The UN Expert Mechanism on Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement calls for a fundamental shift away from punitive and militarised drug policies towards decriminalisation, responsible regulation and approaches grounded in racial justice, human rights, public health and community participation.
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.
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.
This roundtable explores how punitive drug policies are fuelling digital systems of surveillance, exclusion and institutional violence, and how cross-movement advocacy can advance harm reduction, accountability and safety.
Gannon et al. find that anti-Latine bias can increase public support for punitive drug-induced homicide laws in the United States, underscoring how racialised assumptions continue to shape drug policy.
IDPC and civil society partners highlight the deep-rooted racial inequalities in drug law enforcement, urging for reforms to dismantle systemic harm and discrimination.
IDPC welcomes Resolution 60/26 as a landmark affirmation of the Council's authority to address the human rights implications of drug policy, strengthening the UN human rights system and reinforcing calls for health-, rights- and evidence-based drug policies globally.
The upcoming critical review process offers a chance to de-schedule the coca leaf, mitigating prohibition's environmental and social harms, affirming Indigenous rights, and reforming colonial, punitive drug policies.
Montgomery et al. find that U.S. cannabis legalisation reduced overall drug seizures, but racial disparities persisted, underscoring the need for more systemic change.
Health Poverty Action proposes restructuring illegal trades to prioritise public health, equity, and sustainability rather than reproducing harmful market practices.
The UN Human Rights Council denounced the country's racialised drug policing and recommended the decriminalisation of simple possession and the de-prioritisation of people involved in retail.
