Three Billion Reasons

This new development strategy for children and young people in the South was drawn up on the basis of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Alongside the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the recommendations from the Children’s Summit in New York in 2002 (A World Fit for Children), the eight Millennium Development Goals, almost all of which focus on the situation of children and young people, provide the basis for this strategy and for Norway’s future development efforts
in this area.

Says the Minister of International Development, Hilde F. Johsnon in the introduction to the strategy: "There has always been focus on the rights and welfare of children and young people in Norway’s development co-operation, especially in the education and health sectors. However, the principles laid down in the Convention on the Rights of the Child are not confined to isolated sectors. It has a holistic approach." She also points out that "the vulnerability of children and young people – in different ways and at different stages of childhood – is another main leitmotif of this strategy."

Alcohol and drug problems included
During the preparation of the strategy non governmental organisations were invited to comment and propose issues to be raised in the strategy. FORUT participated actively in this process and International Project Manager Ståle Stavrum in FORUT is very pleased to see alcohol and drug problems being included in the strategy.

In the strategy these problems are mentioned in several contexts.

The most elaborate mentioning of alcohol and drug problems is in chapter four where a separate headline and paragraph is raising the issue:
Chapter 4 - The right of young people to health":

"International co-operation to combat alcohol and drug abuse
Alcohol and drugs are serious obstacles to development and represent a poverty problem that affects children and young people in particular. While the rich countries of the world are increasingly limiting the sale and use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs in order to protect children and young people, the use of these substances in increasing sharply in many developing countries. Due to the lack of regulation and control of the sale and marketing of these substances, many developing countries are vulnerable to strongly growing commercial pressures. Substance abuse often has the strongest impact on the most disadvantaged groups, including children and young people.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges states parties to take the necessary steps to protect children from illegal use of narcotic substances and prevent the use of children in the production and sale of such substances. The use of hard drugs is increasing particularly strongly among street children and child prostitutes. In many cases, children are also involved in trafficking such substances. An increasing number of countries are adopting the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco. There is no such convention on alcohol. Broader, more committed international co-operation is essential in order to protect children and young people from both legal and illegal substances. In co-operation with developing countries, Norway will help to counteract the enormous negative marketing and advertising pressure that is exacerbating the situation." (Page 35-36)

In this section is followed by a bullet point in the list of What will Norway do?
• We will seek to intensify international efforts to combat the illicit use of narcotic drugs and ensure that WHO is given a leading role in the fight against alcohol-related injuries.

Other relevant areas
Throughout the strategy include alcohol and drug problems where it is relevant, for instance when "children with substance abuse problems" are mentioned in the Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) group (Chapter 1, page 16)

In chapter 2, Factors that affects children and young people, the topic is relevant under International agreements: "International policies also affect children and young people. This applies to international agreements that regulate access to, the price of and licences to produce medicines and vaccines, that limit the marketing of tobacco (Framework Convention on Tobacco) or that remove obstacles and thereby open new markets for international alcoholic beverages. They have direct consequences for children’s and young people’s possibilities for survival and development." (Page 19).

In the same chapter alcohol and drug problems are mentioned in relationship to the urbanisation of poverty and unemployment. (Page 20)

Chapter 3, The right of children and young people to education, points out that "children of drug and alcohol abusers" are groups at risk for whom "school and education have an important protective function". (Page 26)

Chapter 5 raises right of children to protection. Under the headline "Children and violence" it points out that "Drugs and alcohol are often a contributory
factor in family violence."

In the separate middle section of the strategy document where the status of the Millennium Development Goals is considered it is stated that Norway should have a main focus on several issues including: "risk-related physical and social environments, e.g. without satisfactory water and sanitary conditions or with widespread substance abuse problems."

The strategy document may be downloaded from the Ministry web site here.