IDPC Publications

A key role and added value of IDPC is the production of policy analysis for a broad range of audiences including academia, civil society and policy makers. The majority of these publications are collaborations with members and partners, and are translated into multiple languages to support and facilitate advocacy.

Results 1 to 12 of 481

15 September 2025

Guaranteeing the rights of young people and substance use in contexts of armed conflict in the Colombian Amazon - Submission to the UN CESCR on Colombia

IDPC and A la Orilla del Río highlight how prohibitionism continues to shape the lives of young people in the Colombian Amazon, where gaps between policy and practice perpetuate stigmatisation and deny rights.

10 September 2025

30 recommendations from civil society for an EU Drugs Strategy that is effective, inclusive and grounded in reality

The CSFD calls for an EU Drugs Strategy that puts health, human rights and equity at its core — moving from political statements to real action, with civil society as a full partner.

4 September 2025

Civil society perspectives on the ASEAN Work Plan on Drugs 2016–2025 – Submission to ASEAN review process

Civil society exposes punitive harms and rights violations, while urging a shift towards health, harm reduction, decriminalisation, justice reform, and sustainable livelihoods.

13 August 2025

Vienna after consensus: Report of the 68th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

IDPC highlights the creation of an independent review and deepening divides on harm reduction, human rights, and Indigenous rights.

21 July 2025

Comparing drug policies: An assessment of the validity and reliability of the global drug policy index

Bewley-Taylor et al. find the GDPI useful for comparing international drug policy, and suggest improvements to better handle uncertainty and diverse data.

17 July 2025

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

The Forum urged periodic HRC resolutions, stronger UN coordination, an operational expert panel, and sustained harm reduction funding, highlighting Indigenous rights, decriminalisation, and civil society inclusion as key priorities.

4 June 2025

Triggering injustice: State violence in the name of drug control — IDPC joint submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on summary, extrajudicial or arbitrary executions

IDPC and fellow NGOs expose how militarised drug policies fuel extrajudicial killings and systemic abuse, urging urgent global reforms to uphold human rights and end impunity.

20 May 2025

Repairing the “machinery”: Recommendations and expectations for the independent review of international drug policy commitments

IDPC lays out key considerations and aspirations for the independent panel established by the CND to review the UN drug control system, highlighting potential pitfalls to avoid to make this review count.

19 May 2025

Harm reduction works! A call to invest in a European health-based drug policy

The upcoming strategy Drug Strategy offers an opportunity to remediate the lack of adequate support for harm reduction services and promote health outcomes and rights.

26 February 2025

Righting a historical wrong: The UN review of the international status of the coca leaf

IDPC provides background information on the scheduling of the coca leaf in the international drug control treaties, outlines the ECDD coca review process, and makes the human rights case for the removal of the plant from the treaty schedules.

14 February 2025

‘Welfare and control: The paternalism of support’ - Contribution to the upcoming report of the UN SR on extreme poverty

IDPC, HRI, and Youth RISE highlight how drug policies exacerbate poverty through exclusion from housing, social benefits, education, and employment, reinforcing stigma and discrimination.

12 February 2025

9th Brandenburg Forum on Drugs and Development Policies report - 'Boosting transformative change in global drug policies: Promoting human-centred approaches to cocaine markets and beyond'

The Forum addressed transformative strategies for global drug policies, emphasizing human-centered approaches, harm reduction, and sustainable development.