On March 12th, 2025, during the 68th Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the Global Youth Declaration on Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery was launched. The Youth Declaration was presented by the Global Youth Core Group, consisting of 15 members from 13 countries, during the CND Side Event from Drug Free America Foundation. The Youth Declaration represents 1145 youth from 63 countries, which have shared their perspectives, challenges, and suggestions through the Global Youth Survey on Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery – which was disseminated globally between September 2024 and January 2025. While the Data Report provides valuable insights in current challenges among youth, varying risk perceptions, and correlations between youth, community, and government involvement in the effectiveness of programmes, the Youth Declaration provides recommendations to Governments, Institutions and Organisations, and other key stakeholders.

We hereby present the complete text of the Global Youth Declaration on Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery. The Declaration has been translated to various languages and can be used for your advoacy efforts also. Feel free to contact us if you want the document to be translated into your language as well.

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Global Youth Declaration on Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery 2025

We, the youth of the world, representing diverse communities, cultures, and perspectives, unite to present this Global Youth Declaration. Rooted in the voices of over 1100 young people between 15 and 29 years old[1] (49.4% female, 48.9% male, 1.7% other) representing 64 countries, who contributed to the Global Youth Survey on Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery, this declaration reflects our realities, aspirations, and urgent calls to action.

We present this Youth Declaration 2025 to reaffirm our right to be heard, protected, and participate in policies affecting us, as outlined in Articles 12 and 33 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child[2] and Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.5[3].

Recognising the growing vulnerability of youth due to crises, the normalisation of substance use, and the emergence of new illicit substances[4], we call upon:

  1. Regional, National, and Local Governments
  2. Intergovernmental Organisations, International Organisations, and Civil Society Organisations
  3. Other key stakeholders (including schools, health care provision, etc.)

Acknowledging the complex challenges faced by [at-risk] youth, which often coincide with substance [ab]use, we call for increased support in access to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery services sensitised for and with youth to adhere to the rights mentioned above providing a healthy, safe, and drug-free future for all youth in the world and share the following recommendations:

1. Actively Listen to and Involve Youth

We emphasise the urgent need to include youth in programme development and policy and decision-making processes at all levels by providing platforms for meaningful youth engagement. Over 75 per cent of youth across various age groups express a sense of being misunderstood by their governments while reporting limited opportunities to actively engage in processes. Suggestions to effectively address these concerns include:

  1. Establish dedicated spaces for dialogues.
  2. Create democratic and transparent Youth Councils with regular consultations
  3. Include youth representatives in policy discussions at all stages.
  4. Organise forums, focus groups, and declarations to amplify youth voices

2. Enhance Research and Modernise Risk Awareness Campaigns

We urge Member States and relevant stakeholders to conduct comprehensive, youth-focused, and gender-differentiated research on substance use patterns and translate findings into modernised, sensitised, evidence-based awareness campaigns. Social media and digital platforms should be leveraged as effective outreach tools, complemented by traditional media sensitisation to actively avoid stigmatisation. Survey results highlight significant disparities in risk perception and substance preferences across different age groups, underscoring the dangers of generalising youth as a homogenous category. Special attention must be given to individuals under the age of 18.

3. Implement Gender-Responsive Approaches to Address Substance Use Challenges

We stress the importance of developing gender-sensitive policies and interventions that acknowledge and are tailored to the unique challenges faced by young people of all genders. The Survey findings indicate a closed gender-gap in risk perception of drugs while women under 23 face increased vulnerability to mental health struggles, peer pressure, and economic challenges while men report increased economic and social challenges at later stages. 

4. Ensure Increased Provision of Improved and Accessible Youth Sensitised Services

We demand accessible, affordable, and sensitised treatment and rehabilitation programmes designed for youth to support their sustainable recovery, recognising the lack of youth services. Suggested services include:

  1. Increased number of skilled psychologists to avoid long waiting lists
  2. Establish 24-hour service teams
  3. Create accessible telephone hotlines for immediate support and referral

We urge the development of comprehensive reintegration and aftercare services to facilitate youth reintegration. They should be developed in collaboration with youth organisations and emphasise holistic support systems, including family involvement, peer counselling, and community-based programmes.

5. Empower Youth through Economic Independence and Leadership Opportunities

We underscore the critical need to support youth in achieving financial independence and fostering leadership opportunities as key factors in sustainable prevention and recovery. The survey highlights employment and economic stability as major contributors to youth well-being, while also recognising the essential role of peer influence in shaping attitudes toward substance use. To empower youth as change-makers, we recommend:

  1. Integrate financial empowerment measures, such as vocational training and job opportunities, into prevention and rehabilitation programmes.
  2. Establish and support youth-led initiatives, including task forces, mentorship programmes, and leadership workshops.
  3. Provide financial and institutional support for youth organisations to actively engage in advocacy, education, and peer-led interventions.
  4. Create accessible youth centres that offer resources, skills development, and safe spaces for youth to support one another.

6. Strengthen Community Support and Policy Enforcement

We advocate for expanding community-based programmes, understanding the community’s role in youth development and fostering understanding and support of youth challenges, through awareness-raising campaigns, capacity-building workshops, and destigmatisation initiatives. We also call for the establishment and consistent enforcement of comprehensive policies preventing substance use exposure among minors and young adults, restricting advertisement, and prioritising alternatives to incarceration. Both efforts contribute to creating supportive and healthy environments for young people.

We urge policymakers, organisations, and communities to take immediate action, ensuring youth voices are heard and their rights protected. This declaration represents a global commitment to a healthier, safer future for all young people.

[1] The youth category is based on the UNODC definition of youth.

[2] Convention on the Rights Article 12: Right to be heard and 33: Protection from harmful drugs

[3] SDG Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol

[4] UNODC World Drug Report 2023 – Booklet 1: Special Points of Interest