64th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)

General information

The dates for the Sixty-fourth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Vienna are: 12 - 16 April 2020. The 64th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs is expected to follow a hybrid format (online / offline).

The Vienna NGO Committee (VNGOC) has drafted a Guide for NGOs participating in the CND, available here. VNGOC has also compiled a list of recommendations aimed at protecting the role of civil society engagement in the CND, available here. Finally, the Committee organises a civil society briefing this Friday, at 14:00 (CET). You can register for it here.

The CND Blog will also provide near real-time updates on the plenary session, Committee of the Whole and selected side events. You can also follow IDPC twitter which will provide live updates on key events, or follow the hashtags #CND64.

Survey on civil society participation in the 64th CND

Download the CND App!

The CND App aims to facilitate navigating and engaging with the debates at the CND. This mobile application will help you track, in real time, what is happening and where, receive notifications on key events, resolutions and speakers, and access CND resolutions as well as UN-agreed language on specific drug policy issues. This will be all the more important for this virtual session.

For an optimal experience, please download the app from the Apple or Android store. Alternatively, you can access most of the app's functionalities with your browser online. The CND App was developed by IDPC, as part of the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD) project.

Webinar series

The CND 64: Key issues and opportunities webinar series sheds light on the key issues that are likely to structure the debates, tabled resolutions and opportunities for engagement, and showcases the experience of IDPC network members in navigating and leveraging this forum for political advocacy. This multilingual webinar series is available in English, Spanish and French.

A video introduction to the Commission's functioning and mechanisms of engagement is also available.

Side events

110 side events are taking place during the 64th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

IDPC side events

Over 20 of these events are organised by IDPC members and allies, check them out in the document below.

The IDPC Secretariat co-organises a number of them that we warmly invite you to register to:

Monday, 12th April

• Legal Regulation of Drugs through a development Lens | Flyer | 13:10-14:00 | Health Poverty Action, Instituto RIA, IDPC

Tuesday, 13th April

• Shifting the needle: The impact of global drug policy on women | Flyer | 14:10-15:00 | PRI, CELS, Dejusticia, IDPC, TIJ, WOLA

Wednesday, 14th April

• Protecting civil society space at times of COVID-19: Lessons learned for advocacy | Flyer | 10:00-10:50 | Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, YODA, CDPE, Frontline AIDS, IDPC

Thursday, 15th April

• Promoting evidence-based drug policies and interventions enshrined in human rights in Europe | Flyer | 9:00-9:50 | Association Proyecto Hombre, Portugal, Spain, Council of Europe, European Union, European Union Civil Society Forum on Drugs

• Addressing the harms of criminalisation and policing with criminal justice and drug policy reform | Flyer | 10:00-10:50 | Norway, Norwegian Association for Humane Drug Policies, DPA, IDPC, NoBox Philippines, Release
  
  
  
  

• Celebrating the five-year anniversary of the UNGASS: Progress made, ongoing challenges | Flyer | 13:10-14:00 | Portugal, European Union, UNAIDS, WHO, IDPC

Informal dialogues

A series of informal dialogues between high-level UN representatives and civil society are scheduled to take place during the 64th Session.

As in previous years, the VNGOC has organised several informal NGO dialogues with representatives from UN bodies:

• UNODC Executive Director | Wednesday, 14 April, 15:00 - 16:00

• CND Chair | Thursday, 15 April, 09:00 - 10:00

• INCB President | Friday, 16 April, 9:45 - 10:45

• WHO representatives | Friday, 16 April, 11:30 - 12:30

Resolutions

A declaration and four resolutions have been tabled and will be negotiated by Member States. The drafts are available here.

VNGOC activities

Given the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the VNGOC will hold its AGM as two online events (on 8 April and 15 April 2021). To find out more about how to pay your VNGOC membership fees, attend the AGM, please check this page.

The Committee is also holding Board elections. Only members who have paid their fees can vote. To learn more about the candidates and voting procedure, please check this page.

NGO Written Statements