The 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council brings together Member States, UN experts, civil society and other stakeholders to consider a wide range of human rights issues. The session provides an important opportunity to advance discussion of the human rights implications of drug policies and to promote approaches grounded in human rights, public health, evidence and the meaningful participation of affected communities.

The 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council offers important opportunities to advance scrutiny of the human rights impacts of drug policies and promote approaches grounded in human rights, public health and evidence. Drug policy will feature prominently during the session, including through two important reports focusing respectively on the impact of drug policies on women and girls and on racial discrimination in drug law enforcement. Civil society, UN experts and Member States will also come together through a series of side events addressing gender, racial justice, Indigenous Peoples’ rights and broader efforts to bring international drug policy into closer alignment with human rights.

Two particularly significant reports dedicated to drug policy will be presented during HRC63.

OHCHR study on the impact of drug policies on the rights of women and girls (

 examines the human rights impacts of drug laws, policies and programmes on women and girls; efforts to mainstream gender and ensure women’s participation in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of drug policies; and approaches to addressing the specific needs of women and girls.

Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement

, alongside the report of its country visit to Colombia, 

. The reports examine how the design and enforcement of drug laws and policies affect Africans and people of African descent, tracing the historical and structural roots of racial discrimination in drug control and addressing impacts including racial profiling, over-incarceration, excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and detention, and harsher sentencing.

HRI briefing: Drug policy opportunities at HRC63

Harm Reduction International has published a briefing mapping the main opportunities for advancing drug policy issues throughout the 63rd session. In addition to the reports highlighted above, the briefing identifies discussions touching on the right to health, the death penalty, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, racial justice, arbitrary detention and Universal Periodic Review outcomes, and sets out opportunities for Member States and civil society to bring the human rights consequences of punitive drug policies into these debates.

63rd Human Rights Council: Drug Policy Opportunities 

A number of side events will provide spaces for Member States, UN mechanisms, civil society and affected communities to discuss the intersections between drug policy and human rights during HRC63.

Women, Girls and Drug Policies: Advancing a human rights approach

28 September | 13:00–14:00 | Room V, Building A and online


Organised by OHCHR, the event will present key findings from its report on the impact of drug policies on women and girls, highlight promising practices in implementing human rights-, health-, gender-sensitive and evidence-based drug policies, and strengthen dialogue between Council members, UN entities, affected communities and civil society. 

Drug Control and Human Rights: from parallel universes to emerging convergence

29 September | 12:00–13:00 | Room Concordia 1


Organised by Harm Reduction International, this event will examine the growing convergence between drug control and human rights over the past two decades. Discussions will consider the increasing attention paid by UN human rights mechanisms to the harms of punitive drug policies, how communities and civil society can use international human rights standards in their advocacy, and opportunities to advance more coherent and rights-based drug policies. 

Systemic Racism and Drug Policy Enforcement

30 September | 12:00–13:00 | Room V, Building A and online


Co-hosted by the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement and OHCHR, the event will explore systemic racism in drug policy and law enforcement, building on the Expert Mechanism’s findings on the impact of drug laws and policies on Africans and people of African descent. It will bring together Member States, UN entities and civil society to discuss discriminatory impacts and pathways towards drug policies grounded in human rights, public health and racial justice. 

From Flawed Review to Real Change: Indigenous and peasants’ rights and the future of the coca leaf

1 October | 13:00–14:00 | Room Concordia 1 and online


Organised by the International Drug Policy Consortium, this event will bring together civil society, UN experts and government officials to discuss the future of the coca leaf following its international review, including possible mechanisms to protect the plant and ongoing initiatives in the Andean region. Crucially, the discussion will feature the perspectives of Indigenous coca farmers. 

Extra Punishment: Violence Against Women in the Fight Against Organized Crime

1 October | 14:00–15:00 | Room Concordia 1


Co-organised by Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS), Dejusticia, Elementa and Mujeres Libres, this event will examine how policies targeting organised crime produce disproportionate and additional harms for women in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. Discussions will address impacts across arrest, judicial proceedings and incarceration, including physical and sexual violence, extortion, violations of defence rights, incrimination by association, and barriers to prison benefits and alternatives to incarceration. 

Youth and Drugs: Rethinking the Rules / Les jeunes et la drogue : repenser les règles


30 September | 18:30–20:00, followed by a reception | Room MS150, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Uni Mail
Organised by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, Geneva Health Forum and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva, this satellite event will examine how drug policies affect the rights, health and well-being of children and young people. Following the launch of the Global Commission’s new policy brief, 

Making Children and Young People Visible in Drug Policy: A Child Rights-Based Agenda for Reform

, the discussion will address punitive approaches to drugs, meaningful participation by young people, human rights, and evidence on prevention, treatment, harm reduction and public health. 

63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council

 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.

Events

63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council

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

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

Reconvened CND 69th Session

CND Intersessional meeting - Thematic discussions (December 2026)

29th Harm Reduction International Conference - HR27