We are pleased to invite you to a hybrid side event, 

“The Future of Drug Policy – Health and Well-being for All,”

 organized by the ImPACT Coalition during the Action Days prior to the Summit of the Future. The event will take place on 20 September 2024, from 10:00AM to 12:00 PM EST, in person at Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10174 and online.

The event is being organized by the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs together with the African Civil Society Forum on Drugs, the American Coalition on Drug Policy, the New York NGO Committee on Drugs, UNODC Civil Society Unit, Kenya, Nigeria, Slovenia, and Uganda.

This event will bring together representatives from civil society, international organizations, government agencies, and academia to discuss best practices and collaborative approaches to tackling drug-related issues. The discussions will focus on supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”

The agenda and additional background information will be circulated towards the end of this week.

 below to receive your personalized link to join the virtual session:


The future of drug policy: Health and well-being for all

Wednesday, 25 September. 15.00 - 16.30 (ICT)

This webinar is the first in a series discussing drugs and decriminalisation in Asia. It aims to provide updates on recent legal reforms towards decriminalisation, and to discuss how they might support efforts towards harm reduction and human rights objectives. 

The webinar will be guided by the following questions:

What do recent reforms in towards decriminalisation look like in the region?

What innovations in terms of harm reduction and rights-affirming responses?

How to build on existing knowledge and expertise toward greater justice in decriminalisation reforms?

Looking for some information on the topic beforehand? Check out resources on decriminalisation from the International Drug Policy Consortium: https://idpc.net/themes/decriminalisation

Legal reforms in Southeast Asia - Drugs and decriminalisation in Asia webinar series

INHSU is the world’s leading conference for people interested in the health and well-being of people who use drugs. Abstracts that focus on health issues among people who use drugs beyond hepatitis C are not only welcomed but highly encouraged.

Abstract Submission Deadline: 11:59PM (EET) Sunday 3 March 2024

Download the below guidelines and template and submit via our online portal.

INHSU 2024 Abstract Submission Guidelines

Epidemiology, Public Health and Clinical Research Template

Social Science and Policy Research-Based Template

Models of Care and Programs Abstract Template

 Contact conference@inhsu.org to be connected to one of our members who can assist you. 

We are pleased to announce scholarship opportunities will be available for the 12th International Conference on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users. We will be offering a number of full or partial scholarships for researchers, community members, practitioners, program workers, and policymakers.

The deadline for applications is 11:59pm (EET) Sunday 3 March 2024

Please note that those who have not previously received a scholarship will be prioritised.

A full scholarship will include conference registration, return economy class flights and accommodation and a partial scholarship will include just the conference registration. Before applying please ensure you have read the selection criteria.

12th International Conference on Health and Hepatitis Care in Substance Users - INHSU 2024

For the provisional agenda of the ECDD, click 

See the following link to find the list of substances, critical and pre review reports, 47th Member State Questionnaire, as well as other documents relevant to the forty-seventh ECDD: 

https://www.who.int/groups/ecdd/forty-seventh-ecdd-documents 

47th meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD)

From the outset, the European Conference on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies has been about stimulating and promoting high-quality scientific debate, showcasing leading European addiction research in the specialist areas of illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling and other addictive behaviours. Lisbon Addictions is a multidisciplinary conference that provides a forum for networking across the addictions field.

The event is organised by: the Portuguese 

General-Directorate for Intervention on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (SICAD)

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)

journal Addiction/Society for the Study of Addiction (Addiction/SSA)

International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE)

The next European Conference on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies will take place in Lisbon on 23-25 October 2024 under the overarching theme ‘Empowering the workforce of the future’.

Potential contributors are invited to submit abstracts in the following main thematic tracks:

Prevention of risky and harmful behaviours

Alcohol: risks, clinical considerations, treatments, and outcomes

Hepatitis C, other infectious diseases, and drug-related harms

Drug policy: latest developments and new challenges

For more information about abstract submission, click 

Lisbon Addictions 2024

Welcome to the 6th Asia Pacific Chemsex Symposium (APCS) 2024, hosted by the Institute for HIV Research and Innovation (IHRI, Thailand), Service Workers in Group (SWING, Thailand), the University of Malaya (Malaysia), and HIV Education and Research Taiwan (HEArT, Taiwan) in vibrant Bangkok, Thailand.

Since its inception in 2019, the Asia Pacific Chemsex Symposium has emerged as a critical platform for bringing together community members, healthcare professionals, CSOs/NGOs, advocates, researchers, policy makers, donor agencies, and other stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Our discussions center around Chemsex, providing a culturally sensitive, safe, and multidisciplinary environment.

​APCS is dedicated to fostering meaningful dialogues, sharing valuable insights, and encouraging collaboration to tackle the complex, locally-relevant challenges of Chemsex. Our focus includes key populations, HIV/STI prevention, mental health, and harm reduction. Join us in this important endeavor to make a difference.

6th Asia Pacific Chemsex Symposium - APCS 2024

The HIT Hot Topics Conference, held annually in Liverpool since 2011, continues HIT’s legacy of running cutting edge, high quality harm reduction and drug policy convenings. Whilst primarily UK-focused, HIT’s connection to activists and advocates around the world brings some of the most interesting and exciting speakers to our ‘family gatherings’, with side events almost as unmissable as the conference itself!

 HIT Hot Topics 2024

Vienna International Centre (BR-D, 4th floor, C-Building) - Austria

High-level declaration by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on the 2024 midterm review, following up to the Ministerial Declaration of 2019

Following the format used for the thematic discussions held within the CND since 2016, 

 and will hold, every autumn, inter-active meetings aiming to address the challenges identified in the “stock taking”- part of the 2019 Ministerial Declaration.

The first of these thematic intersessionals will take place 

 in Vienna, Austria. The meeting will be held 

, combining an in-person component with online participation.

for the meeting that contain additional information)

12 November 2024: Expanding range of drugs and synthetic opioids and nonmedical use of prescription drugs

Morning session (10AM to 1PM CET): Expanding range of drugs and diversifying markets.

Afternoon session (3PM to 6PM CET): Synthetic opioids and non-medical use of prescription drugs.

13 November 2024: Illicit cultivation, production, and trafficking

Morning session (10AM to 1PM CET): Challenges in illicit cultivation and production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Afternoon session (3PM to 6PM CET): Illicit trafficking in substances and precursors, and domestic diversion of precursor chemicals.

14 November 2024: Scheduling Challenges and Other Substantive Matters

Morning session (10AM to 1PM CET): Legal, scientific, and regulatory challenges in scheduling substances.

Afternoon session (3PM to 6PM CET): Other substantive matters (to allow discussion of persistent, new, or emerging issues of particular concern).

All of the thematic panel discussion also provide an opportunity to discuss cross-cutting issues, including those identified in the "way forward" part of the 2024 CND High-Level Declaration:

For each panel up to 3 NGOs will have the possibility to present their work and positioning

. In order to ensure an inclusive, comprehensive and meaningful civil society participation, NGOs will work through the Vienna NGO Committees on Drugs (VNGOC) which has been requested to coordinate contributions. Each speaker will have 2-3 minutes to present their work on the thematic focus of the panel. 

Interpretation will not be available during the meetings

 and all abstracts and statements have to be submitted in English.

DEADLINE: 6 OCTOBER 2024 at 11.45PM CEST (Vienna time, UTC+2)

Make sure that your abstract is relevant to the topic of the panel, and clearly describes what you will be presenting about. Statements focusing on good practice examples and/ or implementation of the commitments are especially welcome. NGOs that have contributed to the Pledge4Action initiative are encouraged to include updates on their pledges in their contributions.

The VNGOC Board will follow the speaker selection guidelines established in 2018 (

CND Intersessional meeting - Thematic discussions on the implementation of all international drug policy commitments following up to the 2019 Ministerial Declaration (November 2024)

November 25 is the international day for elimination of violence against women which marks the beginning of 16 days of action through to December 10, International Human Rights Day. 

WHRIN encourage interested organisations and groups worldwide to collaborate and organise actions to highlight the need to end violence against women and gender-diverse people who use drugs and actions to end violence against women and gender-diverse people who use drugs and orient drug policy towards human rights, gender awareness and harm reduction. 

To join our global campaign, please adapt/translate and print out the poster and take photos while wearing something orange (to pick up on the international theme colour for eliminating violence against women) while ensuring your action brings particular attention to the situation of women and gender diverse people who use drugs.

You are encouraged to invite media to hear and receive statements from your organisation/s. An optional press release can be translated and adapted to context in your city, adding your own contact or logo etc. To register your EVAWUD planning and/or apply for a small grant, click here. Recommended hashtags include: #EVAWUD24 #orangetheworld #WHRINetwork 

In contexts where publication of identifying images could have negative repercussions, it is proposed that the poster is held in front of faces to protect identity, or that blur face options be offered. Those participating will agree to having the images used for campaign purposes targeting UN agencies, drug policy forums and via partner harm reduction, drug policy and feminist agencies. Campaign organisers will be responsible for coordinating informed consent (see and example template here). 

By December 10-14, please email your photos and a brief description of activity (max 200 words) back to policyandcommunityengagementlead@whrin.site. The reports will be pooled collated and repropelled through relevant networks aiming to achieve a global-level profile for the campaign.

Campaign for the elimination of violence against women who use drugs

The AWID Forum is the world’s largest event that wholeheartedly centers feminist and gender justice movements in all their diversity. It is a transformative space created by and for the movements - where Global South feminists and historically marginalized communities take centerstage, strategize to shift power, and connect with allied movements, funders and policy-makers.

And so it is with full and fiery hearts that we share…

The 15th AWID International Forum will take place from December 2-5, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand! 

We hope to gather 2,500 in-person and 3,000 online/hybrid participants.


When thousands of feminists come together, we create a sweeping force of solidarity that has the power to change the world! We’re excited, and we know you’re excited too - so stay tuned for more details, including registration and our plans for a program full of feminist magic.

We will gather at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC). Later in 2023 we will be announcing many different ways to actively participate in shaping the content and the various spaces of the Forum, hang tight! Registration will start early 2024. We will announce the exact registration date and registration fee soon. Registration will include participation in the Forum, plus lunch and snacks (breakfast to be provided at the hotels), and one onsite dinner.

AWID International Forum 2024

The conference will present the latest harm reduction developments and innovative practices and discuss drug policy and its implications on people who use drugs and other marginalised groups. It intends to discuss different perspectives on harm reduction, social inclusion and related topics. EHRC provides a platform to create links and synergies between national and European stakeholders. You can read about the previous editions 

6th European Harm Reduction Conference

The continuation of the 67th session takes place on5-6 December 2024. 

Events