Steve Rolles
69th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)
The 69th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) takes place at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) between 9-13 March 2026. For general information on the CND, check out the dedicated section of our website on UN level engagement. You can also visit the official website of the event and check the VNGOC Guide for participants.
Participation
Deadline for registration: Thursday, 5 March 2026
Organisations in consultative status with ECOSOC may nominate delegates to attend the session in person. Registration must be completed via the INDICO platform and requires an official nomination letter on the organisation’s letterhead. The session's Plenary will be live-streamed publicly. The Committee of the Whole will be in-person only.
The Vienna NGO Committee (VNGOC) will hold an NGO briefing on Monday, 9 March, 9:00 (Room M3 — and online).
Stay on top of the session with the CND App!
Track what’s happening and where, build a custom schedule, access draft resolutions and follow their negotiations, consult agreed UN language on drug policy, keep tabs on speakers at the plenary, access meeting links and more!
The CND App is available on your browser online.
CND 69: Key issues and opportunities
The webinar unpacks key issues that are likely to structure the debates at CND, reviews draft resolutions, and showcases IDPC network members’ experiences leveraging the Commission for advocacy. Speakers include representatives from Youth RISE, SANPUD, and GREA.
Informal dialogues
As in previous years, the VNGOC has coordinated several informal NGO dialogues with representatives from relevant UN bodies:
- WHO delegates
Tuesday, 10 March, 09:00-10:00, CR-7 & MS Teams - CND Chair
Thursday, 12 March, 09:00-10:00, Boardroom D & MS Teams - Acting UNODC Executive Director
Thursday, 12 March, 11:15-12:15, Boardroom D & MS Teams - INCB President
Thursday, 12 March, 12:15-13:15, Boardroom D & MS Teams - OHCHR, UNAIDS & UNDP delegates
Thursday, 12 March, 15:00-16:00, Boardroom D & MS Teams
Resolutions
Five resolutions have been tabled and will be negotiated by Member States. The drafts are available here.
Side events
172 side events are taking place throughout the session. The full list is available in the Side event programme, and many are freely accessible remotely.
- IDPC network members co-organise 41 side events at the session — check them out here!
- The IDPC Secretariat co-sponsors 19 side events that we warmly invite you to join.
Recommended off-site event:
- Breaking the sentence: Women, drug policy, incarceration and paths to reform in Latin America - Wednesday, 11 March 2026 (18:30-21:00)
Across Latin America, punitive drug laws are fueling a crisis: the mass incarceration of women. This urgent panel brings together leading advocates and researchers to expose the human cost, share new country findings, and spotlight bold, evidence-based reforms to break cycles of injustice and marginalisation. More info & registration.
Relevant links
General
- IDPC's 69th CND Session webpage
- VNGOC website
- Official CND web page
- The UNGASS decade in review: Gaps, achievements and paths for reform — Our most recent report, assessing a decade of limited progress and persistent harms, and formulating avenues toward systemic reform.
- Vienna after consensus: Report of the 68th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs — An analysis of last year's meeting that brings the 69th Session into context.
- The UN review of the international status of the coca leaf — Our dedicated page with resources on the process, key contributions towards it, and responses to its troubling outcome.
Written statements by the IDPC network