday 25 May

10.15-10.45 Presentation of a new report -  ”The Right of Children to be Protected from Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances” (Room 354)

·   Stefan Dahlgren, lawyer, Sweden

·   Elisabeth Dahlin, Secretary General of Save the Children Sweden

·   Linnea Forsberg, International secretary JUNIS

Wednesday 26 May

 11.30-12.00  Press conference with the WFAD Board (Room 357)

Presentation of the newly elected WFAD Board

Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, is one of the keynote speakers at the World Forum Against Drugs in Stockholm, Sweden May 24-25, 2010.

United States is an important policy maker and we appreciate that the U.S. Administration supports WFAD’s initiative to gather restrictive forces in a global organisation, says Per Johansson, WFAD Board Secretary.

 
Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of UNODC, and Maria Larsson, Swedish Minister for Public Health, will give keynote speeches.  Other important speakers include Professor Bertha Madras, Harvard University, USA, and Craig Nakken, author and lecturer, USA.

Adama Diedhiou, Head of Narcotics Police in Senegal and Professor Solomon Rataemane from South Africa will speak about the situation in Africa.

Africa is becoming more and more important, and focus on Africa is one of the key issues at the Forum. However, the drug trade and abuse of drugs is an obstacle to development, especially in West Africa where the illegal trade of drugs pose a threat to peace and political stability, says Sofia Modigh, Forum Project Manager. 
 

Other speakers at the Forum

Peter Allebeck, Professor, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Steven Alm, Judge, Hawaii, USA
Fabio Bernabei, Journalist, Italy
Sven Britton, Professor, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Sven-Olov Carlsson, International President, World Federation Against Drugs
Manuel Pinto Coelho, President of the Association for a Drug Free Portugal., Portugal
Arthur T. Dean, Major General, Chairman and CEO,  CADCA, USA
Abdoulaye Diouf, Manager of the Centre Against Drugs, Senegal
Robert DuPont, MD, President, Institute of Behaviour and Health, USA
David Evans,  Esq., Executive Director, Drugfree Schools Coalition, USA
Carmen Fernandez, General Director, Centros de Integracion Juvenil, Mexico
Gabriella Gobbi, Professor, McGill University, USA (to be confirmed)
Angela Hawken, Professor, Pepperdine University, USA
Kristina Hillgren, Psychologist, Sweden
Rogers Kasirye, President, Uganda Youth Development Link, Uganda
Jennifer Kimani, CEO, National Campaign Against Drug Abuse, Kenya
Monica Luppi, International Relations Officer, San Patrignano, Italy 
Jorge McDouall, MD, M.H.S, Colombia
Craig Nakken, Author and therapist, USA
Torgny Peterson, Sweden
Mina Seinfeld de Carakushansky, President Brazilian Humanitarians in Action, Brazil 
David Turner, Chair of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, United Kingdom

Further information

Sofia Modigh                      

+46 766 27 67 60    

email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Per Johansson                     

+46 708 30 17 89    

email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

The World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD) is a multilateral community of non-governmental organisations and individuals. Founded in 2009, the aim of WFAD is to work for a drug-free world. The members of the WFAD share a common concern that illicit drug use is undercutting traditional values and threatening the existence of stable families, communities, and government institutions throughout the world.

The Swedish Government has decided to support the 2^nd World Forum Against Drugs in Sweden. Delegates from 80 countries participated in the first Forum which took place in Stockholm in 2008.

We look forward to establish an international forum to strengthen a balanced, restrictive global drug policy, says Sofia Modigh, project leader for the 2010 World Forum Against Drugs. UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa and the Swedish Minister for Public Health, Maria Larsson, will give key note speeches at the conference.

The World Forum will take place at Norra Latin City Conference Center in Stockholm, Sweden on May 24-26, 2010 under the high patronage of H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden.

International and national scientists, politicians, policy makers, NGOs, law enforcement agencies, social workers, parents and other organisations and individuals are expected to participate.

We have worked hard for a couple of years to bring together drug-restrictive forces from all over the world. On the global arena, the pro-drug lobby has stood unchallenged for too long. We are very pleased that the World Federation Against Drugs has been founded as this enables us to work effectively on the international arena,  says WFAD Board Secretary Per Johansson.

Contacts:

Sofia Modigh +46 766 2767 60

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Per Johansson +46 708 3017 89

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www.wfad.se