The National Rehabilitation Centre, NRC, has announced that it is hosting the upcoming First Global Youth Conference for Prevention of Substance Abuse next month. Taking place over five days from February 10th, this global meeting complements NRC's efforts to enhance awareness on the disease of addiction amongst youth and in building capacities and skills of young U.A.E. nationals to enable them to effectively combat substance abuse. The congress is being held in partnership with The Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific. With NRC's hosting of this event, the U.A.E. will become the first country to hold this congress in the Middle East. The congress targets youth leaders that are capable of making real, positive changes amongst their peers and within their communities. It will provide them with a chance to learn from others and will open new channels of communications with youth leaders from all over the world. The congress aims to enhance awareness amongst participating youth on the disease of addiction, provide them with life skills to help in avoiding this disease, and give them tools to enable them to combat this issue within their own communities back home. Commenting on the upcoming congress, Dr. Hamad Al Ghaferi, Director-General of NRC, said, "We are proud to be hosting this global event from the U.A.E., which will reinforce our country's leading position in the region and internationally, in addition to highlighting the UAE's role in combating substance abuse. This event will reinforce our efforts in developing the capacities of Emirati youth to combat the disease of addiction in our own community." Dr. Al Ghaferi added, "The National Rehabilitation Centre will continue to seek fruitful partnerships with prestigious global entities to implement and share expertise on best practices in our field, both of which will provide benefit to the U.A.E. community. We hope to further enhance our partnership with The Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific and to work together on similar events in the future." The congress is expected to receive over 500 young male and female participants from over 40 countries in additional to a number of international government representatives, employees in the field of education of substance abuse prevention, university students, and other individuals and parties connected to the prevention of substance abuse.