The “Braços Abertos” (Open Arms) program is an interesting new intent to reduce the significant health, social and security problems in Cracôlandia, a huge open crack scene in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In September 2014, Myanmar’s health ministry announced plans to establish pilot treatment facilities in so-called “one stop service centers” across seven townships in the country.

Nowadays, and in the context of the war on drugs, the number of victims of enforced disappeared has been rapidly growing in Mexico.

If problems such as multiple stigma were to be overcome, and women and girls could make their voices heard in decision making processes, they could make important steps to winning back their rights to health, dignity and a decent quality of life.

In addition to the need for assistance in the context of legal ambiguity in which ayahuasca unfolds today, ICEERS also is committed to foster a change of scenario.

At the meeting, there was a lively discussion on the issue of depenalisation, decriminalisation and regulation of drugs – with a clear division between member states on these issues. Harm reduction, reassuringly, was not subjected to any such controversy.

A serious debate is taking place around the future of drug policies and such discussion is no longer taboo. But, the UN drug control bodies are unable to proactively engage and lead a progressive discussion on an increasing outdated treaty framework.

The purpose of International Hospice and Palliative Care Day, like all the other “days’ identifying vulnerable populations or causes to celebrate, is to draw attention to the unique and wonderful vocation of hospice and palliative care providers around the world.

Across the world, 1,000 people continue to be executed each year for a drug offence, as 33 countries retain the death penalty for drug offences.

Although there was a great deal of variety in the topics covered by breakout sessions and keynote speakers, a significant portion understandably focused on the rising United States cannabis industry.

The debate over the regulation of marijuana in Brazil is gaining strength at the Federal Senate after a popular suggestion was received online, by the e-Citizen Portal, at the beginning of February 2014.

A new energy for political advocacy is now in place and it is high time for promises to be materialised.

The Global Fund's New Funding Model aims to be simpler and to provide more predictable funding – but it continues to pose more questions than it answers, especially for civil society and key populations.

An event at UN headquarters in New York discussed precisely what preparations are necessary to make sure the UNGASS provides states with the opportunity to openly debate the future of international drug policies.

UNAIDS explicitly state that “In order to close the programming gap for people who inject drugs”, countries must “Transform punitive laws that criminalize the use of drugs” and “End the criminalization of people who use drugs”.

The report recommends changes in international donor priorities to address the crisis, and calls for greater national spending in cost effective harm reduction interventions.

The Deputy Chief of the Russian Drug Control Service has announced that there are around 100, 000 drug-related deaths in Russia each year, with a steeply increasing trend - a shocking figure resulting from Russia's punitive approach towards drug users.

The World Health Organisation called for the decriminalisation of drug use and put forward the “comprehensive” package of interventions that governments should provide.

The event undoubtedly generated attitudes in favor of medical marijuana in the country, but the Brazilian government has once again postponed a vote for the reclassification of cannabis.

We are now seeing a long overdue, and most welcome, reassessment in US federal drug policy, but much remains to be done to move away from a punishment paradigm.