Middle East / North Africa

Publications10 May 2023

The legalization of the cultivation of cannabis in Lebanon - Moralistic views vs the right to health

Skoun sheds light on the evolution of practices and laws on cannabis in Lebanon and outlines much-needed reforms to ensure medicinal access.

Publications29 March 2023

The death penalty for drug offences: Global overview 2022

HRI's twelfth report documents the drastic increase of drug-related executions that have taken place over the course of 2022, the inadequate responses of institutional actors, and the robust resistance of civil society.

News14 February 2023

Iran hangs 50 people this year

Almost 70% of the people executed were condemned in relation to drug offences.

Publications18 January 2023

The Cape Declaration on decriminalising poverty and status

Participants convened by the Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status outline the harms of criminalisation for marginalised groups and call for urgent action to curb them through legal reforms, further research and funding for civil society.

News29 November 2022

Halt executions for drug offences in Saudi Arabia - Open letter by civil society organisations

IDPC joins over 30 civil society organisations in urging international drug control bodies to call on the Saudi Arabian government to immediately halt executions for drug offences.

News30 September 2022

Drug executions in Iran are back on the rise

Despite a decrease at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, killings have recently accelerated amidst social unrest and lessened international pressure.

Events

Policing and vulnerability in Africa - Advanced human rights course,

Online

4 September 2022 - 8 September 2022

The course seeks to build a community of practitioners in the continent who can become active advocates for increase accountability of the police.

Events

14th Biennial International Conference on Drugs, Alcohol and Society in Africa

Abuja, Nigeria

25 October 2022 - 26 October 2022

the context of a growing demand for the modernization of the international drug control system, the major theme of the 2022 conference is “Towards the Reform of Drug Law and Policy in Africa: Research, Practice and Advocacy Considerations”.

News1 July 2022

Drug law reform should be among the priorities of the Lebanese parliament

Five organisations operating in Lebanon urge the new parliament to reform harmful punitive drug laws.

News8 June 2022

Afghanistan’s opium problem requires a humanitarian solution

Opium cultivation is a lifeline to many Afghans, which is why eradication demands by the international community could prove catastrophic.

News7 June 2022

Africa and the global illicit economy - Drugs and Development Hub regional conversation

The challenges posed by illicit drug markets in the African continent speak volumes of pervasive gaps in access to sustainable formal livelihoods.

Events

Annual convening of the Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status

Stellenbosch, South Africa

26 September 2022 - 28 September 2022

This year’s annual convening of the Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status will be an in-person event, held in Stellenbosch, South Africa from 27 – 29 September, 2022.

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