Pre-reviews of cannabis and cannabis related substances

The Fortieth meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, 

The 40th ECDD will be a specially convened session dedicated to carrying out pre-reviews of cannabis and cannabis-related substances:

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact the Secretariat at: ecddsecretariat@who.int

IDPC will deliver a statement at the meeting, urging the ECDD to commit to a rigorous review of cannabis products to dispel myths and seek to redress the contradictions with regard to these substances enshrined in the UN drug conventions.

The 40th Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) will be held in May 2018 at the WHO Headquarters, Geneva. The 40th ECDD will be dedicated to carrying out pre-reviews of cannabis and cannabis related substances. In preparation for the meeting, the ECDD Secretariat is making a public call for experts to express interest in writing the cannabis pre-reviews. The Secretariat is looking for experts in the fields of each of the following areas: Chemistry, Toxicology, Pharmacology, Epidemiology and Therapeutic Use. The expert will be responsible for writing that specific section (e.g. Chemistry) for each of the four pre-reviews on cannabis and cannabis related substances.

More information including Terms of Reference, application details and proposed timeline is available through the following link: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/63472 Applications will close on the 19th of November 2017 If you require any further information, please contact the ECDD Secretariat: ecddsecretariat@who.int

40th meeting of the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD - WHO)

For millennia, coca has been a cultural touchstone, a manifestation of sovereignty, a core nutritional staple, and an essential medicine in the indigenous Andes. As a part of the decades long U.S.-backed counter-narcotics campaign in Colombia, though, forced eradication of the coca plant—a tactic criticized for attendant violence and gross human rights violations—has disproportionately harmed rural and urban poor communities while failing to bring peace.

How can Colombia honor coca’s history while identifying a peaceful, inclusive pathway forward? How can coca-growing communities be included in their own development plans? Is there a legal framework for developing enterprises in Colombia based on coca?

We’ll tackle these questions at the launch of 

Coca Industrialization: A Path to Innovation, Development, and Peace in Colombia,

 the eighth in a series of publications by the Open Society Foundations documenting positive examples of drug policy reform around the world.

Report author Dora Lucila Troyano Sanchez, with the National Narcotics Fund (FNE), was granted the very first permit to legally purchase, transport, and stock raw coca leaves for their transformation into licit goods such as fertilizers and nutritional ingredients to be used in scientific research. The report explores the promise that the coca leaf holds as an agricultural product for lawful uses as well as the challenges and opportunities that have influenced industrialization. It then sets out the parameters for a system that could significantly expand coca industrialization—in a manner designed to make the most of its many potential social, political, and economic benefits.

A reception will follow the panel discussion.

The future of coca industrialization in Colombia—A pathway to development and peace

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

71st World Health Assembly

Let's talk about women and addiction on our latest Stop and Search podcast.

Join journalist and author, Jenny Valentish, as she travels over from Australia to talk about her new book Woman of Substances, a journey into drugs and alcohol treatment, a fascinating book which has been highly recommended and critically acclaimed.

We’re also joined by Milly Chowles, reporter and producer for BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. Having recently produced the series The Fix: Woman and Addiction, Milly is certainly a valued member of the panel.

So what are we talking about? We’ll be chatting about the many overlapping factors of addiction, including mental health, social pressures, as well as talking about the media, the treatment sector, and what part gender may play in this broad conversation.

Tickets are limited so please do book now to avoid losing your place. Please do bring your questions and opinions!

The podcast Stop and Search is a two-time British Podcast Awards nominee, produced in association with LEAP UK, brought to you by the Distraction Pieces Network.

Woman of Substances - A journey into drugs, alcohol and treatment

The 12th Annual Conference of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) will be held in Vancouver, Canada on 16-18 May, 2018. The conference is hosted by Simon Fraser University's School of Criminology.

The ISSDP Conference is a unique occasion to present your latest findings to an intellectually engaged, diverse and dedicated scholarly community, and to immerse yourself in the state of the art research across the full spectrum of drug policy research, with the participation of leading international scholars.

Researchers and/or practitioners interested in contributing scholarly papers that advance future thinking regarding the development, assessment, or evolution of drug policy nationally or internationally are encouraged to submit abstracts.

The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) conference 2018

The Annual IOTOD 2018 Conference is now open for registrations

From dynamic interactive lectures to lively case study-based panel discussions, the IOTOD conference is a unique opportunity to get the latest from the experts and join over 300 healthcare professionals working with clients using opiate agonist therapy.

With an expert scientific faculty including Professor John Marsden, Professor Marc Auriacombe, Professor Wim van den Brink, the EMCDDA represented by Ms Dagmar Hedrich, Professor Graham Foster and many others, IOTOD 2018 will cover a wide range of topics such as:

Will new treatment options revolutionise the field?

How best can psychosocial interventions be used?

What should be done when first-line treatment doesn’t work?

How can drugs practitioners be part of the hepatitis C virus elimination strategy?

What can healthcare professionals do to stop opioid overdoses?


A limited number of free* scholarship places are available now. If you would like to apply for a free place, simply send an email to contact@iotodmeeting.com with your name and position along with a short explanation as to why you are unable to self-fund your place.

The scholarship will cover free access to the scientific sessions, satellite symposia, conference materials, lunches and coffee breaks.

Annual conference: Improving outcomes in the treatment of opioid dependence 

The Permanent Mission of Mexico, along with Austria, Switzerland and the Global Commission on Drug Policy,

have the honour to extend the invitation to the

GENEVA - VIENNA DIALOGUE ON THE WORLD DRUG PROBLEM

This Dialogue will foster an open discussion guided by the

“Working together to achieve sustainable solutions in addressing the world drug problem”

, Director General of the World Health Organization

, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights

, Board Member of the International Narcotics Control Board

, Director, Division for Treaty Affairs of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

, Commissioner of the Global Commission on Drug Policy

Moderated by Ambassador Alicia Buenrostro

, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Vienna and Chairperson of the Commission on Narcotics Drugs

If you require an access pass to the Palais, please contact: conrad.chahary@globalcommissionondrugs.org

For more information, please contact the GCDP's Secretariat:

+41 22 908 4375
secretariat@globalcommissionondrugs.org

Geneva-Vienna dialogue on the world drug problem

10 Civil Society Representatives have an opportunity to participate in an INCB hearing on the margins of the INCB annual meeting.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) will host a civil society hearing for the INCB board members on the margins of this years INCB board meeting. The hearing will be on the topic of 

“The Use of Cannabis for Medical and Non-Medical Purposes” 

May 7 2018, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Vienna, Austria.

Following the Call for Applications published on April 4 2018 we received 34 applications before the deadline of April 17 2018. The VNGOC board selected 10 civil society representatives to present their work on the topic mentioned above during the two hour meeting.In order to ensure an inclusive, comprehensive and meaningful civil society participation the board took into consideration the following selection criteria:

INCB Civil Society Hearing

The thirthieth session of the Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group will be held in Geneva from 7 to 18 May during which the next group of 14 States are scheduled to have their human rights records examined under this mechanism.

The group of States to be reviewed by the Universal Periodic Review Working Group during this session are (in order of scheduled review):

 Turkmenistan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Tuvalu, Germany, Djibouti, Canada, Bangladesh, Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Cameroon and Cuba

Representatives of the 14 countries are scheduled to come before the Working Group, which comprises the entire membership of the 47-member Human Rights Council, to present efforts they have made in fulfilling their human rights obligations and commitments, in particular since their last UPR review, assessing both positive developments and identifying challenges.

Deadline for stakeholder submission to the Universal Periodic Review for the 31st session was 5 October 2017.

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) 30th session, Human Rights Council

iCAAD: International Conferences on Addiction and Associated Disorders. We are an ongoing series of global events facilitating an open dialogue on addiction and other behavioural health issues. Our international platform is dedicated to expanding knowledge, exchanging ideas, and advancing the prevention and treatment of Behavioural, Mental, and Emotional health issues.

iCAAD Events focus on knowledge distribution and the acquisition of skills that can be applied in day-to-day practice – including developing business workshops designed to support practitioners with the ever-increasing demands of small businesses.

iCAAD Events have taken place in the London, Paris, Rome and Brussels and are committed to advancing the prevention and treatment of Behavioural, Mental and Emotional health worldwide.

The Flagship London Event took place at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London, May 1st – 3rd 2017 and was said to be one of the best conferences on addiction in the world.

International conference on addiction and associated disorders

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), an independent, quasi-judicial expert body established by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, will hold its 122nd session on 7-18 May 2018.

Civil society participation in INCB thematic hearing

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) will host its first civil society hearing for the INCB board members on the margins of the 122nd Session of the INCB. The hearing will be on the topic of 

"The Use of Cannabis for Medical and Non-Medical Purposes" 

Up to 8 NGOs will have the possibility to present their work and positioning on this issue during the two hour meeting. In order to ensure an inclusive, comprehensive and meaningful civil society participation NGOs will work through the VNGOC to coordinate contributions.

Each speaker will have 7-10 minutes to present his or her work on the use of cannabis for medical or non-medical purposes. Selected speakers will be asked to send in their statements or videos incl. transcripts no later than 01 May 2018. Interpretation in official UN languages will be available.

In order to apply for a speaking slot, please fill out and submit this form (https://goo.gl/forms/J4wzUSJV0XDEj5OF3) by 

Tuesday, 17 April 2018, 11:55 p.m. (CET, Vienna local time)

. Selected candidates will be notified as soon as possible but no later than 24 April 2018.

Please note that no funding is available to cover your travel to and accommodation in Vienna.

 In case your organisation cannot cover your travel costs, please apply for a video message.

Please also note that the meeting will not be webcast or recorded and that organizations wishing to attend have to register beforehand (see below).

Civil Society Organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC and member organizations of the VNGOC are invited to send observers to the meeting. If you are interested in attending the meeting as an observer please send in your registration to info@vngoc.org with your full name and your organisations full name no later than 01 May 2018.

N.b. no funding is available. You will have to cover your own costs.

122nd session of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)

The Museum of Drug Policy is a pop-up arts and cultural hub featuring live programming and art from around the world that highlights how drug policies impact and shape our communities. The Museum provides a powerful, emotional experience that illustrates the harms caused by current prohibitionist drug policies and advocates for new approaches rooted in dignity, health, and human rights. This free event will transport audiences across the globe and push visitors to think and act outside the box. The Museum of Drug Policy is supported by the Open Society Foundations and was first launched in New York City in April 2016.

Past Events