IHRA's 'HR2' (Harm Reduction and Human Rights) team have released a new report entitled "Human Rights, Health and Harm Reduction: States' Amnesia and Parallel Universes”.
This Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme briefing paper presents a critical assessment of Plan Colombia. Originally proposed as a peace programme, this soon became a military strategy aimed at weakening the link between illicit drugs and insurgency.
This IDPC response describes and critiques the positions taken in the Report, and attempts to articulate the nature of the future challenges faced by member states as they prepare for the review meeting in March 2009.
There have been two primary sources of information for the evaluation of progress against the set of objectives and actions listed in the action plan - the latest Annual Report of the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction..
The European Commission has circulated a draft of the next action plan to member states for their comments This document is due to be debated by member states' representatives at two meetings of the Horizontal Working Group on Drugs (HDG) held, respectively, on 29 September, and 13/14 October 2008.
In partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and led by the Vienna Non Governmental Organisations Committee on Narcotic Drugs (VNGOC) 300 NGO delegates, from all regions of the world, met to debate and construct a consensus on policy recommendations and on mechanisms for NGOs and the government to work together.
The priorities of the French Presidency of the EU have been published and the fight against drugs and drug addiction has been expressly included as a constant objective essential to the protection of citizens. The French presidency will facilitate the negotiation of the new EU action plan against drugs for 2009 - 2012 and prepare EU positions and strategy for the CND.
Paola Barahona, MPH, a Global Health Policy Associate with Physicians for Human Rights, Washington, is reaching out to friends, family, and colleagues and asking them to consider signing the attached petition to the Government of Iran on behalf of Drs. Kamiar Alaei and Arash Alaei, physician brothers who have been working on HIV and drug use in Iran for many years.