All activities should be undertaken in full compliance with international human rights law

Human rights abuses have proliferated under the auspices of current drug policies. Governments and law enforcement authorities have sometimes paid too little attention to fundamental rights and freedoms in their enthusiasm to design and implement their national drug control policies, despite their obligations under the UN treaties to respect, protect and fulfil human rights.

IDPC promotes a paradigm shift whereby international human rights law is a core element of the legal framework for drug policy. This new framework will focus on:

• Public health: improved access to essential medicines and develop harm reduction, prevention, treatment and care programmes;
• Development: refocusing drug strategies on alternative development, poverty reduction, and social and economic development amongst marginalised communities.
• Human security: refocusing drug law enforcement efforts on those most responsible for controlling and expanding drug markets, rather than low-level and non-dangerous dealers, users and vulnerable farming communities.