UNGASS 2016: Civil society urge the UN to get serious about global drugs policy

By Robert Carr Fund

WITHOUT NEW POLICY SOLUTIONS WE CANNOT END AIDS

From 19 till 21 April hundreds of government officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations and individuals from civil society are attending a three-day special session at U.N. to review drugs policies. Due to criminalization of injecting drug use, discrimination and lack of funds, many countries face an enormous and unnecessary exacerbation of the HIV epidemic among people who use drugs. UNGASS on drugs constitutes an unprecedented opportunity for civil society to inject new thinking into the debate. Jamie Bridge (representative of The Harm Reduction Consortium) explains: “For us, it is clear – we cannot end AIDS until we end the criminalisation of people who use drugs. We also cannot end AIDS until we fully support and implement harm reduction.”

TOGETHER WE CAN ENSURE EFFORTS ARE COMPLEMENTARY, STRATEGIC AND IMPACTFUL

Towards the special session on drugs the RCNF grantees The Harm Reduction Consortium and The Consortium of Networks of People who Use Drugs engaged civil society, influenced policy makers and worked out a joint position. Nearly 200 civil society organizations, representing drug policy experts and involved communities aligned to express serious concerns over the failure of governments in recognizing the damaging consequences of the current prohibitionist drug control system. “The key has been coordination, both within the Consortium but also with the broader group of drug policy partners, to ensure that our efforts are complimentary, strategic and impactful.” says Jamie Bridge.

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