The Human Rights Council asserts its role in drug policy

On 8 October 2025, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted Resolution 60/26, ‘The human rights implications of drug policy’. The resolution – tabled by Colombia on behalf of a cross-regional Core Group composed of Albania, Brazil, Colombia, Greece, Guatemala, Portugal, Uruguay and Switzerland – was adopted without a vote, and supported by 35 co-sponsors.

The objective of the resolution was threefold: firstly, to assert the role of the HRC to engage in the human rights dimension of drug policy debates in its own right, instead of contributing to processes taking place in Vienna or New York; secondly, to strengthen the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in providing guidance and recommendations on how to better align drug policies with human rights instruments; and thirdly, to consolidate and expand human rights language in relation to drug policy.

In a way, all three objectives were achieved. This advocacy outlines and analyses the strategic importance of Resolution 60/26 and its implications for the future of drug policy.