Connecting Civil Society with the United Nations: Opportunities for Engagement in Drug Policy, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

ISSUP Global, in collaboration with the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC), presents a webinar on onnecting Civil Society with the United Nations: Opportunities for Engagement in Drug Policy, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

Date: Tuesday, 15th September, 2026

Time: 3:00 PM CET | 2:00 PM London

Civil society organisations and professionals working directly with individuals, families and communities hold valuable knowledge and practical experience that can contribute to the development and implementation of effective international policies. However, opportunities to engage with United Nations processes, and the mechanisms through which civil society can participate, are not always well understood or easily accessible to professionals working at national and community levels.

International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), in collaboration with the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) and the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, will host a webinar introducing ISSUP's global membership to opportunities for meaningful civil society engagement within the United Nations system.

The webinar will bring together chairs of two key civil society networks working alongside the Vienna-based UN institutions.

The VNGOC provides a link between civil society and international bodies involved in drug policy, including the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). The Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice facilitates civil society engagement with UN processes relating to crime prevention and criminal justice, particularly UNODC and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ).

Speakers will introduce the mandates, roles and current priorities of both organisations and explain how they contribute to strengthening communication and collaboration between civil society, Member States and international organisations.

Importantly, the webinar will move beyond introducing the organisations to provide practical information about how ISSUP members can participate.

Speakers will explain opportunities available to civil society professionals and organisations, including participation in relevant UN meetings and consultations, contributing to calls for civil society input, attending and organising side events, engaging in dialogues and other consultation mechanisms, accessing information and resources, and becoming involved in the networks and activities facilitated by VNGOC and the Alliance.

The discussion will also explore why meaningful civil society participation matters. Professionals and organisations working in prevention, treatment, recovery, criminal justice and related fields bring implementation experience, community knowledge and perspectives that can help connect international policy discussions with realities on the ground.

Additionally, the session will highlight areas of intersection and opportunities for stronger collaboration across traditionally separate professional and policy fields bringing the drug policy and crime prevention/criminal justice civil society communities together in one webinar.

Intended audience:

The webinar is intended for ISSUP's international membership and the wider substance use, public health, crime prevention and criminal justice workforce, including:

Substance use prevention, treatment and recovery professionals
Criminal justice and crime prevention professionals
Civil society and non-governmental organisations
ISSUP National Chapters
Recovery and lived-experience organisations
Youth-led and community-based organisations
Researchers and academics
Policymakers and government representatives
Professional associations
Students and early-career professionals

Organisations interested in engaging with UNODC, CND, CCPCJ and related international processes
The webinar will be particularly relevant to professionals and organisations that have expertise to contribute internationally but may have limited previous experience engaging with United Nations processes.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

Describe the respective roles of VNGOC and the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice within the international drug policy and crime prevention/criminal justice landscapes.
Identify the principal UN bodies and processes relevant to civil society engagement in these fields, including UNODC, CND and CCPCJ.
Identify practical opportunities through which civil society organisations and individual professionals can contribute to relevant international discussions, consultations, meetings and events.
Better understand pathways for engaging with VNGOC and the Alliance and accessing information about upcoming civil society participation opportunities.
Explain the value of meaningful civil society participation in connecting international policy discussions with professional expertise, community knowledge and implementation experience.
Identify opportunities for greater collaboration between professionals and civil society organisations working across substance use, public health, crime prevention and criminal justice.

Presenters:

Matej Kosir, Chair, Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC)

Matej Košir is Chairperson of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC), a global network representing more than 450 civil society organisations from over 110 countries. He is also Director of the Institute for Research and Development UTRIP in Slovenia, where his work focuses on evidence-based prevention, public health advocacy, prevention systems, and meaningful civil society engagement in international drug policy. He has extensive experience working with UN institutions, governments, and civil society networks, and has contributed to the development and promotion of international and European prevention standards, including the European Prevention Curriculum. He is also the author of book “Prevention Gone Wrong” and PhD candidate in Prevention Science at the University of Zagreb, Croatia.

Ian Tennant

Ian Tennant is Chair of the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the umbrella body for civil society engagement with the UN system on crime and justice issues. He works as Director of Multilateral Engagement at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, which he joined in 2019. Based in Vienna, he leads civil society engagement with the UN and the wider multilateral community on issues under the Alliance's mandate. Before joining the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Alliance, Ian spent five years at the UK’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Vienna, where he led UK engagement with the UNODC and represented the UK in several prominent UN negotiations on organised crime and related issues. He holds a master’s degree in British Politics.

Moderator:

Dr. Mulka Nisic

Youth and Faith Project Coordinator, ISSUP. Researcher in criminology, social justice, and desistance from crime.

Webinars and online events delivered and hosted by the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) are provided for informational purposes only. They are educational in nature and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.