5th Brandenburg Forum in Geneva: Expanding the conversation on the human rights implications of drug policy - Meeting report

The 5th Brandenburg Forum in Geneva took place on 12–13 May 2025 at the Warwick Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland. The Forum was hosted by the Swiss Confederation; the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); the Office of the Commissioner of the German Federal Government for Drug and Addiction Policy; the Government of the Netherlands; the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services; the Transnational Institute (TNI); and the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC).

The meeting forms part of a long-running series of events organised under the framework of the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD), which is implemented by GIZ on behalf of BMZ. The main Brandenburg Forums have taken place annually in Germany since 2016, with additional Geneva conferences held since 2021. These Forums offer a unique opportunity for key government and United Nations (UN) officials to engage alongside academic, civil society, and community experts. To create a safe space for open and strategic discussions, the Forums are held under the Chatham House Rule, allowing participants to use the information shared without disclosing the identities of speakers without their consent.

The 5th Brandenburg Forum in Geneva was attended by 63 participants, including government representatives from Albania, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, and Uruguay. Officials also participated from the European Union; the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR); the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB); the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT); the World Health Organization (WHO); as well as several representatives from civil society organisations and academia.