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Dear Friends of the Green Crescent,
Recognizing that addiction is a global
problem, we are making great progress in
our efforts, and are placing increasingly
significant focus on our international
activities every year so as to put our 100
years of experience and expertise at the
disposal of humanity. As the TurkishGreen
Crescent, we have played an active role on
international platforms and have become
a leading organization with a say in the
international arena through the work we
carry out in the fight against addiction.
As a non-governmental organization that
formulates and implements both national
and international addiction policies, we are leaving behind a year in which we have carried the
fight against addiction even further through our work with the Country Green Crescents, whose
establishment we have pioneered around the world.
In hosting the Istanbul Initiative assembly, one of the major events in the field of addiction this
year, we took the first step to launch our global joint activities in the fight against addiction. At
the assembly, held on June 12–13, we hosted 21 NGOs from 15 different countries, and signed the
Istanbul Initiative Declaration together, agreeing to develop global strategies to combat addiction.
We continue out fight against addiction in the light of scientific and evidence-based data. We
attach great importance to participating in national and international activities where we can
exchange information and experience. Some of the most important meetings that we attend and
actively participate in are the sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), held annually
by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna. At the 62nd session of the
CND on March 14–22, we organized five side-events with members of the International Federation
of Green Crescent.
One of the major developments of this year was the recognition of gaming disorder as a disease by
a decision taken by the World Health Organization at the 72nd World Health Assembly. In addition
to taking part as the Green Crescent in the 5-year experts’ meeting, where WHO discussed the
scientific groundwork required for this recognition and agreed upon a definition, we also sent a
letter of support to WHO in the draft proposal stage underlining the importance of the work on
this issue, bearing the signatures of the International Federation of Green Crescent countries. We
are happy and proud to have contributed to this decision, which will be added to the International
Classification of Diseases System ICD-11 in 2022.
Working with the Country Green Crescents and the International Green Crescent Federation, for
which we laid the groundwork in 2013 and which was launched in 2016 upon a decision of the
Council of Ministers, we launch preventative and advocacy activities to promote the fight against
addiction all over the world, and continue our work to ensure the dignity of humanity.
In addition to all these substantial developments, we have conducted important interviews to
garner data on the current situation around the world as regards to addiction, and published our
findings in our journal. We have sought to promote the works of the federation member countries
engaged in the fight against addiction all around the world, and to convey their opinions.
Launched under the 4th Capacity Building Program of the International Federation of Green
Crescent, in which 200 participants from over 70 countries are involved, our journal is published
in 10 languages, allowing it be read by people from all countries where the flag of the fight against
addiction waves. We hope this will contribute to our fight against addiction…
Prof. Dr. Mücahit Öztürk
Green Crescent President