CND Chair's Special Event to commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and to launch the 2025 UNODC World Drug Report

 presents the latest global, regional, and subregional data and trends in drug demand and supply, with an emphasis on usability and accessibility through an interactive online format. The World Drug Report 2025 will provide a wealth of data and analysis on the latest trends in drug demand and supply and cross-cutting issues together with three thematic chapters on: the impact of drug use with a focus on health; the links between drug trafficking and organized crime; and the impact of drugs on the environment in Europe. The report will be structured around four modules: (i) the three thematic chapters will be presented in the Thematic Contemporary Issues booklet; (ii) the web-based Drug Market Patterns and Trends module will contain the latest analysis of global, regional and subregional estimates of and trends in drug demand and health consequences, supply, and drug-related criminal justice system offering graphs, infographics, maps, and key summary messages in an interactive and searchable way; (iii) the booklet on Key Findings will summarize the analysis presented in the Drug market patterns and trends module and the three thematic chapters; while (iv) the Special Points of Interest booklet offers a framework for the main takeaways and policy implications that can be drawn from those findings.

, the Chair of the 68th session of the CND will hold an event to mark the World Drug Day and to launch the 2025 World Drug Report.

CND Chair's special event: World Drug Day - Launch of the 2025 UNODC World Drug Report

In 2025, the European Union will adopt a new EU Drug Strategy that will define the political direction and priorities for the period 2026–2030.

While the current strategy (2021–2025) recognises the pillars of drug supply reduction, demand reduction, and harm reduction, its implementation has remained disproportionately focused on law enforcement and punitive measures.

This imbalance has not led to improved public safety—instead, it has worsened health outcomes, increased stigma, and deepened the marginalisation of people who use drugs.

Access to essential health and harm reduction services continues to be limited, particularly for vulnerable and underserved communities.

As the next EU Drug Strategy is being shaped, we face a critical opportunity to advocate for a more balanced, health-centred, and human rights-based approach to drug policy.

To seize this momentum, leading European drug policy networks — including C-EHRN, EHRA, IDPC, and HFHR — have launched the European Drug Policy Campaign.

This initiative is supported by the European Drug Policy Alliance, a coalition of civil society and harm reduction experts working to influence the content and implementation of the new strategy.

The campaign will be presented during a webinar on 26 June, the Support, Don't Punish Global Day of Action, bringing together policymakers, civil society representatives, and European drug policy experts to foster dialogue and build momentum for drug policy reform in the EU.

This webinar will feature diverse perspectives from key stakeholders and serve as a platform to mobilise support for a more just, inclusive, and effective EU Drug Strategy.

Harm reduction works! A call to invest in a european health-based drug policy - Campaign webinar

Reclaim power. Resist injustice. Reform drug laws.

The Support. Don’t Punish campaign is a lifeline for democratic 

. For over a decade, we have organised a powerful and decentralised movement that centres communities challenging punitive drug policies and advocating for harm reduction.

On 26 June 2025, we invite you to join us once more in collective action to build sustainable alternatives to the ‘war on drugs’.

Our journey started back in 2013 and has developed from mobilisation in a couple of dozen cities to a vibrant ecosystem that last year sparked change in 

 worldwide! From community dialogues, to public demonstrations, artistic expressions, and policy discussions, 

our voices thunder through streets, radio shows and parliaments alike!

— bringing us together to oppose stigma and injustice, while fostering change in laws, policies and practices that undermine our communities’ wellbeing.

Are you ready for 2025? Now is the time to prepare! 

Our habitual ‘Call for Expressions of Interest’ will open in March, offering opportunities to receive financial and practical support for your activities. As you develop your reasoning, remember that 

This year is atypical as the US foreign aid freeze poses significant challenges to the harm reduction movement. As we navigate pain and uncertainty, we invite you to be 

and, more than ever, reach out to existing 

and solidarity. The anti-rights movement may want us diminished, but history shows that 

. Whether through direct action, media campaigns, or political advocacy, we will continue to reclaim power, resist injustice and reform harmful drug laws. 

RESPOND TO THE CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST HERE

Hold on to each other. Stay tuned for updates. Start planning now! 💚

Support. Don’t Punish Global Day of Action 2025

Full-day event (exact schedule to be confirmed)


 Free for all NNEF members (Not a member yet? No problem! Membership is free)

This event is all about open discussion, learning, and collaboration, bringing together people passionate about harm reduction and improving services. Whether you’ve been involved for years or are new to the field, this is your chance to hear from expert speakers, share experiences, and shape the future of needle exchange services in the UK.

Speaker information coming soon! Stay tuned for updates on our fantastic lineup of speakers and sessions.

We can’t wait to see you there—register now to secure your place!

National Needle Exchange Forum (NNEF)

In 2025, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) will continue its annual thematic discussions as part of a multi-year workplan (2024–2028) to assess and implement international drug policy commitments. These discussions aim to address key challenges identified in the 2019 Ministerial Declaration and prepare the ground for a comprehensive stock-taking in 2028.

The 2025 discussions will focus on urgent global issues, with dedicated sessions for cross-cutting topics and “Other substantive matters” that Member States wish to raise. 

Each session will begin with a presentation by UNODC’s Research and Analysis Branch and feature a moderated panel of experts from Member States, international and regional organisations, UN entities, and civil society. Interactive discussions will follow, allowing for broad participation and the sharing of national experiences and concerns.

Thematic discussions on challenges identified in the 2019 Ministerial Declaration

Drug treatment and health services continue to fall short of meeting needs, and drug-related deaths have increased.

Rates of HIV, hepatitis C, and other blood-borne diseases associated with drug use (including injecting drug use) remain high in some countries.

The adverse health consequences and risks associated with new psychoactive substances have reached alarming levels.

The availability of internationally controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, including for pain relief and palliative care, remains low to non-existent in many parts of the world.

CND Intersessional meeting - Thematic discussions on the implementation of all international drug policy commitments following up to the 2019 Ministerial Declaration (Autumn 2025)

Angela McBride, Executive Director at South African Network of People Who Use Drugs

Dr. Andrew Scheibe, Technical Advisor, TB HIV Care, Researcher, University of Pretoria.

We are thrilled to invite you to INHSU 2025, which will take place in our vibrant home city of Cape Town, South Africa. It marks INHSU’s first return to South Africa since a satellite conference—INHSU Africa—was held here in 2020, just before COVID-19. It was a pivotal moment for our community, and bringing the main conference here in 2025 will be a platform for the continued strengthening of community-led networks in the region on both local and national levels. It’s also a testament to INHSU’s continued growth into a global platform that meaningfully involves people who use drugs, with an increasing focus on representatives from Africa.

13th International Conference on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INSHU 2025)

Reform Drug Policy. Join us in Detroit. #Reform2025

The Reform Conference is the premier gathering of the growing and dynamic drug policy reform movement. Every other year, the 

 hosts this event, bringing together people working on the full range of drug policy issues from across the United States and around the world to listen, learn, and strategize. In 2025, the conference will take place in Detroit, Michigan from November 12-15.

We offer two scholarship programs to support the attendance of people directly impacted by the drug war and to ensure that the diversity of our movement is reflected in our Reform Conference attendees.

The scholarship funds are meant for people who are:

in need of financial assistance to attend the conference,

in a position to clearly benefit from going to the conference,

directly impacted by the drug war, and/or

already affiliated with a complimentary or allied movement, with a solid potential to take home new knowledge, skills and contacts that will benefit their local work in any and all issue areas of the drug policy reform movement.

The International Scholarships application 

 If you are based outside of the U.S. and need financial assistance to attend the Reform Conference, 

The National Scholarships applications will open after May 15th. If you are based in the U.S. and need financial assistance to attend the Reform Conference, we will have two applications available – one for individuals and one for groups planning to bring 4 or more people to the conference.

We strategized, built community, and organized around:

Decriminalizing Drugs and Building Health-Based Alternatives

Ensuring Our Systems Help, Not Hurt by Uprooting the Drug War from Our Daily Lives

Reinvesting Resources into Communities and Divesting from Punitive Police Responses

Rethinking and Reducing Punishment of People in the Drug Trade

Legalizing and Regulating Drugs the Right Way

 to see programs and videos from previous years.

International Drug Policy Reform Conference 2025

 Accra International Conference Centre(AICC)

 Catalysing Integrated Sustainable Responses to end AIDS, TB & Malaria.

Catalysing Africa’s progress towards triple elimination and sustainable resilient health systems through innovation and digital technologies.

Promote cooperation among governments, communities, the private sector, and international organizations to enhance health security and improve pandemic preparedness and response.

Strengthen capacity and facilitate knowledge exchange for healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers.

Empower communities and promote human rights and gender equality in the context of HIV/AIDS and emerging and reemerging diseases.

Mobilize domestic resources and political commitment to sustain Africa's progress towards achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and global health security goals.

23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA)

 Vienna International Centre (C-Building, Boardroom D).

This year, the reconvened sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) will take place jointly. 

The Reconvened 68th CND and the 34th CCPCJ Reconvened Session will be held on 4–5 December 2025, at the Vienna International Centre (C-Building, Boardroom D).

Events