The Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic have laid bare the structural inequities within and across societies. Like healthcare, housing and criminal justice, drug policy too bears the marks of racism and colonialism. The brunt of punitive and prohibitive drug policies has long been borne by indigenous people and people of color across the world. How are these policies being challenged globally? Can decriminalization and legalization undo the harms of racist and imperialist drug wars? What does a truly decolonized global drug policy look like? Join a panel of speakers from the US, Latin America and Asia to discuss these questions, and to imagine a fair and just future for drug policy.

, Founding Director, Salvation and Social Justice


, Drug Policy Research Coordinator, DeJusticia


, Program Officer—Asia, Global Drug Policy Program, Open Society Foundations

Moderated by Kasia Malinowska, Director of the Global Drug Policy Program at Open Society Foundations and part-time lecturer at The New School.

Presented by the Julien J. Studley Graduate Programs in International Affairs at the Schools of Public Engagement and the Global Drug Program at the Open Society Foundations.

Decolonizing drug policy: Perspectives from the Americas and Asia

Hosted by the David F. Musto Center for Drug Policy Studies, Shanghai University; and the Graduate Institute Geneva

International drug control mechanisms are focused on the elimination of drug production, use and trafficking, through the operationalization of repressive public policies criminalizing these substances and their non-medical use.

The implementation of these policies has had a detrimental impact on other global development objectives, as recognized by the UN in 2008 and titled the 'Unintended consequences of drug control policies.

To explore the nexus between drug control and development policies, the David F. Musto Center for Drug Policy Studies, Shanghai University and International Development Policy, Graduate Institute Geneva present the Special Issue “Drug Policies and Development: Conflict and Coexistence".

This event will enable audiences in China to join a discussion with world experts on drug control and development policy, and to engage in a debate on different dimensions of drug policies.

18 January 2021 | 17:00 Shangai / 10:00 Geneva

Online - You can join this Zoom event via https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87447607738 | Meeting ID: 874 4760 7738

Prof. Yong-an Zhang, Dean, College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University, Director, David F. Musto Center for Drug Policy Studies, China

Dr. Khalid Tinasti, Director, Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP), Fellow at the Global Studies Institute at the University of Geneva, Switzerland

Prof. Julia Buxton, British Academy Global Professor in Criminology, Manchester University, UK

Ann Fordham, Executive Director, International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), UK

Dr. Ved Baruah, Assistant Professor of History, Shanghai University, China

Drug control and development policies

The New York NGO Committee on Drugs (NYNGOC) is a global committee that aims to support civil society organizations in engaging with the UN system on international drug policy and practice, facilitating the exchange of information between civil society organizations and UN agencies, member states, and other relevant UN bodies.

Since its formation in 1984, the NYNGOC has grown to represent over 100 civil society organizations across the world.

 to reflect on the past and congratulate its new Chair and Executive Committee members. The event will be held via Zoom on Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 3-4:30 PM ET.

NYNGOC social

On the day after the Scottish drug death figures will be released, join us for this special line up of international speakers. They will discuss drug policy reform, the history of the war on drugs, grassroots activism and how we can all get involved in creating change.

 - Peter talks about what we can do now within current frameworks following the Scottish drug deaths report from 15th December 2020. What are the DCRs and Scotland's next steps?

 -New York Times & International Best Selling Author of “Chasing the Scream” & “Lost Connections”. Johann will talk about his experiences and perceptions on the War On Drugs, Addictions & Grassroots Activism.

 - Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Helen will talk about drug policy and reform, prohibition, growing consensus for change and the next steps.

Helen will be introduced by the shadow Health secretary of Scotland: Monica Lennon

Peaceful solutions to the war on drugs

Both the development sector and the drug policy reform movement advocate for community participation in policy change, yet this is often overstated and under-valued. In this webinar we explore how to ensure impacted communities participate in drug policy reform and that legal regulation protects their livelihoods, espouses social justice and promotes equity

- Wednesday, 16 December 2020 - 15:30 PM

 -Programme Manager: Drug Use & Harm Reduction Alliance India

 - Independent Cannabis Advocate, Thailand

 - Activist, Alliance for Choice, N. Ireland

- Activist-researcher Kalpavriksh & Global Tapestry of Alternatives, India

 - Activist for Womens Rights in Cannabis, Morocco

, International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC)

This webinar will be in English, we are exploring options for live Spanish translation.

This webinar is part of a wider series exploring why the socially just legal regulation of drugs is vital for sustainable development. We will explore how drug policies intersect with some of the most pressing issues facing the development sector, and identify how to make sure legally regulated drug markets work for people along the supply chain.

Find more information on the webinar series here

 Brought to you by a coalition of drug policy reform experts and development organizations; International Drug Policy Consortium, Transform Drug Policy Foundation, Transnational Institute, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Instituto RIA, and Interdisciplinary Centre for Cannabis Research (ICCR) facilitated by Health Poverty Action.

Community participation and the legal regulation of drugs

The continued emergence of new substances and changing patterns of drug use requires new health and harm reduction responses. New approaches in this field are needed to regularly update existing data on new drug trends and drug using patterns.
To collect information and observations from the perspective of harm reduction services will help in the development of new and effective interventions. Can current monitoring efforts, including the Early Warning System, be complemented with input from grassroots organisations?

Within the framework of C-EHRN, efforts have been made to monitor new drug trends by Correlation’s Focal Points. The idea behind is that CSO have easy access to PWUD and therefor to information about developments on the local drug markets such as emerging new substances, new routes of administration, new groups of users or new and unmet demands by drug user communities.

The aim of the session will be to discuss opportunities, the struggles and limitations to monitor new drug trends accurately and timely from a civil society perspective.

More specifically we would like to discuss the following topics:

• Which barriers and critical factors hinder the effective monitoring of new drug trends?
• Which success factors are at place in those countries, where monitoring is implemented effectively?
• How can countries and CSO overcome barriers and learn from other experiences?


Rafaela Rigoni (Correlation-European Harm Reduction Network)

Daan van der Gouwe, Trimbos Institute – challenges and opportunities: what we learnt from the C EHRN monitoring of new drug trends (15 minutes)

André Noor, EMCDDA – monitoring and data collection on new drug trends (15 minutes)


3. Ireland – Tony Duffin, Ana Liffey
4. Switzerland – Dominique Schoori, Safer Party Zürich
5. Spain – Mireia Ventura, Energy Control

Panel Discussion and Questions and Answers (30 min)

Monitoring new drug trends by CSO's

The COVID-19 pandemic has once again demonstrated the harmful impact that criminal and punitive laws and their enforcement can have on the rights of marginalized populations. As 40 Years of the HIV epidemic have shown us, punitive approaches can actively undermine public health responses, increase stigma, discrimination and violence, creating barriers to accessing services. This is particularly the case for laws relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights, sex work, drug use, and those that target people based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

Please join us on International Human Rights Day for an important and timely online discussion on criminal laws in the context of human rights and public health. We will explore the issues, the evidence, best practices, and how to "Recover Better" in standing up for human rights.

Recovering better: The imperative to decriminalise

The 68º regular session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) will take place on 9-11 December 2020 in Bogotá, Colombia.

The session, presided by Colombia (currently holding the Vice-Presidency of CICAD) will follow a mixed onsite/remote format. Member States can nominate up to 2 delegates to the meeting in person.

All special guests, delegates, representatives of international and civil society organisations are welcome to join virtually. The formal invitation and access information will be shared on the website of CICAD in due course.

Sixty-eighth regular session of CICAD

Four years after the signing of a historic peace accord, hundreds of thousands of Colombian families continue to rely on the coca crop. The government, with U.S. support, has already broken its annual record for forced eradication, during the pandemic, and little of it has been coordinated with food security or rural development assistance. Now, a revival of a controversial aerial herbicide fumigation program is looming.

How are coca cultivating communities responding? How does all of this relate to the peace accord? What might happen if fumigation restarts? What are the costs of eradication, both financially and in terms of rights? Will pursuing the same strategies pursued during the past 30 years really yield a different result? What happened with the peace accords’ crop substitution program? What would a better coca policy look like? How should the new U.S. administration adjust its assistance programs?

WOLA, Elementa, CODHES, the Instituto Pensar of the Universidad Javeriana, the Alianza de Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida, and the Corporación Viso Mutop look forward to addressing these topics on Wednesday, December 9, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (U.S. eastern and Bogotá time).


Mujeres Tejedoras de Vida, Mocoa, Putumayo


Instituto Pensar, Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá

Simultaneous interpretation will be available

Coca and eradication four years into Colombia’s “Post-Accord” phase

While the 2020 U.S. elections delivered an unprecedented wave of victories for drug policy reform measures across all parts of the country, this year also brought to the forefront the most egregious aspects of the war on drugs and racial inequality, magnified through the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and too many others. Violence and police misconduct, especially against people of color, continues to be rationalized by being tied to victims’ alleged and actual involvement with drugs. At the same time, Black, Preto, and BAME communities have suffered some of the worst health related effects of COVID-19.

In this discussion we bring together UN experts on racism and discrimination, parliamentarians, journalists, and activists to look at how race, drugs, and repression affect the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, and how these new, but not novel, abuses of power can be addressed effectively, through high-level policy change and tireless activism on the streets.

, an initiative to spark conversations on priorities for the future, obstacles to achieving them, and the role of international cooperation in making progress.

Sheila de Carvalho,
Doudou Ndoye Diene,
Kassandra Frederique,
Aqeela Sherrils,
Simon Woolley

UN75—Race, COVID-19, and the War on Drugs

December 2020 marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules). As we approach this milestone, we consider progress – and delay – in making the Rules a reality for all women in contact with the criminal justice system.

Progress has been made in some areas, and this is to be celebrated. But ten years on since the adoption of the Bangkok Rules, implementation of the Rules has been piecemeal and insufficient – and most notably, the global female prison population has increased. Join us as we hear from women that have experienced criminal justice systems and advocates working at international and national level, to consider progress and possibilities for the future.

Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations

Anand Grover, Global Commission on Drug Policy, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, and Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India

Ten years of the UN Bangkok Rules: Progress and possibilities

Tríona Lenihan, Policy and International Advocacy Manager, Penal Reform International

Impact of responses to drug-related offences on women

Rosma Karlina, AKSI Keadilan Indonesia (Action for Justice Indonesia)

Gabriela Cruz and Corina Giacomello, EQUIS Justicia para las Mujeres, Mexico

Implementing the UN Bangkok Rules in Kenya: achievements and challenges

Jane Kuria, Chief Executive Officer, Faraja Foundation, Kenya

Implementing the UN Bangkok Rules in Thailand: the Model Prison Project

Dr. Nathee Chitsawang, Advisor, Thailand Institute of Justice

Moderator: Olivia Rope, Executive Director ad interim, Penal Reform International

The UN Bangkok Rules at 10: Progress and possibilities

, a partnership of civil society organisations based in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, The Netherlands and Ukraine, celebrates its 20th anniversary!

Since 2001 we are building bridges between East and West, we promote health and increase the access of key populations to prevention, treatment and care for major public health concerns such as HIV, TB, viral hepatitis, and sexual and reproductive health in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

, the Amsterdam-based partner, invites you to join an online talk with experts about its work for marginalized groups in Eastern Europe and Central Asia – groups that lack access to health services because of persistent stigma and discrimination

Bob Deen, Senior Research Fellow/ Coordinator Russia and Eastern Europe Centre at Clingendael

There are many issues at stake in the EECA region; the political unrest, armed and frozen conflicts, a civil society that desires change. These issues influence access to health services and therefore the health of citizens. Current situation could be a tipping point. What diplomatic opportunities do the EU and the Netherlands have to support local governments and civil society in the EECA region to contribute to a healthy future?

Sasha Volgina, Programme manager at GNP+

Civil Society Organisations in the EECA region have become strong and vocal to advocate for human rights and freedoms. Local authorities do not fully recognize the vital role of CSOs in society, especially in their role for the marginalized and discriminated groups. Support to EECA based CBOs and NGOs is very limited to none. What can we do to enhance a favorable, financial environment for CSOs? What are the benefits of a collaboration between East and West?

Please, watch the event online on 3 December at 11.30 (CET) on Youtube!

The meeting will be held in English and translated into Russian.

Past Events