The law imposes mandatory prison sentences on people repeatedly charged for drug use, deepening poverty and marginalisation, while failing to address health issues.
IDPC urged Member States to move from punishment to care by decriminalising drug use, funding harm reduction, and backing the communities already protecting life.
27 UN human rights experts from 19 mandates call for a fundamental shift towards decriminalisation, harm reduction, evidence-based regulation, care and support, warning that punitive and militarised drug policies continue to drive serious human rights violations.
IDPC joins this civil society call for the UN’s main drug control entities to unequivocally condemn the use of the death penalty for drug offences and ensure that international cooperation does not contribute to further executions.
Drug offences account for almost half of all confirmed executions worldwide, despite failing to meet the international law threshold of the 'most serious crimes'.
Criminal penalties for drug use and possession continue to drive prison overcrowding and coercive treatment in Thailand, undermining health, dignity and access to care.
The global coalition argues that the US's attacks on small boats are illegal under international law and devastating to the ecnomies of coastal communities.
EECA communities and civil society call on governments to ensure that the 2026 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS protects community-led responses, removes punitive barriers, and sustains harm reduction.
The Lancet underscores how punitive drug laws continue to fuel HIV risk, stigma and exclusion for people who use drugs, despite growing calls for reform.
