WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER

The International Police Organization IPO HQ in collaboration with the Italian Foundation "No alla Droga", the Center for the Prevention of Juvenile and Youth Crimes QPKMR (Institution subordinate to the Ministry of Justice of Albania), and the State Agency for Children's Rights and Protection ASHDMF (Institution subordinate to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Albania), organized the 2-day conference with the theme "Prevention of drug use by young people".

The meeting, which gathered over 160 attendees from a number of institutions and organizations, was held on October 11 and 12, 2023 at the Mondial Hotel in Tirana.

"The IPO is strongly invested in the fight against drugs and efforts to prevent its use, and we also join the World Federation Against Drugs based in Sweden. Since last year the IPO has received ECOSOC Special Consultative Status at the UN. We have been closely cooperating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC for years and are consultative participants in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs CND, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice CCPCJ in the UN, and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime "UNTOC - said Dr. Mareglen Tomori, Executive President of the International Police Organization IPO Headquarters.

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs CND is one of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is the central policy-making body for drug issues within the United Nations System.

The presents at the meeting, representatives from the Procuracy, Social Services, School Safety Officers, public administration and local government, from non-governmental and youth organizations deeply thanked the speakers who provided statistics, data, details, and information embodied in a number of materials film and print, which according to the attendees will be very valuable in their daily work.

Also, the Italian association "No alla Droga" - part of an international network based in Los Angeles, USA, explained in the training of the second day the best methodology of communication and interaction with drug victims, but also with all social groups including children, young people, their parents, etc. Mr. Alessandro Greco and Mr. Enrico Comi brought world experience and answered the many questions and lively interests of the attendees.

It was a great honor to participate in this conference in Albania, where the use of drugs by young people was examined and where the importance of prevention to deal with this phenomenon was emphasized, and I was very pleased to note the active participation of Albanian institutions, associations and forces of the police. The cooperation and organization of all these joint forces is what is needed to fight this great social problem - emphasized the President of the Italian Association "No alla Droga" Mr. Alessandro Greco.

Ms. Klaudia Hasanllari - Director of the Center for the Prevention of Juvenile and Youth Crimes, QPKMR, Ms. Alma Tandili - Head of the State Agency for the Rights and Protection of Children ASHDMF, Dr. Klarida Rrapaj - Criminologist and Psychologist engaged by the Italian Ministry of Education in Rome enriched the meeting with a lot of data and concrete information - including a vision on the proactive policies of the government in the fight to prevent drugs among young people and children.

"It is very important that all the actors of this vital struggle for the destinies of our society come together to build a dialogue, an ideological structure and a unified plan of activities that will produce indisputable results" we all share an opinion "as it will be the youth today, it will be the future of the country tomorrow". We are in a country where we all live, where we raise children, where we have our families, where we are aware and I know the phenomenon, I know the problems and we don't hide them, but what we all have to do is to work every day with the courage to win the battle against drugs, - said at the meeting the Specialist in the Community Policing Sector, Chief Commissioner Roland Alushani.

"Albania has started to become aware that it is part of the immune system of a society to speak loudly against the danger of drugs and to prevent their dangers as best as possible, - said at the end of the two-day meeting Mr. Franco Menga, Disaster Management Expert and one of the most popular European assessors in the analysis of risk and crises, including those of a social nature. Speaking against drugs is not a sign of shame for society, as it has been embedded in traditional societies, -

underlined Mr. Menga, but it is part of its progress, part of your growth challenge".

"It is a good idea to go to young people and children with their means of communication and with a new concept of using technology in educational and preventive communication" - underlined at the meeting Mr. Alban Bala, representative of the company LACONICS shpk, technology partner of the IPO.

International Police Organization IPO is present in 48 countries of the world and the headquarters of the organization is in Milan, Italy. The organization has gained an outstanding reputation by including the best security experts in Europe, Africa and Asia, while it closely cooperates with international organizations such as the United Nations, the European Commission, NATO, etc.

It is a privilege for me to engage with you in activities related to the prevention of drug use. I come from the ranks of the police with a 35-year experience in road traffic, but even now that I am retired, I have the will, energy and desire to contribute as much as possible to this joint fight against this phenomenon to ensure that the future of our children and grandchildren to be as good and safe as possible. I thank the Executive President of IPO Dr. Mareglen Tomori, who had the courage to unite a network of professionals, in several Albanian Ministries and Institutions for this purpose and made me a part not only as a police officer but also entrusted me with the direction of the IPO Section Albania - said the President of the IPO Section Albania Mr. Koço Simaku

Also present at the conference was the Executive Director of IPO Section Albania

Ms. Alma Bime, at the same time Director for Anti-Trafficking and Migration Policies in the Ministry of Interior of Albania, who emphasized the importance of cooperation between state institutions in this challenge that does not only affect Albanian society but goes beyond the borders.

The fight against the use of narcotics is a priority at the local and central level, which requires not only the involvement of law enforcement agencies but also of health institutions and civil society.

The use of narcotics is a phenomenon that cannot be fought if it is considered only the duty of the State Police or any other institution, the fight against it is an issue that affects us all and we must fight it together as it is a social problem of which affects the whole society causing it social and economic costs.

"Drug use by young people remains a worrying problem for our society,

so we will return to Albania with other awareness-raising activities and not only that" - said at the end of the activity Dr. Mareglen Tomori, Executive President of the International Police Organization IPO HQ! Headquarters.

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