EHRA brindará pequeños fondos, 2 días de capacitación y continua asistencia técnica para nuevos enfoques a la reducción de daños en la región CEECA. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) would like to inform initiative groups and organizations of the community of people who use psychoactive substances, as well as organizations working in drug policy and harm reduction field in CEECA region, about the possibility of receiving resource assistance/funding for the activities, related to the advocacy of new harm reduction approaches in the region.

The assistance is provided by the Secretariat of EHRA as part of the project “We Will Not End AIDS Until We Adopt Harm Reduction and End the War on Drugs” of the International Harm Reduction Consortium, which now involves eight international and regional networks of people who use drugs and harm reduction and drug policy organizations, such as International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), European Network of People who Use Drugs (EuroNPUD), Eurasian Drug Users Network (ENPUD), Youth RISE, Harm Reduction International (HRI), Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA), Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), and Women and Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN). The Harm Reduction Consortium exists to challenge the global war on drugs (the critical factor affecting the rights of people who use drugs), to scale-up access to HIV-related harm reduction services, and to advocate for greater resources for harm reduction.

In 2019, EHRA developed “Criminalization Costs” pocket guide, which was created to advise on advocacy of reallocating funds from law enforcement budgets to health and harm reduction budgets for people who use psychoactive substances. This guide is supplementary to the “Criminalization Costs” assessment. In the end of 2019, experts meeting on introduction and promotion of new harm reduction approaches in CEECA region was held in Vilnius, in order to understand how particular harm reduction services working in European countries can be introduced and promoted in CEECA region.

Thus, Eurasian Harm Reduction Association would like to offer its assistance by providing small grants, 2 days training and ongoing technical assistance, related to advocacy of humane drug policy and new harm reduction approaches in your country.

Pequeñas subvenciones para la incidencia de “Reducción de Daños 2.0” en la región CEECA.

Reportero especializado en temas de drogas produjo cuatro nuevos vídeos sobre la postura de la ONU respecto a las drogas, el modelo de descriminalización aplicado en Noruega, el cannabis, y las leyes sobre propaganda de drogas. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is the largest international drug policy decision making forum in the world. This year, at the 63rd session of the CND, our video advocacy team produced four short video reports to inform the public about some of the major developments.

1. Following Up the UN Common Position on Drugs

Last year we reported that 31 UN agencies adopted a common position on drug policy, including the unequivocal support for the decriminalisation of drug use. This historic document has received a warm welcome from civil society and some reform-oriented member states, but it received a cold reception from other, more repressive member states, such as Russia, China, and Iran. We interviewed some experts to find out more about the ongoing struggle over this document.

2. A UN-Approved Model of Decriminalisation: Norway

The Norwegian government organised a side event at the CND in which they presented their plans to decriminalise the personal use of illicit drugs. The reform is supported by several UN agencies. According to the new model that will be submitted to the parliament soon, drug use itself would remain a punishable offence but nobody would be punished simply for putting a substance into his or her own body. Offenders would be asked to attend a meeting with a committee which would assess their situation and inform them about the risks and how to reduce them. In case of problems, they would be offered free and voluntary treatment, with no legal consequences if they reject it. Watch our short video about the reform – and see a very rare moment when a politician acknowledges that he was wrong!

The Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the CND in 2018 to revise the scheduling of cannabis in the framework of the international drug control system. The changes are not easy to comprehend – but practically they would recognise the medical value of cannabis and cannabis-based products. Unfortunately, the vote on this recommendation was postponed in 2019 – and it was postponed again this March. The next deadline to vote is December 2020. We interviewed several professionals about the rescheduling of cannabis at the CND, among them Gilles Forté from the World Health Organisation.

4. Drug Propaganda Law: An Effort to Suppress Civil Society

One unintended consequence of the rapidly spreading drug policy reforms is the growing resistance coming from Russia and some Asian member states. These governments are frustrated by the changing global landscape and try to do everything in their power to prevent similar reforms happening in their own countries, even if they have to violate human rights, limit the freedom of expression and suppress civil society to do so. Russia, for example, amended its law on so called “drug propaganda” to ban any views in support of drug policy reform or harm reduction from reaching the public. Other countries in the region are planning similar amendments. From our video you can learn more about what activists think about this.

4 vídeos cortos sobre acontecimientos recientes referidos a políticas globales sobre drogas.

Ucrania también ha sido urgida a combatir la estigmatización a través de una adecuada capacitación. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

In January 2018 EHRA together with Canadian HIV/AIDS legal network and Charitable Fund Ukrainian Network of People who Use Drugs VOLNA submitted the report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the disproportional sentencing of people who use drugs and their access to health and social services in Ukraine.

In February representative of VOLNA Yanina Stemkovska and EHRA’s senior program specialist Maria Plotko presented the report during the 67th session of the Committee. The consideration of the report with the state party took place on February 20-21.

The following questions were discussed during the session. (Day one, Day two)

On March 6, 2020 the Committee published its concluding observations. On the issue of drug use the Committee concluded:

“42. While recognizing the State party’s evidence based policies to address drug abuse, such as opioid substitution therapy and harm reduction programmes, the Committee is concerned at the criminalization of possession of very small amounts of drugs, which prevents drug users from gaining access to the necessary treatment or harm reduction programmes for fear of criminalization. It is further concerned at the high prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C infections among those who inject drugs, at the restricted access by prisoners to opioid substitution therapy and harm reduction programmes, and at the persistent social stigmatization of drug users. Lastly, it notes with concern the lack of information requested on the privatization of certain opioid substitution therapy programmes and the authorities’ oversight of these programmes (art. 12).

Comité de las ONU invoca a Ucrania a descriminalizar la tenencia de drogas.

La cuarentena ordenada por el gobierno ha dejado sin piso a las poblaciones pobres de Manila. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

NEW YORK CITY: Flaviano Villanueva was in tears last Thursday. It was day five of the “enhanced community quarantine” in Metro Manila, where the priest runs a homeless centre.

The sprawling Philippine capital of 13 million people had been sealed off, and police and army troopers were guarding municipal boundaries to prevent entry and exit. Businesses were shuttered, and public transport was scarce.

Early that morning, dozens of homeless people lined up on the street outside the Kalinga (Care) Centre, waiting for the doors to open. They stood 1.5 metres apart, in line with the government’s guidance for the quarantine at that time.

But the head of the barangay, or village council, who had not been happy having the centre there, ordered it shut and drove the homeless away.

“The barangay captain said they were just following the law, no mass gatherings,” Villanueva said. “But the first law is to save lives. These are among the first people who are going to die.”

Comentario: Los pobres de Manila, aún sin recuperarse de la guerra contra las drogas librada por Duterte, son golpeados duramente por COVID-19.

Por Sebastián Forero Rueda / El Espectador

En Putumayo y Caquetá se han intensificado los operativos contra los cultivos de coca, mientras los campesinos reclaman cumplimiento del programa de sustitución voluntaria. En el municipio de La Montañita, en medio de la tensión entre erradicadores y labriegos, el Ejército disparó contra los campesinos. MinDefensa confirmó que las acciones de erradicación no se detendrán en medio de la pandemia de COVID-19.

El jueves 19 de marzo, Marco Rivadeneira, un emblemático líder que promovía la sustitución voluntaria de cultivos de coca en Putumayo, fue asesinado en la vereda Nueva Granada, en el municipio de Puerto Asís. Momentos antes de su asesinato, el líder estaba reunido con comunidades del corredor Puerto Vega – Teteyé coordinando alternativas para los campesinos cultivadores que quedaron por fuera del programa de sustitución de cultivos para que su única alternativa no fuera la erradicación forzada o la fumigación con glifosato. A esa labor había dedicado sus últimos años. Tres días después, el domingo 22 de marzo, la comunidad de esa misma vereda denunció la llegada de erradicadores y miembros de la Fuerza Pública que, a través de bombas manuales, empezaron a fumigarles con glifosato sus cultivos de coca.

Erradicación forzada de coca no da tregua en medio de emergencia por nuevo coronavirus 

Con audiencias virtuales, jueces de control de garantías y de ejecución de penas tendrán la labor de, en el menor tiempo posible, enviar a prisión domiciliaria a entre 4.000 y 15.000 presos para reducir el hacinamiento de las cárceles, de cara a la pandemia de coronavirus.

Aunque falta afinar todos los detalles de la medida, que se oficializará mediante un decreto, desde la Judicatura hicieron un llamado para coordinar estas acciones, de modo que los poco más de 600 jueces de garantías y ejecución de penas que hay en el país puedan realizar miles de audiencias en poco tiempo sin que colapse el sistema.

En una carta de tres páginas, Diana Remolina, presidenta de la Judicatura, se dirigió a la Ministra de Justicia, el Fiscal General, el Defensor del Pueblo, el Procurador, y los directores del Inpec y de la Policía, para que coordinadamente se tomen las acciones que requiere esta excarcelación masiva.

Remolina ya puso sobre la mesa aspectos como analizar las posibilidades de organización, selección y priorización de solicitudes masivas de libertad, privilegiando medios virtuales y, en la medida de lo posible, sin que se requiera el traslado de ninguna de las partes.

Noticias

Pequeñas subvenciones para la incidencia de “Reducción de Daños 2.0” en la región CEECA.

4 vídeos cortos sobre acontecimientos recientes referidos a políticas globales sobre drogas.

Comité de las ONU invoca a Ucrania a descriminalizar la tenencia de drogas.

Comentario: Los pobres de Manila, aún sin recuperarse de la guerra contra las drogas librada por Duterte, son golpeados duramente por COVID-19.

Erradicación forzada de coca no da tregua en medio de emergencia por nuevo coronavirus

Lo que falta para dar casa por cárcel a miles de presos por COVID-19 en Colombia