NGO Participation in "Beyond 2008" Forum
"Beyond 2008" aimed to draw from NGO experience and expertise in drug control and prevention with an emphasis on contributing to the 1998 UNGASS Action Plan. A review was made of best practices related to collaboration mechanisms among NGOs, governments and UN agencies in various fields, and new and improved ways of working with the UNODC and CND were proposed.
Thirteen regional consultations took place and over 500 questionnaires were filled out by various NGOs in order to contribute to this process. In July 2008, 250 NGOs from around the world along with 50 international NGOs met in Vienna to negotiate resolution-style documents addressing these issues. This grant contributed to the participation of certain North American NGOs by providing them a travel bursary to attend "Beyond 2008."