 CEU Vienna Campus, Quellenstrasse 51, Room D001 Tiered, Vienna, Austria / Online


What do we know about drug policy, and what remains out of reach? Amid evolving drug markets, including the growth of synthetic drugs and record cocaine production, alongside unintended consequences of existing policy approaches and persistent public health gaps, rigorous and evidence-based research remains crucial to informing more effective responses.

The Shattuck Center for Human Rights, the Department of Public Policy and the Department of Legal Studies at Central European University (CEU) are convening a roundtable bringing together leading drug policy researchers from the fields of public health, criminology, economics and systems analysis. The discussion will take stock of the current evidence base, identify critical gaps in knowledge and consider priorities for future research and policy approaches.

, Professor and Director of the Drug Policy Modelling Program at UNSW Sydney; 

, Professor at the University of Maryland and founder and former Director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center; and 

, Professor of Operations Research and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. 

, CEU George Soros Visiting Practitioner Chair and former Chief of the Research and Trend Analysis Branch at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The event is hybrid and open to the public, with registration required. A light reception will follow the in-person discussion.

Drug policy: Reflections on what we know, what we need to know, and ways forward

“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

15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

 Clarion Congress Hotel Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

If you’re working to improve the health or rights of people who use drugs, INHSU 2026 is a must-attend event. A vibrant space where research, practice, policy, and lived experience come together on equal footing.

Over 300+ sessions will take place across tracks on Epidemiology and Public Health Research, Clinical Research, Social Science and Policy Research, and Models of Care and Programs.

Sessions will cover harm reduction innovations, HIV, HCV, HBV, TB and other infections, other drug-related harms, drug policy, and more.

Prague is a powerful and timely setting for INHSU 2026, providing the backdrop to reflect on both achievements and barriers that continue to affect people who use drugs globally.

14th International Conference on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU 2026)

Postponed - first quarter of 2027 (the organisers are considering February 2027)

Due to organisational considerations, including strengthening some key partnerships for the course, the University of Geneva has postponed the upcoming edition of the course, originally scheduled for 19–21 October 2026. 

The registration period will be extended, but participants who have already applied or registered do not need to submit a new application, as the ones already received remain valid.

The organisers have not yet confirmed new dates, programme or practical arrangements. 

Since the adoption of the international drug control framework sixty years ago, drug production, demand and use have increased reaching record highs every year, despite fierce prohibition law enforcement. In the last ten years, more and more countries have started reviewing their approach to drugs while the international multilateral system has recognized the need to integrate drug policy with sustainable development objectives. Throughout this three-day immersive course, you will become familiar with the ongoing international debates on drug policy reform and examine how it closely relates to public health and human rights.

The course is highly participatory, drawing on the national and international experiences of participants. It includes lectures, case studies and working groups. A negotiation simulation exercise will complement the learning experience.

Understand the health, human rights-related, diplomatic and political issues around drug policies and drug policy reform

Become acquainted with the international drug control system and the institutional and governance structures of international drug control

Become familiar with diplomatic negotiations

Debate the current challenges for drug policy reform at regional and international levels

Government representatives from ministries of health, foreign affairs, justice, interior and drug control agencies;

Representatives from international and regional institutions;

Representatives from non-governmental organizations;

Health attachés and diplomats with a portfolio linked to health, drug policy and human rights;

Day 1 | 19 October - Drugs, drug use and the international drug control regime

Day 2 | 20 October - Drug policies, UN and multilateral diplomacy

Day 3 | 21 October - Drug policy, health and human rights

 including a short CV and a cover letter. Applications will be reviewed by the steering committee. Candidates will be informed by e-mail.

For educational reasons, the number of participants will not exceed 30.

CHF 1’600.- Full in-presence course and pre-arranged site visits on day 4

CHF 1’700.- Full in-presence course with supervision of written and evaluated paper | Micro-certification

A limited number of scholarships (full or waivers) will be available. Contact Kamila.Guseinova@unige.ch for more details.

Geneva course on drug policy, public health, and diplomacy 2026 [POSTPONED]

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

The topics for discussion under the session on “

”, to be held on 9 December from 3 to 6 PM, will be determined in due course.

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.

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