Interactions between Governments and Civil Society

Dianova participated for the first time in the Pompidou Group training session

pompidou-group

The Pompidou Group is the Council of Europe’s cooperation group to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking. It comprises 38 countries from Europe and beyond. The Pompidou Group aims to contribute to the development of multidisciplinary, innovative, effective and evidence-based drug policies within its member states. In that objective, one of the key element is try and connect policies and research practices which support better drug policy management. One way to do so is to provide relevant executive personnel and other stakeholders with training sessions on drug policy development and management.

This year, following the Norwegian Presidency priorities, the Executive Training focused on “Effective cooperation: interaction between governments and civil society organisations” and benefitted to 38 participants from 23 countries, equally representing governmental institutions and civil society organisations.

DMoreover, the participants have the opportunity to contribute to the Pompidou Group proposals for government interactions with civil society on drug policy issues and about their principles, methods, opportunities and challenges which are currently under preparation and expected to be adopted by the end of 2016.

pompidou-group-training-participants

The course consists on two seminars, in spring and autumn 2016. The first one took place in Helsinki from 6th until 8th of June 2016. For the first time, Dianova International participated in this executive training, represented by Lucía Goberna. National experiences of cooperation, ways of overcoming and managing obstacles to cooperation and risk analysis and management were among the topics dealt with in the first seminar.

It is encouraging to see how efficient cooperation between government and non-governmental institutions in the field of drugs is becoming an essential way of achieveing our common goal of improving people’s lives.