A/RES/68/196 United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development regional and local levels. Public policies should be supported to the extent possible by, inter alia, strengthening legal frameworks, involving local communities and relevant organizations, identifying and providing adequate financial support, technical assistance and increased investment, and recognizing and enforcing property rights, including access to land. 6. Local communities and relevant organizations should be involved in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all alternative development programmes in order to truly reflect the needs of targeted communities. 7. Civil society can contribute significantly to the formulation of effective and sustainable alternative development programmes, and its active participation should therefore be encouraged in all phases of alternative development programmes. 8. An integrated and complementary approach to alternative development programmes and strategies is crucial and should be implemented in concert with broader drug control policies, including demand reduction, law enforcement, illicit crop elimination and awareness-raising, taking into account demographic, cultural, social and geographic considerations, as appropriate, and in line with the three drug control conventions. 9. States should ensure the proper and coordinated sequencing of development interventions when designing alternative development programmes, and in that regard should take into account issues related to the establishment of agreements and viable partnerships with small producers, favourable climatic conditions, strong political support and adequate market access. 10. Alternative development programmes in the areas where crops are cultivated for illicit drug production and manufacture should be undertaken with a clear understanding of the overall objectives, as appropriate, of eliminating or significantly and measurably reducing the supply of drugs while promoting comprehensive development and social inclusion, alleviating poverty and strengthening social development, the rule of law, security and stability at the country and regional levels, taking into account the promotion and protection of human rights. 11. Alternative development programmes should include measures to protect the environment at the local level, according to national and international law and policies, through the provision of incentives for conservation, proper education and awareness programmes so that the local communities can improve and preserve their livelihoods and mitigate negative environmental impacts. 12. Alternative development programmes, including, as appropriate, preventive alternative development programmes, should be designed to address subregional and regional needs and should be integrated, when circumstances require, into broader regional, subregional and bilateral treaties and arrangements. 13. International cooperation, coordination and stakeholder ownership are essential for the successful implementation and sustainability of alternative development programmes. Alternative development should be considered by all parties involved as a long-term commitment whose results may require time to attain. 14. International cooperation programmes aimed at alternative development should take into account the experiences of different countries, including with regard to South-South cooperation, should draw on best practices and lessons 6/10