The COVID-19 pandemic has once again demonstrated the harmful impact that criminal and punitive laws and their enforcement can have on the rights of marginalized populations. As 40 Years of the HIV epidemic have shown us, punitive approaches can actively undermine public health responses, increase stigma, discrimination and violence, creating barriers to accessing services. This is particularly the case for laws relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights, sex work, drug use, and those that target people based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

Please join us on International Human Rights Day for an important and timely online discussion on criminal laws in the context of human rights and public health. We will explore the issues, the evidence, best practices, and how to "Recover Better" in standing up for human rights.

Recovering better: The imperative to decriminalise

The 68º regular session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) will take place on 9-11 December 2020 in Bogotá, Colombia.

The session, presided by Colombia (currently holding the Vice-Presidency of CICAD) will follow a mixed onsite/remote format. Member States can nominate up to 2 delegates to the meeting in person.

All special guests, delegates, representatives of international and civil society organisations are welcome to join virtually. The formal invitation and access information will be shared on the website of CICAD in due course.

Sixty-eighth regular session of CICAD

Four years after the signing of a historic peace accord, hundreds of thousands of Colombian families continue to rely on the coca crop. The government, with U.S. support, has already broken its annual record for forced eradication, during the pandemic, and little of it has been coordinated with food security or rural development assistance. Now, a revival of a controversial aerial herbicide fumigation program is looming.

How are coca cultivating communities responding? How does all of this relate to the peace accord? What might happen if fumigation restarts? What are the costs of eradication, both financially and in terms of rights? Will pursuing the same strategies pursued during the past 30 years really yield a different result? What happened with the peace accords’ crop substitution program? What would a better coca policy look like? How should the new U.S. administration adjust its assistance programs?

WOLA, Elementa, CODHES, the Instituto Pensar of the Universidad Javeriana, the Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida, and the Corporación Viso Mutop look forward to addressing these topics on Wednesday, December 9, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (U.S. eastern and Bogotá time).


Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida, Mocoa, Putumayo


Instituto Pensar, Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá

Simultaneous interpretation will be available

Coca and eradication four years into Colombia’s “Post-Accord” phase

While the 2020 U.S. elections delivered an unprecedented wave of victories for drug policy reform measures across all parts of the country, this year also brought to the forefront the most egregious aspects of the war on drugs and racial inequality, magnified through the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and too many others. Violence and police misconduct, especially against people of color, continues to be rationalized by being tied to victims’ alleged and actual involvement with drugs. At the same time, Black, Preto, and BAME communities have suffered some of the worst health related effects of COVID-19.

In this discussion we bring together UN experts on racism and discrimination, parliamentarians, journalists, and activists to look at how race, drugs, and repression affect the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, and how these new, but not novel, abuses of power can be addressed effectively, through high-level policy change and tireless activism on the streets.

, an initiative to spark conversations on priorities for the future, obstacles to achieving them, and the role of international cooperation in making progress.

Sheila de Carvalho,
Doudou Ndoye Diene,
Kassandra Frederique,
Aqeela Sherrils,
Simon Woolley

UN75—Race, COVID-19, and the War on Drugs

December 2020 marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules). As we approach this milestone, we consider progress – and delay – in making the Rules a reality for all women in contact with the criminal justice system.

Progress has been made in some areas, and this is to be celebrated. But ten years on since the adoption of the Bangkok Rules, implementation of the Rules has been piecemeal and insufficient – and most notably, the global female prison population has increased. Join us as we hear from women that have experienced criminal justice systems and advocates working at international and national level, to consider progress and possibilities for the future.

Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations

Anand Grover, Global Commission on Drug Policy, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, and Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India

Ten years of the UN Bangkok Rules: Progress and possibilities

Tríona Lenihan, Policy and International Advocacy Manager, Penal Reform International

Impact of responses to drug-related offences on women

Rosma Karlina, AKSI Keadilan Indonesia (Action for Justice Indonesia)

Gabriela Cruz and Corina Giacomello, EQUIS Justicia para las Mujeres, Mexico

Implementing the UN Bangkok Rules in Kenya: achievements and challenges

Jane Kuria, Chief Executive Officer, Faraja Foundation, Kenya

Implementing the UN Bangkok Rules in Thailand: the Model Prison Project

Dr. Nathee Chitsawang, Advisor, Thailand Institute of Justice

Moderator: Olivia Rope, Executive Director ad interim, Penal Reform International

The UN Bangkok Rules at 10: Progress and possibilities

, a partnership of civil society organisations based in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, The Netherlands and Ukraine, celebrates its 20th anniversary!

Since 2001 we are building bridges between East and West, we promote health and increase the access of key populations to prevention, treatment and care for major public health concerns such as HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, and sexual and reproductive health in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

, the Amsterdam-based partner, invites you to join an online talk with experts about its work for marginalized groups in Eastern Europe and Central Asia – groups that lack access to health services because of persistent stigma and discrimination

Bob Deen, Senior Research Fellow/ Coordinator Russia and Eastern Europe Centre at Clingendael

There are many issues at stake in the EECA region; the political unrest, armed and frozen conflicts, a civil society that desires change. These issues influence access to health services and therefore the health of citizens. Current situation could be a tipping point. What diplomatic opportunities do the EU and the Netherlands have to support local governments and civil society in the EECA region to contribute to a healthy future?

Sasha Volgina, Programme manager at GNP+

Civil Society Organisations in the EECA region have become strong and vocal to advocate for human rights and freedoms. Local authorities do not fully recognize the vital role of CSOs in society, especially in their role for the marginalized and discriminated groups. Support to EECA based CBOs and NGOs is very limited to none. What can we do to enhance a favorable, financial environment for CSOs? What are the benefits of a collaboration between East and West?

Please, watch the event online on 3 December at 11.30 (CET) on Youtube!

The meeting will be held in English and translated into Russian.

20 years of East-West collaboration: Building bridges to the future

The meeting will take place on 2-4 December 2020 at the Vienna International Centre (Board Room C).

The meeting will be webcast at: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/Secretariat/webcast.html

The event will be an opportunity for Member States to vote on the World Health Organization Expert Committee on Drug Dependence recommendations on the scheduling of cannabis and related substances.

World Health Organization Expert Committee on Drug Dependence recommendations on the scheduling of cannabis and related substances

The WHO ECDD recommended that cannabis and associated substances in the UN Conventions of 1961 and 1971 are rescheduled to facilitate their trade for medicinal and scientific purposes.

CND reconvened 63rd session

The board of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs is inviting all members and interested NGOs to participate in an

 online, informal membership meeting on Monday, 30 November.


In order to accommodate as many time zones as possible the meeting will be held twice:

30 November, 10 am to 11.30 am Central European Time (CET)

30 November, 5 pm to 6.30 pm Central European Time (CET)

The meeting will serve to discuss current issues and exchange updates and information. No formal decisions will be made by the committee, the draft agenda can be viewed on our website.
It will be held online via MS Teams and 

we kindly ask you to register here in order to attend the meeting

. The links will be shared a few days before the meeting.

We look forward to welcoming as many members as possible to one or both of the meetings.

Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs informal meeting

The ‘This is not a webinar’ workshop series seeks to create space for sharing knowledge, experiences and learning with fellow campaigners.

In addition to the global workshops focusing on youth, prisons and messaging – IDPC and AfricaNPUD are inviting our members and partners from Africa to attend a regional communications workshop to explore and discuss the language of policy reform.

As stated in the title, this is not another webinar! It is designed as a space for a regionally-led discussion and exchange of ideas. The workshop will be held on Zoom, and will utilise group work, online tools,1 and – most crucially – the collective knowledge, expertise and insights of our network. This initial event will be held in English and French, with live translation provided.

The workshop will take place on Thursday 26th November 2020


09:00 Cape Verde Time Zone
10:00 Greenwich Mean Time (inc some of West Africa)
11:00 West Africa Time Zone
12:00 South / Central Africa Time Zone
13:00 East Africa Time Zone
14:00 Mauritius / Seychelles / Reunion

The access link will be sent individually to those who confirm their participation.

For further information, see the concept note below.

Please register your interest via the form in French and English.

'This is not a Webinar' Support Don't Punish regional communications workshop - Africa

Despite the well-documented health and social impacts of substance use in general and injecting drug use specifically, harm reduction interventions remain very limited in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Only six countries implement needle and syringe programs (NSPs) - Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia - and four provide opioid agonist therapy (OAT) services as part of harm reduction - Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine. Even in countries where NSPs and OAT are provided, accessibility and coverage remain a challenge, due to lack of funding, legal issues, stigma and discrimination, criminalisation of drug use, lack of political commitment.

Overdose response is minimal and limited to only two countries - Lebanon and Morocco.

No drug consumption rooms (DCRs) are currently available in the region nor programs specific to the use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS).

Based on the above findings in the Global State of Harm Reduction 2020, this event will discuss the limited harm reduction provision in the MENA region, highlight progress and point to avenues to fill the glaring gaps.

The Global State of Harm Reduction 2020 - MENA chapter

European Testing Week is a European campaign that encourages partner organisations—in community, health care and policy institutions-- throughout Europe to unite for one week twice a year to increase testing efforts and promote awareness on the benefits of earlier hepatitis and HIV testing. This initiative has progressed since its start in 2013 and has grown to be a widely recognised European event with hundreds of organisations participating every year. What once started as an annual event has now become a biannual event with two ETWs occurring each year in Spring (May) and Autumn (November). Each organisation volunteers their own time to organise their Testing Week activities and create incredible displays of a united effort to increase testing awareness at all organisational levels.

Now in its eighth year, the European Testing Week initiative will hold its November European Testing Week from 

The aim of the Spring and Autumn ETWs remain the same: to unite partner organisations throughout Europe for one week to increase access to testing and promote awareness on the benefits of earlier hepatitis and HIV testing.

European Testing Week 2020

Across Canada there is growing interest in ensuring that the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us” is not only honoured, but truly respected. Facilitating meaningful inclusion of people who use drugs by offering attendance alone is a fail. Rather, people who use drugs must be stakeholders with equal standing in all aspects of implementing conferences and events. But how do you do that effectively?

Background: Stimulus Connect is a program of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC). CDPC partners with the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs (CAPUD), Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec (AIDQ) and other members of their national planning committee.

IMPORTANT: Please add stimulus@drugpolicy.ca to your safe sender list. Your safe sender list ensures that the email with your zoom link is not blocked by your spam filter. You will receive the link to this zoom event the evening before or the morning of November 18, 2020.

In preparation we gathered a few resources, documents and media articles that you may be find helpful.

Information on Stimulus 2018: Drugs, Policy and Practice

Video: Stimulus 2018: Drugs, Policy and Practice in Canada conference video, 9 minutes

Video: Stimulus 2018 Highlights, 2.48 minutes

Journal Article: Supporting the full participation of people who use drugs in policy fora: Provision of a temporary, conference-based overdose prevention site, October 2020

Call to Action: Canada-wide coalition calls for end to the toxic drug supply and decriminalization of possession of currently illegal drugs, Stimulus Conference October 3, 2019

Report: Stimulus 2018: Drugs, Policy and Practice in Canada Final Report

Report: Stimulus 2018: Drugs, Policy and Practice Evaluation Report

Journal Article: Mobilizing drug policy activism: conferences, convergence spaces and ephemeral fixtures in social movement mobilization, 2015

Journal Article: Engaging people who use drugs in policy and program development: A review of the literature, 2012

Journal Article: Coexisting or conjoined: The growth of the international drug users’ movement through participation with International Harm Reduction Association Conferences, 2010

CRISM PWLE National Working Group “Having a voice and saving lives” A survey by and for people who use drugs and work in harm reduction.

Resource: Harm Reduction Services: Recommendations for Overdose Prevention at Meetings and Events, 2019

Past Events