UN highlights role of drug war in racist policing

By Naomi Burke-Shyne and Ajeng Larasati / TalkingDrugs

On 28th June the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released its report, “Agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality,” which highlights the pervasiveness of discrimination faced by Africans and people of African descent around the world. It points to the fact that ‘systemic racism and enduring harmful and degrading associations of Blackness with criminality and delinquency also shape interactions of people of African descent with law enforcement officials and the criminal justice system.’

The report speaks to how drug control props up racist systems and explicitly calls for states to remove laws and practices that act as incentives to perpetuate racial discrimination in law enforcement and the criminal justice system – including by reforming drug policies, laws and practices with discriminatory outcomes, in line with international human rights standards.