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

30 September — Strengthening Public Health Responses to Drug Use

Session 1 (10:00–13:00): Prevention as a Core Element of the Public Health Response to Drug Use

Ingibjorg Eva Thorisdottir, Planet Youth, Iceland

Dr. David Patton, Recovered Users Network (RUN), UK

Cressida de Witte, World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD), International

Session 2 (15:00–18:00): Drug Treatment and Health Services Falling Short of Meeting Needs; Increase in Deaths Related to Drug Use

Catherine Cook, Harm Reduction International, UK

Atika Juristia, The J Healthcare Initiative, Canada

Subhan Hamonangan, Man, Perkumpulan Rumah Cemara, Indonesia

1 October — Specific Health Challenges Related to Drug Use: Infectious Diseases and the Impact of New Psychoactive Substances

Session 3 (10:00–13:00): High Rates of Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis C Virus and Other Blood-Borne Diseases Associated with Drug Use

Aditia Taslim, INPUD, International (In-Person)

Rebeca Marques Rocha, Youth RISE, International

Claudia Pereira, Ares do Pinhal, Portugal

Session 4 (15:00–18:00): Adverse Health Consequences of and Risks Associated with New Psychoactive Substances

Penny Hill, Harm Reduction Australia, Australia

2 October — Access to Controlled Medicines and Other Substantive Matters

Session 5 (10:00–13:00): Lack of Availability of Internationally Controlled Substances for Medical and Scientific Purposes

Anna Liakopoulou, IFMSA, International / The Netherlands

Session 6 (15:00–18:00): Other Substantive Matters

Gloria Lai, IDPC, International / Thailand

Alternative development – preparations for the 10th Expert Group Meeting in Lima on the complementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Alternative Development (proposed by Peru)

Multi-drug toxicity deaths (proposed by Canada)

Increasing preparedness to address emerging drug threats (proposed by the EU)

Addressing the promotion of cannabis and cannabis-related products through social media and online platforms (proposed by Sri Lanka)

Protecting the coca leaf in its natural state in the framework of the critical review of coca leaf by the WHO (proposed by Bolivia)

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)

The ECDD is a scientific advisory body to WHO that consists of an independent group of experts in the field of drugs and medicines and drug dependence liability.

The 48th Expert Committee on Drug Dependence meeting will be held from 20-22nd October 2025. A public information session will be held on 20 October 2025. 

This meeting will consider the following substances and make recommendations for their scheduling to the CND: 

 N-pyrrolidino isotonitazene (Isotonitazepyne) and N-Desethyl etonitazene.

The WHO’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) is the body responsible for conducting reviews towards the scheduling, re-scheduling or de-scheduling of psychoactive substances. The recommendations of the WHO's ECDD are voted upon by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), typically at its March session.

This meeting marks a pivotal step in the international community’s coca review, offering the first WHO critical assessment in nearly 75 years. It could correct historical injustices, reconcile drug control with Indigenous rights, and reshape treaty schedules to permit traditional uses while maintaining controls on cocaine production.

Registration and further information will be made available in September.

48th meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD)

Get ready for another unmissable HIT Hot Topics Conference! This year, we’re back on 

, bringing together the leading voices in harm reduction—because at HIT, harm reduction has ALWAYS been our focus. Expect cutting-edge discussions, inspiring speakers, and a space where passion meets action.

As always, we’ll have events planned for the night before, plus our legendary Cavern Club charity event on the evening of the conference. Stay tuned for more details and mark your calendar—Hot Topics 2025 is not to be missed!

 If you are buying tickets for more than one person and/or for someone other than yourself please remember to give us the attendee names and email addresses in the ‘Order Note’ section of the checkout page.

Full Priced Latecomer: £180 Plus VAT (£216)

HIT Hot Topics conference 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).

Reconvened CND 68th Session

“Accelerating crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: protecting people and planet and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the digital age.”

The Fifteenth Crime Congress will be held from 25 to 30 April 2026 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates under the overall theme “Accelerating crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: protecting people and planet and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the digital age”, in line with the General Assembly resolution 

High-level segment (Heads of State, Ministers, etc.)

Single declaration, later reviewed by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Regional preparatory meetings starting in 2025

Emphasis on participation of least developed countries, civil society, academia, and NGOs

Encourages early preparation by Member States and creation of national preparatory committees

Events