Pompidou Group

 2022 is marked by collective reflections among our member states on the main priorities for the next three-year work cycle to make the Group fit for addressing future drug-related challenges. We are already elaborating concrete activities and work formats that will take us there. The new work programme will be adopted at the Pompidou Group’s 18th Ministerial Conference planned in Lisbon on 13-14 December 2022, hosted by the Portuguese Presidency.

 In parallel with discussing new ideas, we are dedicated to finalising the current work programme (2019-2022) with an evolving agenda of activities planned in 2022.

 The revised statute of the Group was adopted on 16 June 2021. This year will be crucial for setting the Group on the path of using the full potential of its new mandate. The modernised statute should lead to:

 an extended scope of the Group’s work to include addictive behaviours related to licit substances (such as alcohol or tobacco) and new forms of addictions (such as Internet gambling and gaming),

 a stronger focus on human rights in all our actions, being the only international drug policy platform with a statutory mission to promote and protect the rights of people,

 a reinforced multidisciplinary approach to address the drug challenge which can only be tackled effectively if policy, practice and science are linked.

To achieve our goals, we build on the success of our 50th anniversary programme and our reinforced identity as part of Europe’s leading human rights Organization which is also reflected in the Group’s new name: Council of Europe International Cooperation Group on Drugs and Addiction.

Children Whose Parents Use Drugs – Promising practices and recommendations

This publication sheds light on an invisible population: children and adolescents living in families where at least one parent uses drugs. This focus on children exposed to parental dependence on drugs and alcohol implies helping them and their families to overcome dependence and its consequences. Parental drug use impacts children at every stage of their lives, from before birth and well into their adult lives. However, until now, this situation has received very little attention. The publication looks at children growing up in families affected by drug and alcohol dependence, as well as the services, programmes and practices that help protect childhood and ensure children’s needs are met, while at the same time addressing the needs of parents.

The content, conclusions and recommendations presented in the publication intend to contribute to increasing knowledge base and interest in the topic and serve as a practical reference for the identification of promising practices and international partners to address it. It includes 29 experiences and practices from governmental or non-governmental bodies, divided by main area of intervention and country. This has been possible thanks to the participation of 102 people in different activities.

Far from being a conclusion, this publication is the first step in an ongoing joint effort to give visibility to children of parents who use drugs and a tool to foster cooperation and dialogue between governmental and non-governmental actors.

 Watch video presentation of the publication