The ‘War on Data’ in Africa, or how to provide an alternative discourse to the ‘War on Drugs’ within the international drug control system

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The ‘War on Data’ in Africa, or how to provide an alternative discourse to the ‘War on Drugs’ within the international drug control system

10 February 2016

By Anaïs Auvray

Over the last decade, the United Nations (UN) has shown concerns regarding the proliferation of illegal drug trafficking in Africa, defining it as a threat for both the international security and the development of African countries. However, when examining more closely the data used by the UN to assess the drug situation in Africa and justify its alarmist discourse, it is unclear whether the UN uses this data to fully assess the real issues at stake in Africa or simply to replicate a semblance of the ‘War on Drugs’ on the continent. Therefore, this Situation Analysis invites the readers to take part in a ‘War on Data’ in Africa.

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Related Profiles

  • Open Society Foundations (OSF)
  • Global Drug Policy Observatory (GDPO)

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