Drug policies, human rights and Georgian reality in the United Nations

Last week, two major bodies of the UN made inquiries into drug policies and its impact on human rights in Georgia. Questions such as zero tolerant drug policies, money extortion from people who use drugs and the power of police in the context of drug policies in Georgia were posed to the government. And while responding to the questions asked, it seemed that the country is still far from human rights based, coherent drug policies.

The observations from the Committee on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women that highlighted issues of women in the places of detention, equal standard of health for men and women including Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) unveiled that government is too embarrassed to openly acknowledge the faults in the system. Even more, in relation to drug treatment for women in detention the Deputy Minister Ms Kristesashvili noted there are 13 women who use drugs and 43 that potentially maybe using drugs in detention and those who express their interest and wish to take OST they are transported to the civil services. Such statements contradict the practice, when women may be taken to the male prisons to receive treatment should such a need be established.

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