First ever drug policy side event at the World Health Assembly – About time!

Organised by the Global Commission, co-sponsored by 11 governments, and with speeches by Kofi Annan and Margaret Chan, this was an impressive testament to the pulling power of the Global Commission – standing room only for an audience of around 150, mainly national government representatives, and including several health ministers, many of whom spoke, and in the sort of positive tones about public heath approaches that we need. Given this weight of positive mood, the only disappointment is that the event was not web streamed.

However, the strongest speech of the event is available online. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan delivered an extremely clear explanation of why traditional repressive drug control strategies need to be reformed – his words should particularly be heeded by those broadly progressive countries who accept the need for reform, but are yet to be persuaded of the urgency or need to give the UNGASS much political or diplomatic attention.

Ministers from the co-sponsoring countries (including Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Mexico, Colombia and Uruguay) all gave concise and supportive speeches – it is notable how easily the language of evidence based public health sits with the Health Ministries represented here in Geneva, reminding us of how strange it is that these concepts are so controversial in Vienna.

Civil society contributions were made from Mike Trace of the International Drug Policy Consortium, and Esbjorn Hornberg of the Vienna NGO Committee, who both welcomed the event, and emphasised the importance of Health agencies and ministries playing a prominent role in the drugs UNGASS in April 2016. This was a very useful exercise in engaging with a new, and broadly supportive, audience.

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