This international capacity building seminar was organised by the Pompidou Group together with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organisation of American States (OAS), and the Iceland Directorate of Health in Reykjavik on 25-26 September 2019.

The activity brought together 35 participants including policy managers, experts and professionals working in drug and alcohol prevention, coming from 23 countries covering the Americas, Europe and Northern Africa (MedNET countries). Interactive plenary sessions with high-profile speakers provided insight into innovative and comprehensive practices surrounding prevention. On-site visits to selected projects and institutions allowed for first hand contact with professionals and service users to discuss the Icelandic approach to prevention.

This first joint seminar of the Pompidou Group and CICAD provided a unique opportunity for a broad exchange of practical experiences from different countries and demonstrated how both organisations could mutually cooperate and support their member States in adapting their national prevention programmes to new concepts.