The Paris Pact Expert Working Group (EWG) on Early Prevention of Drug Use and Drug Use Disorders was held in a hybrid format on 1-2 November 2023, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The event, hosted by the National Center for Drug Control of the Republic of Uzbekistan, was attended by 85 participants, representing 24 countries and five international and regional organizations.

The participants reviewed the latest trends, existing gaps and challenges, and shared their recent operational actions and new initiatives regarding early prevention. Delegates agreed on eight specific priority recommendations to guide prospective new interventions. The recommendations will be reviewed for endorsement at the 17th Policy Consultative Group Meeting (PCGM) scheduled to convene from 11 to 12 December 2023, in Vienna.

This Expert Working Group meeting was directly related to the Pillar IV (Comprehensive Approach to Drug Treatment and Care) of the Vienna Declaration, adopted at the Third Ministerial Conference of the Paris Pact Partners in 2012, which serves as the roadmap for the Paris Pact Initiative.

In the coming days, all meeting documentation, including the presentations made in the course of the two-day event, will be available on the respective section of the Paris Pact Initiative’s web portal.