Tensions flared between CND Member States as Russia and Latvia clashed over leadership of financial and governance working group overseeing UNODC's work.
Recent policy developments suggest an acknowledgement of the need to pare down the harmful impacts of punitive drug policies, but fall short from embracing international standards.
Ghana's model of depenalisation means that police officers will retain enforcement powers, but responses will hinge on administrative penalties and diversion.
Fighting the imperialist 'war on drugs' must be part of a much broader struggle to dismantle the multiple overlapping systems of oppression that have sought to despoil and disappear Indigenous communities worldwide.
Communities already experiencing intersecting forms of marginalisation should be given special attention as the COVID-19 response continues to be rolled out.
As long as UNODC continues to carefully and deliberately hold back from mentioning the harmful impact of states’ own drug policies, we cannot trust the agency to communicate all the facts.
The ever flimsy veil of consensus continues to fall away as the weight of the damage and failure of punitive drug policies becomes ever more undeniable.
Accessible and evidence-based treatment services for people experiencing difficulties in relation to their drug use are rare in Thailand. Investment in a public health approach, departing from harmful and costly punitive responses, is urgently needed.
Besides the material losses and psychological impact of the demolition of ROG, this action speaks of the deteriorating conditions for community and civic mobilisation in Slovenia.
We stand in solidarity with our members, partners, donors and friends in continuing the fight for social justice, for human rights and to end the damaging ‘war on drugs’.
At a recent workshop organised under the SPIRIT project, transgender sex workers who use drugs shared experiences and learning on harm reduction and the need for alternatives to punishment.
A regulated cannabis market could ensure traditional varieties, as well as cultivation and production practices, are valued and benefit traditional growers.
Together, the three case studies underscore the importance of applying tailored methods to better reach and meet the needs of women who use drugs and of supporting women themselves to participate meaningfully in the programme design, implementation, and evaluation.
As almost all coca leaf markets have been disrupted by the pandemic situation and prices have fallen, coca growers throughout the Andean region are in dire need of assistance.
