For the first time in its history, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has granted a hearing to analyze the serious impact of drug policies on human rights. The hearing was requested by sixteen regional organizations and will take place on March 25, during the Commission’s 150th Session in Washington. The opening of this debate constitutes an achievement regarding the Commission’s involvement in this issue.

The organizations requesting the hearing, which have a long history of work on human rights issues in the region, have highlighted the fact that the so-called ‘War on Drugs’ that has been waged over the last four decades has had an enormous impact on human rights. This is due to the extreme militarization of state responses, the high levels of violence, the rise in incarceration rates, and the criminalization of home-growers and users who have to face disproportionate sentences, the feminization of the drug related crimes, and a lack of adequate sanitary policies for persons in need of health care. The current emphasis on using criminal penalties and military and police actions to fight drug-trafficking has had a negative impact on many communities which have been affected by an escalation of violence that in some cases rivals that of a civil war. The lives taken in recent years have numbered in the tens of thousands.

The need to adjust drug policy to meet human rights standards has already been brought up in several regional discussions during 2013, and will be raised again at an Extraordinary Session of the Organization of American States (OAS) to be held in Guatemala. Internationally, this issue will also be debated next week during the 57th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), where a high-level review of drug policies that have been implemented worldwide will be carried out and certain discussion lines for the UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS) 2016 will be established.

For these reasons, human rights organizations cite the need for a reconsideration of the focus of current drug policy, emphasizing that it must have human rights and violence reduction as its main objective.

The organizations requesting the hearing are

American Civil Liberties Union, United States (ACLU)

Association for Human Rights in Peru (APRODEH)

Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA)

Center for Legal and Social Studies, Argentina (CELS)

Center for Research on Drugs and Human Rights, Peru (CIDDH)

Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH)

Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH)

Collective to an Integrated Policy to Drugs A. C., Mexico (CUPIDH)

Center for the Study of Law, Justice and Society (DeJusticia), Colombia

Institute for Legal and Social Studies (IELSUR), Uruguay

Latin American Institute for Security and Democracy (ILSED)

Intercambios (Civil Association for the Study and Assistance of Drug Related Problems), Argentina

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

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Organisations from across America participate in hearing before the IACHR on drug policy and human rights

In 2009, the member states of the United Nations reaffirmed the dream of a drug-free world, adopting a political declaration which aimed to eliminate or significantly reduce drug trafficking within ten years. Five years later, a high-level segment of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was convened in Vienna, to discuss the mid-term review of the implementation of this plan.

The meeting revealed a growing depth of disagreement on global drug policies. Most governments think the UN is on the right track, and that with more commitment and resources, it will be possible to improve the fight against drugs. But dissonant voices are getting stronger. Many governments are now disillusioned by the overwhelming evidence that punitive drug policies do not work. and are pushing for a debate on the alternatives.

Some of them are in open rebellion against the drug conventions - such as Uruguay, which has introduced legal regulation of cannabis production and distribution for recreational use. What are the key issues that divide the United Nations? Is the international drug control system losing relevance? What can we expect from the UN General Assembly on Drugs in 2016? The film we produced in Vienna aims to provide answers to these questions.

The consensus behind global drug prohibition is fading - watch this video filmed at the high level UN meeting in Vienna and find out why!

Breaking down the Vienna consensus on drugs 

"There is no reason to pursue this experiment of prohibition which has lasted a century," Russell Brand told the audience. "My personal experience is, I was using drugs because I was in a great deal of spiritual, emotional and physical pain and what I needed was a solution to those problems and what was provided to me to reach that solution was a context of compassion and tolerance.

"What bigger context is there than the planet as a whole? If we can create a planetary context where drug addicts are treated as people with a health issue - not a judicial, criminal issue - that would create the perfect context for us to advance."

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Russell Brand delivers plea to the UN: Drugs ban leads to 'death, suffering and crime'

Attorney General Eric Holder is endorsing a plan to reduce sentences for certain drug offenses, which he says could reduce the federal prison population by more than 6,500 inmates in five years.

Making a rare appearance Thursday before the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Holder plans to endorse the commission's proposed change.

According to prepared remarks provided by the Justice Department, the change would "make the federal criminal justice system both more effective and more efficient when battling crime and the conditions and behaviors that breed it."

Holder says penalties would still be tough for violent criminals while finding ways to reduce the costs of the federal prison system.

The move, which the sentencing commission might vote on in April, aligns with Holder's "Smart on Crime" initiative.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

US Attorney General Eric Holder endorses a plan to reduce sentences for certain drug offenses

A Federal Court judge in Vancouver has granted a last-minute reprieve for medical marijuana users who say they need to be able to grow their own pot at home.

On Friday morning, the judge granted an injunction allowing those who have a personal production licence to grow medical marijuana to continue for now, pending the outcome of a trial to be held at a later date.

The roughly 40,000 Canadians with an authorization to possess medical marijuana will also be allowed to continue to do so under the injunction, though they will only be permitted to hold up to 150 grams.

Without the injunction, Health Canada's new laws, which go into effect April 1, would end the home production of medical marijuana.

Instead, all those using medical marijuana would have to purchase it from large-scale commercial facilities that are being set up around the country.

Patients have voiced concern about the cost and the quality of the product they will be able to obtain under the new system.

Medical marijuana users can grow at home in Vancouver, for now

Around seventy experts met under the flag of the Portuguese National Harm Reduction Network to discuss the state of Harm Reduction in Portugal.

In late November last year, the Portuguese National Harm Reduction Network – R3 - organised its third annual Conference on “Harm Reduction in a Crisis Context”, with around 70 participants, in the Portuguese city of Porto,.

R3 was founded in 2004 - a network of professionals and experts who represent around half of the Portuguese harm reduction projects intervening in drug use. Some of its main objectives are: to contribute to the development of effective and evidence-based practice; to promote knowledge sharing, and debate relevant issues for action; and to create favourable conditions for the participation of people who use drugs, in the decision-making and intervention processes.

During 2013, a number of harm reduction services were obliged to cease operations for several months. A new state body, SICAD, emerged (Intervention Service on Addictive Behaviours and Dependences), and the official structure responsible for implementing Portuguese drug policy changed, together with administrative and funding procedures.

At the conference, an R3 representative presented data on the state of play within Harm Reduction Services, specifically the funding for needle exchange programmes.

Harm reduction and opioid substitution treatments, in Portugal, have contributed to a comprehensive and inclusive response to drug use.

Will this be a good year for Portuguese harm reduction?

The Inter-American Human Rights Commission is analyzing drug policies in the region on behalf of 16 human rights organizations, including two from Argentina: the Centre for Legal and Social Studies (CELS) and the civil association Intercambios.

The Herald talked to Luciana Pol, CELS coordinator of the area of Security Policies and Institutional Violence, who will be taking part in the hearing in Washington, D.C. “Getting involved in these topics is a great challenge for traditional human rights organizations,” Pol told the Herald.

The situation regarding drug policies in the continent is quite complex. Some states have used militarization as one of the most common answers, which has increased violence, as Mexico and some countries in Central America have demonstrated. Prohibitionist policies — aimed at limiting traffic and consumption, also had adverse effects. For instance, the number of people who have been deprived of freedom has grown. A quarter of the total amount of inmates are imprisoned for crimes linked to drugs, which are often non-violent. A full 70 percent of women in jail are there due to drug crimes.

70% of women in jail are there due to crimes involving drugs

EHRN launched three-year campaign women against violence.

Commemorating International Women's Day, on March 8, 2014, the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) launched the regional WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE campaign by signing a memorandum of cooperation with women who use drugs and harm reduction organizations from 16 cities of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA).

The goal of the three-year campaign is to empower women who use drugs in combating police violence in EECA. Year one of the campaign is run under the slogan Breaking the Silence. The objective of the first year is to raise awareness of law enforcement and other decision-makers on police violence against women who use drugs by mobilizing women who use drugs and building their capacity to document and report about police violence on special Campaign platform.

End the violence: Break the silence!

The Open Society International Harm Reduction Development Program is calling for proposals to document abuses in drug treatment centers in Latin America.

The mission of this set of grants is to call attention to abuses in locked drug treatment centers in Latin America, in order to press governments to establish mechanisms for monitoring abuse, to regulate facilities offering drug “treatment” or “rehabilitation,” and in countries where involuntary treatment is allowed by law, to assess experiences of those subjected to such treatment.

Interested applicants should send a letter of inquiry by April 25, 2014, in English, Spanish, or Portuguese to Denise Tomasini-Joshi: denise.tomasini@opensocietyfoundations.org. Letters of inquiry should be no more than four pages and should include:

Information about your knowledge of abuses in drug treatment centers in the country in question. Specifically, please detail how you came to know about abuses in drug treatment centers, or how you plan to access people with direct experience of abuse.

A method for collecting photos, video, or voice recordings to accompany your written contribution.

A plan for keeping informants safe and for ensuring informed consent for participation, and for photos or video, for obtaining releases to allow use of material.

Ideas for helping to disseminate the final report and multimedia piece, including through events such as exhibits and debates, or by engaging local and national officials or media. Please note specific occasions for such engagement.

Though not required, favorable consideration will be given to organizations that can provide:

Examples of previous written reports or multimedia pieces;

Examples of successful advocacy with government officials;

Examples of previous collaborations with people who use drugs;

Instances of previous presentations at conferences or media interviews.

Some applicants will then be invited to submit full proposals for funding. A full proposal will be due by May 15, 2014, and will need to include a budget and detailed work plan.

Grants will be for $10,000, with a $3,000 stipend for in-country travel where necessary; additional money may be provided for dissemination events if warranted. The grant period will be June 1 through December 1, 2014.

OSF call for proposal: Document abuses in drug treatment centres

The fourth Caribbean Basin Coastal Surveillance and Maritime Security conference began in Barbados on Wednesday with the European Union announcing that it would provide Euro 2.5 million towards the fight against drug trafficking and international criminal networks in the Caribbean.

Head of the European Union Delegation to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Ambassador Mikael Barfod, said that the funding, which is being provided through the EU Seaport Co-operation Project (SEACOP) will assist with the establishment of joint national maritime intelligence units, a regional maritime information system, as well as regional and trans-regional networking and technical assistance.

The development of such infrastructure should lead to increased targeting of suspected vessels, a unified maritime intelligence system, increased drug seizures and enhanced multi-agency co-operation.

"Coastal surveillance and maritime security is very important to the Caribbean and Europe, since both have a common purpose, which is the eradication of drug trafficking in the region," the European diplomat told the two-day conference.

EU funding Caribbean fight against drug trafficking

There are 185 million people in the world chronically infected with hepatitis C virus, which attacks the liver and can cause liver cancer and cirrhosis. Around 350,000 people die as a result every year. Hepatitis C is blood-borne, may show no symptoms for years and, until recently, its treatment has been far from ideal. Even if you can get interferon and ribavirin, which are not available everywhere, the combination does not work in everybody. Those who are infected have felt stigmatised and neglected.

The recent breakthrough in treatment is, therefore, really good news. Drugs called direct-acting antivirals are going through the approvals process after excellent trials results. The leader of the pack is Gilead's sofosbuvir, licensed in Europe in November and the following month in the US. Janssen and Bristol Myers-Squibb are hard on their heels.

The cure rate seems close to 90%, which is incredibly good news for people infected with hepatitis C. But with most of the sufferers in middle-income countries and prices being set at very high levels for these new drugs, those who watched the delay in getting HIV treatment to poor countries think it is time to start agitating for access to these medicines in countries that will not find them easily affordable.

Médecins du Monde, in a new report, says we must learn the lessons from HIV. "New Treatments for Hepatitis C virus: Strategies for Achieving Universal Access" looks at the need and what companies like Gilead say they will do about it. The authors are not, as yet, impressed.

It is time to give access to medecines that can cure hepatitis C medicines in countries that will not find them easily affordable.

New hepatitis C drugs must be affordable worldwide, say campaigners

Opium poppies will soon be grown commercially in Victoria after a bill decriminalising the narcotic crop passed Victoria’s parliament last week.

Approved farmers will begin growing poppies under strict regulations as early as this year, creating an industry that Victoria’s agriculture minister, Peter Walsh, said could contribute $100m a year to the state’s economy.

“This would be a totally new addition to Victoria’s cropping sector and it is a very exciting opportunity for our farmers,” he said.

Under the Victorian poppy regime, growers and processors will have to register their contracts, keep extensive records and grow and dispose of their crops under tight security, subject to regular inspection by police and government inspectors.

Only a handful of countries, including Australia, Spain, France and India, are permitted by the UN to grow poppies, which are rich in morphine, thebaine and codeine, the primary ingredients of a host of pain-relieving medicines – as well as heroin.

Cultivation in Australia has for half a century been restricted to Tasmania, generating $120m a year for the island state, which produces 49% of the world’s legal supply.

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