Publications14 August 2025
Translating UN commitments into action – An advocacy primer on the UN thematic report: ‘Drug use, harm reduction and the right to health’
The Translating UN Commitments into Action series unpacks key international norms and guidance — why they matter and how to use them in your work. Available in English, French, and Spanish, these primers are designed to help you turn global standards into local action.
Drug policy is facing a long-overdue reckoning on the right to health. This new primer in the Translating UN Commitments into Action series unpacks the landmark 2024 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health — the strongest yet in placing harm reduction at the centre of a rights-based approach to drug use. Released at a moment of growing UN recognition of the human rights harms caused by punitive drug control, the report calls for decriminalisation, expanded harm reduction services, and the responsible regulation of drugs. This publication breaks down what the Special Rapporteur recommended, why it matters, and how you can use it to push for evidence-based, rights-affirming reforms in your context.
Available in English, French, and Spanish.
