Introducing IDPC’s new Strategic Plan for 2024-2027!
We are excited to share our new four-year Strategic Plan for the IDPC network.This Strategic Plan is perhaps our most ambitious so far. It comes at a time where our movement has made significant gains, and there is growing momentum for drug policy reforms in many settings. At the same time, the movement faces some existential challenges: civic space is shrinking, funding is scarce and donor priorities have shifted to other areas, and politically-motivated push-backs are threatening existing reforms and the progress made. So, this Strategic Plan aims to steer a course through a crucial four-year period and drive home historic shifts in global drug policies.
This Strategic Plan is based on a close a year’s worth of consultations with IDPC members in various settings. It was important to us that the Plan reflects the needs and priorities of our nearly 200 members – so the development process sought inputs at several different stages, including through surveys, meetings and emails. For example, in October 2023 we launched an online survey to ask members what the new priority areas should be for the 2024-2027 period, and we received 87 responses from all around the world.
After final presentations to members (via emails and at a face-to-face meeting during the CND in March), the Members Advisory Council (MAC) and the Board, the approved Plan has now been given a lovely design (thank you Rudy Tun-Sánchez!), translated into English, French and Spanish, and uploaded to a designated page on the IDPC website.
The Strategic Plan is intended to direct the IDPC secretariat’s work and fundraising in the coming four-year period, as well as help guide and benefit the broader sector. It continues our well-established model of work across five main pillars:
- networking and communications
- capacity strengthening (including the Support Don’t Punish campaign)
- research and publications
- international / UN advocacy
- regional and national advocacy (where requested by members)
In a departure from previous documents, the Strategic Plan 2024-2027 is divided into two parts – a high-level ‘case for support’ for use with prospective donors and external allies, and a more detailed ‘technical annex’ including a matrix outlining our planned work and activities across each pillar and priority area.
The Plan also outlines the five ‘priority areas’ that were identified by IDPC members for the coming four years:
- Promoting the best models of decriminalisation
- Promoting responsible, ethical and equitable regulation
- Mobilising the whole of the UN to change the drug control system
- Bringing new, sustainable funding to the drug policy reform sector
- Enhancing support for drug policy reform through the media
Each of these five areas will be underpinned by a ‘theory of change’ that outlines the four-year goals and the activities needed to achieve them. These will be shared in due course.
We are deeply grateful to all those who gave inputs and ideas towards shape this ambitious and important document. We remain steadfastly committed to our vision of a future where drug policies are rooted in human rights and social justice, and look forward to working with our members, partners and donors in implementing this new Plan.