November 25 is the international day for elimination of violence against women which marks the beginning of 16 days of action through to December 10, International Human Rights Day. WHRIN encourages interested organisations and groups worldwide, particularly those led by people who use drugs, to organise actions to end violence against women and gender diverse people who use drugs and orient drug policy towards human rights, gender awareness and harm reduction.

Please adapt/translate and print out the 

. Those needing support to add logos and/or poster translation, contact: networkadmin@whrin.site

Ensure your action brings particular attention to the situation of women and gender diverse people who use drugs.

Recommended hashtags include: #EVAWUD26 #orangetheworld #WHRINetwork.

You are encouraged to invite media and/or other stakeholders to hear and receive statements from your organisation/s

 can be translated and adapted to the context in your city, adding your own contact or logo, etc.

To register your EVAWUD planning and/or apply for a small grant, 

Campaign organisers will be responsible for coordinating and safely storing informed consent forms for any use of identifying images (see an example 

). We encourage you to watch the WHRIN webinar recording: ‘

Consent to Be Seen: Use of Identifying Images

’, which explains why this form is used, how campaign images may be shared, potential risks and your rights as a participant. Campaign organisers will be responsible for coordinating and safely storing informed consent forms for any use of identifying images (see an example template). We encourage you to watch the WHRIN webinar recording: ‘Consent to Be Seen: Use of Identifying Images’, which explains why this form is used, how campaign images may be shared, potential risks and your rights as a participant.

By Thursday, December 17, please email your photos, social media links and a brief description of the activity (

) back to networkadmin@whrin.site The reports will be pooled, collated and re-propelled through relevant networks, aiming to achieve a global-level profile for the EVAWUD campaign.

End violence against women and gender diverse people who use drugs (EVAWUD26)

The reconvened 69th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs is expected to take place on 3-4 December 2026 in Vienna, Austria.

Reconvened CND 69th Session

The first intersessional meeting of the 69th session of the Commission will take place from 7 to 9 December 2026, and will include thematic sessions on the implementation of all international drug policy commitments, following-up to the 

Drug Trafficking and Converging Criminal Markets

 Convergence of Drug Trafficking and Other Forms of Organized Crime

 Links between Drug Trafficking and Corruption, Money-Laundering and, in some cases, Terrorism, including Financing of Terrorism 

Criminal Misuse of Information and Communications Technologies for Drug-Related Activities

 Evolving Technologies and Online Drug Markets

 Preventing and Responding to ICT-Facilitated Drug-Related Crime 

Enhancing Responses to Drug-Related Money-Laundering including Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime; and other substantive matters

 Enhancing responses to drug-related money-laundering including confiscation of proceeds of crime

session 6 - 15:00 - 18:00: Other Substantive Matters — 

Member States have proposed a wide range of topics for discussion, ranging from drug checking as an early warning tool and gender-responsive drug policies to international scheduling, forensic analysis, the health effects of non-medical cannabis use, and alternative development.

The thematic discussions will also provide an opportunity to address cross-cutting issues identified in the ‘way forward’ section of the 2024 CND High-Level Declaration, including cooperation at all levels, data collection and analysis, and technological innovation.

Civil society participation – Call for speakers

The Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) is coordinating civil society participation in the thematic discussions and has 

extended the deadline for applications to Monday, 9 November 2026, at 23:45 (Vienna time)

Up to three civil society representatives may be selected to speak during each thematic panel, with approximately 2–3 minutes allocated per intervention.

Interested organisations should submit an application through the online form, including an abstract clearly outlining the relevance of their proposed contribution to the selected session. Interventions highlighting examples of good practice, practical experiences and progress in implementing international drug policy commitments are particularly encouraged. 

Organisations involved in the Pledge4Action initiative are also invited to share updates on their commitments.

All abstracts and statements must be submitted in English, and interpretation will not be available during the meetings. Speakers will be selected by the VNGOC Board in accordance with its established selection guidelines.

Applications are welcome for all sessions, with further contributions particularly encouraged for the morning and afternoon sessions on 8 December and the morning session on 9 December.

Deadline: 9 November 2026, 23:45 (Vienna time).

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/kTtyMWj79G

The thematic discussions will be organized, in line with past practice, 

– at the Vienna International Centre, Plenary room, M Building, and online. The online meeting links will be shared here in due course.

Each session of the thematic discussions (morning and afternoon sessions) will be organized in 

Discussion with interventions from the floor

 format of the discussion for the agenda item “Other substantive matters” 

consists of a general introduction by UNODC followed by an interactive debate with short interventions from the floor moderated by the CND Chair. Member States who submitted a topic for discussion will be given the floor first to introduce it.

For further details, please consult the 

CND Intersessional meeting - Thematic discussions (December 2026)

The Harm Reduction International Conference is convened by Harm Reduction International in a different city every two years. Over four days of presentations, workshops, films, networking events and more, the conference provides a dynamic forum to share the latest research and discussions on best practice in drug use, harm reduction and human rights and attracts a diverse group of over 1,000 delegates and speakers including front-line health workers, academics, researchers, policy makers, politicians, UN representatives, people who use drugs, sex workers and people working in the criminal legal system.

The call for abstracts is now open, and the 2027 conference theme is 'Radical Resistance'. Around 80% of the programme will be selected through the open call.

The deadline for submissions is 30 September 2026 at 23:59 UTC+1, and outcomes will be communicated in December 2026.

Scholarships are available exclusively to people with accepted abstracts, so applications are part of the abstract submission. They cover partial costs only and are generally intended for people from low and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly people who use drugs.

Registration is also open, with early bird rates available until 1 February 2027. There are reduced rates for delegates living or working in LMICs, full-time and unwaged students, and unwaged delegates, including people working voluntarily for drug user organisations and service providers.

For the first time, HR27 will not offer a live virtual conference option.

A selection of sessions will be recorded and made available after the event, but HRI has not yet confirmed how the recordings will be accessed or if there will be additional fees.

So why will 1,000 of us gather in Belfast in May 2027?

Our global gathering comes with a rich history. HRI conferences have helped to put harm reduction on the map and to coordinate advances, innovations, evidence, and advocacy in the fields of harm reduction and drug policy for more than three decades.

At HR27, we will spotlight how local leaders are rising, how regions are mobilising, and how our global movement is resisting in the face of existential threats to global health and human rights.

Harm reduction is a movement rooted in dignity and rights, that has been shaped by radical resistance. Our host city knows this story well. In 2027, we meet in 

. The city's journey from decades of political conflict toward peace offers enduring lessons in social justice and self-determination.

The Harm Reduction International Conference 2027 (HR27) will be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 9-12 May 2027.

At Harm Reduction International, we seek host cities for our conference that mirror the spirit of our movement. For our next conference, we are heading to a city that understands what it means to survive, rebuild and imagine a different future. Belfast is a place shaped by resistance and resilience, where communities have worked across division to create new possibilities for peace, justice and self determination. Its history reminds us that even the most entrenched systems can be challenged and transformed through collective action.

HR27 will take place at ICC Belfast, an internationally recognised conference venue in the heart of the city. Located beside the waterfront and within walking distance of Belfast’s cultural and civic landmarks, ICC Belfast will provide a welcoming and accessible space for our global community to come together.

Join us in Belfast to meet this moment together and shape the future of our movement.

Events

End violence against women and gender diverse people who use drugs (EVAWUD26)

Reconvened CND 69th Session

CND Intersessional meeting - Thematic discussions (December 2026)

29th Harm Reduction International Conference - HR27