International Groups Call for Closure of Drug Detention Centres

Several UN agencies and other groups have recently issued statements opposing drug detention centres and calling for their closure. In response to a letter from Human Rights Watch, UNAIDS head Michel Sidibe called for the “earliest possible closure of detention centres.” The World Health Organization also sent its own letter reiterating the UNAIDS stance. Sidibe again voiced this position during a recorded speech at the International Harm Reduction Conference in Liverpool, and UNDP's Mandeep Dhaliwal made a clear call for closure during her closing plenary. The International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD) and the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) also issued a statement opposing the centers.

Click here to access Michel Sidibe's letter to Human Rights Watch on drug detention centres.

Click here to access GNP+ and INPUD's statement to the Conference.