Afghanistan remains the world’s largest producer of opium and has an under-reported but growing heroin-use problem. Current drug control policies in Afghanistan lack focus and are unrealistic, driven by headlines rather than evidence. They reflect a need for immediate signs of hope rather than a…

This newly published paper considers some of the normative, legal, policy and institutional challenges posed by international human rights law to the UN drug control system. It is co-authored by Damon Barrett from IHRA and Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

Este informe propone modelos específicos de regulación para los principales tipos de drogas ilegales y sus modos de preparación.

Despite the achievements reached since harm reduction was introduced in Malaysia since 2005, the tension between law enforcement and public health persists.

This submission describes several key human rights priorities and provides recommendations forthe Kyrgyz Republic to better respect, protect and fulfill human rights, consistent with its international legal obligations, in areas of particular relevance to effective response to HIV.

The Indonesia UNGASS Forum has translated the new narcotics law that was adopted by the Parliament in Jakarta in September 2009. Advocates have highlighted that the new law violates basic human rights and constrains harm reduction efforts in the region.

Michel Sidibe responded to harm reduction activists who expressed concern over some of his remarks at the the opening plenary of the Eastern European and Central Asian AIDS Conference in this letter.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe gave this speech at the Eastern European and Central Asian AIDS Conference, which took place in late October in Moscow. Harm reduction activists have written to him to express concern over some of his remarks.

Representatives of harm reduction, human rights and drug user groups sent a letter to UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe expressing their strong concern about his speech at the opening plenary of the Eastern European and Central Asian AIDS Conference, which took place in late October in Moscow.

Harm reduction organizations in these regions are confronting an influx of poor quality supplies that threatens the success of their programs. Improving the quality of supplies is an important step toward an effective and sustainable HIV response. This report, by the Open Society Institute’s…

This report, by the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development Program, summarizes the results of field assessments of women’s access to harm reduction, antiretroviral, and reproductive health services in five ex-Soviet countries.

This report, from the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development Program, presents the findings of three groundbreaking studies conducted in Russia, Georgia, and Ukraine that investigate the impact that drug user registration laws have on the lives of drug users and the…

In August 2009, Mexico adopted a new law against small-scale drug dealing. This briefing deals with the negative and positive aspects of this new law.

Este informe presenta un resumen de buenas prácticas en reformas legislativas de drogas de todo el mundo, que representan un alejamiento del modelo represivo de la tolerancia cero y un avance hacia políticas de drogas más humanas y fundamentadas en pruebas empíricas. Los ejemplos reflejan las…

According to a Review in The Lancet, engaging people who misuse drugs into medical care is a challenge. ear of disapproval and stigmatisation often discourages people with drug dependence from seeking health care. But over the past decade, the widespread adoption of harm reduction programmes—which…