A Paris Pact Initiative Expert Working Group (EWG) meeting in support of Pillar IV of the Vienna Declaration: Investing in families for effective drug prevention and treatment was held on 15 and 16 December 2020.

The meeting was run in a hybrid format, with CARICC participating online as an observer. More than 70 participants representing 27 Paris Pact partner states and 7 partner organizations registered for the Paris Pact EWG meeting.

Mr. Andrés Finguerut, Chief of the Drug Prevention and Health Branch of the UNODC Division for Operations, and Mr. Riku Lehtovuori, Paris Pact Coordinator of the UNODC Division for Operations, delivered welcoming remarks.

Presentations and papers by Paris Pact partners on feasibility and needs to implement international standards of prevention of drug use and treatment of drug use disorders were then presented. Role of family in prevention and treatment of such disorders, prevention programmes aimed at teaching family skills, family therapy and providing services to families to support effective prevention in treatment of substance use disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic were also discussed.

The working group reviewed recommendations, conclusions and opinions on the topic of the meeting.