UN Special Rapporteurs write to Chair of CND offering guidance on human rights

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - Professor Manfred Nowak - and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health - Mr Anand Grover - have written to the Chairperson of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) to "offer guidance" regarding human rights issues that have arisen during the UN's ten-year drug strategy review. The Letter from the Special Rapporteurs gives comment on the draft political declaration and annex that have been prepared for discussion at a High Level Meeting at the UN in Vienna in March. In the letter, the Special Rapporteurs are deeply critical of the failure of the draft political declaration and annex to give any mention of harm reduction.