Human rights

Events

63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council

Geneva, Switzerland

7 September 2026

The 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council provides an important forum for advancing human rights worldwide, including in relation to drug policies and their impacts on affected communities.

News2 September 2026

United States: UN experts demand end to unlawful killings at sea, as one-year death toll hits 223

UN experts condemn US military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, stressing that enforcement responses to trafficking are governed by human rights law.

Events

The U.S. 'war on drugs' meets the 'war on terror': Lawless killings overseas while communities suffer at home

New York City, United States

2 September 2026

As the US intensifies its militarised approach to drug policy in the name of 'narcoterrorism', the Drug Policy Alliance and the Center for Constitutional Rights discuss how this framing legitimises state violence and undermines human rights.

News28 August 2026

Legal regulation: Justice, profit and The Next Fix

In conversation with IDPC's outgoing Executive Director Ann Fordham, Kojo Koram explores the forces shaping drug policy’s future, from colonialism and racialised criminalisation to corporate capture and reparative measures.

Publications26 August 2026

Stigma reduction road-map for people who use drugs in Ghana

UNAIDS and partners call for sustained, locally owned action to tackle discrimination, expand harm reduction and strengthen the meaningful participation of people who use drugs.

News19 August 2026

Singapore: UN experts condemn unlawful executions for drug offences

UN experts call on Singapore to immediately halt executions for drug offences, after at least 16 people have been executed since the start of 2026.

Blog13 August 2026

IDPC labelled 'undesirable' by the Russian Federation

IDPC’s designation as an ‘undesirable organisation’ exemplifies Russia’s crackdown on civil society and human rights and, while it will not deter our work, it poses serious risks for people in Russia who engage with or share it.

Events

Responding to police in health service settings: Know your rights, protect your clients

Online

13 August 2026

The event offers practical tools for health and harm reduction service providers in British Columbia to protect clients’ rights and reduce unwanted police interference.

Publications29 July 2026

Killing Spree: Extrajudicial executions in the U.S. boat strikes campaign

WOLA documents how the US' lethal bombing campaign amounts to extrajudicial execution, has had little impact on cocaine trafficking, and demands an immediate end and accountability.

Blog28 July 2026

Ghana’s drug policy reform must move beyond law into practice

Health, justice and civil society actors examined how Ghana can turn Act 1019 into effective harm reduction services, alternatives to punishment, and rights-based practices.

Publications23 July 2026

Ten years of the Brandenburg Forum on Drugs and Development Policies - Anniversary report

The Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development reflects on ten years of the Brandenburg Forum and its contribution to more humane, development-oriented, evidence-based and rights-affirming drug policies.

Publications20 July 2026

Counter-terrorism law, organised crime and human rights — Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism

IDPC, CELS, HRI and WOLA warn that conflating drug trafficking with terrorism enables unlawful military action, weakens human rights protections and restricts civil society space.

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