This book examines the descent of the global war on drugs into a war on people who use drugs. From Puerto Rico to Phnom Penh, Manipur to Moscow, the scars of this war are carried on the bodies and minds of drug users, their families, and the health and service providers who work with them.
In March 2009 – at the 52nd Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs(CND) in Vienna – IHRA launched a short paper examining civil society engagement with the Commission (the main UN body tasked with addressing global drug policy).
With the goal to assess the 10-year progress in Eastern Europe after the 1998 UNGASS on drugs, Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) conducted a review in 4 countries of the region: Georgia, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine, all of which have experienced a major increase in drug related problems. The report calls for a more balanced approach to drug policy with investment in public health and human rights. The report is available English and Russian.
With the goal to assess the 10-year progress in Eastern Europe after the 1998 UNGASS on drugs, Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN) conducted a review in 4 countries of the region: Georgia, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine, all of which have experienced a major increase in drug related problems. The report calls for a more balanced approach to drug policy with investment in public health and human rights. The report is available English and Russian.
Under Portugal's new regime, people found guilty of possessing small amounts of drugs are sent to a panel consisting of a psychologist, social worker and legal adviser for appropriate treatment (which may be refused without criminal punishment), instead of jail. The question is, does the new policy work?
The International AIDS Society letter to the CND calls for the inclusion of evidence-based support for harm reduction, and for essential medicines for OST and palliative care into the global frameworks for control of narcotic drugs.
In this letter, the Special Rapporteurs are deeply critical of the failure of the draft UN political declaration and annex to give any mention of harm reduction.
This proceedings document provides the reader with a summary of what happened at the 52nd session of the CND and its High Level Segment and offers an analysis of some of the key discussions and debates.