Human rights

Events

From flawed review to real change: Indigenous and peasants’ rights and the future of the coca leaf

Geneva, Switzerland / Online

1 October 2026

IDPC and partners discuss the implications of the WHO's critical review of the coca leaf and explore how national and international mechanisms can better protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and coca-growing communities.

Publications12 October 2026

From personal use to drug trafficking offences in chemsex contexts: drug quantity thresholds established in INTCF reports

García Cortina and Azorín Ortega question the basis of quantity thresholds used in Spain to distinguish between possession and trafficking, highlighting implications for people engaging in chemsex and calling for greater transparency and safeguards.

Events

End violence against women and gender diverse people who use drugs (EVAWUD26)

World

25 November 2026 - 10 December 2026

The Women and Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN) calls for global action to end violence against women and gender diverse people who use drugs, promoting gender-responsive harm reduction, human rights and an end to punitive drug policies.

News1 October 2026

Asking uncomfortable questions: ensuring human rights and upholding the evidence – Ann Fordham interviews Laura Gil

Colombia's former ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Laura Gil, reflects on the independent review of the drug control system and its role in challenging the assumption that the international legal framework is not open to reform.

News29 September 2026

Civil society calls to confront systemic racism in drug control — Dialogue with the EMLER at HRC63

IDPC and partners welcomed the UN EMLER’s recognition of systemic racism in drug law enforcement and called for urgent action to address the racialised impacts of punitive drug policy.

News23 September 2026

How Bolivia's drug laws enable sexual torture

In Bolivia, out of 21 emblematic cases of sexual torture against women in police custody, 9 were linked to the enforcement of national drug laws.

Publications22 September 2026

Killing “narco-terrorists” at sea: The legality of military attacks on criminal groups and drug trafficking under international human rights law and other applicable international law

The UN Special Rapporteur concludes that US military attacks against people suspected of drug trafficking cannot be justified under international law and may constitute crimes against humanity.

News21 September 2026

UN must act on the disproportionate impact of drug policies on women — Civil society statement at HRC63

IDPC, formerly incarcerated women and civil society partners call for drug policies rooted in care rather than punishment, with women with lived experience at the centre of policymaking and greater action to address gender and structural inequalities.

News21 September 2026

Civil society warns of high risks from proposed herbicide spraying of coca crops in Colombia — Dialogue with the UN SR on toxics and human rights at HRC63

Dejusticia, Elementa and IDPC denounce plans to resume the use of hazardous herbicides in eradication efforts due to serious risks to rights, environment and communities' livelihoods.

Publications17 September 2026

Human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem, in particular on the impact of drug policies on the rights of women and girls

The OHCHR highlights how punitive approaches expose women and girls to disproportionate incarceration, violence, discrimination and barriers to services, and urges states to adopt a rights-based and gender-responsive perspective, including decriminalisation and responsible regulation.

Publications14 September 2026

Ghana National Dialogue on drug policy, human rights and health: Advancing from law to implementation

The report summarises the Dialogue's discussions, highlighting progress and implementation gaps under Act 1019 as well as priorities for strengthening harm reduction, treatment, human rights and public health responses.

Publications14 September 2026

Making children and young people visible in drug policy: A child rights-based agenda for reform

The Global Commission on Drug Policy calls for a child rights-based overhaul of drug policy, urging governments to move away from punitive approaches and ensure access to health services, essential controlled medicines, harm reduction and safeguards.

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