Webinar 4 – Fighting Disinformation and Moral Panics


June 18, 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Drug policies are often influenced by sensational media reporting that fuels moral panics about drugs and leads to the othering of people who use drugs. The spread of disinformation is a major barrier to drug policy reform, undermines basic norms and values like human rights and scapegoats civil society organisations. This webinar addresses strategies to fight disinformation in an age that is often characterised as post-truth. Participants will discuss what methods they use to educate the public about drugs and drug policies and how to defend civil society from politically motivated attacks.

Fighting disinformation and moral panics - Correlation webinar series

: The main aim of this webinar is to share experiences of interventions which support safety at music festivals and nightlife events.

: Music festivals are common in Europe during the summer and attract high numbers of participants, especially young people. They may last several days.

This webinar addresses current and innovative practices to make festivals and nightlife settings a safer and healthier environment for the participants and professionals involved.

Professionals from different festivals/countries across Europe will discuss their experiences, challenges and strategies to reduce risks and improve safety.

The EMCDDA’s approach to fostering safe festivals and healthy nightlife is to prevent risky behaviours by raising awareness on harm-reduction interventions.

Gabriel Borkowski, Dáth2 Psyhelp, Hungary

: EMCDDA opening remarks, panellists’ questions, guided discussion, Q&A.

Participants will respond to the following questions:

Can you describe the festival or event in which you intervene?

What are the typical behaviours your interventions address?

What are your strategies, challenges and success stories? What would you define as a best practice to be shared?

How do you see trends at festivals unfolding in the coming years?

Webinar: Safe festivals and healthy nightlife — sharing experiences among practitioners

Webinar 3 – Meaningful Involvement of Civil Society

The meaningful involvement of civil society is now widely accepted in Europe as a crucial part of policy making. However, there is little or no consensus on what constitutes “meaningful” involvement. This webinar will present a new tool developed by the EU Civil Society Forum on Drugs in 2022, the Quality Standards of Civil Society Involvement, and the findings of a focus group study to assess civil society involvement in four European countries (Hungary, Finland, Greece and Ireland). Participants will discuss the often opposing views on the role of civil society, the challenges and opportunities of civil society involvement in various political contexts at European, national and local levels. The webinar will address the worrying trend of shrinking space for civil society in Europe.

Meaningful involvement of civil society - Correlation webinar series

We are pleased to invite you to a webinar discussing the 

. The Report was published together with the New York NGO Committee on Drugs in preparation for the 2024 mid-term review of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and showcases the insights of more than 200 NGOs.


To accommodate participants from various time zones, we will be hosting two sessions of the webinar:

The webinar will feature an in-depth presentation of the 

 by VNGOC & NYNGOC board members and provide a platform for interactive discussions.

Global Civil Society Report for the 2024 CND mid-term review

Hotel President Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland / Online

On the occasion of the 77th World Health Assembly, we would like to warmly invite you to the second edition of the WHA Inter-Ministerial Dialogue, co-organized by the Global Commission on Drug Policy and the World Health Organization (WHO).

This year, the event - "Charting Paths, Strengthening the Present and Navigating the Future of Harm Reduction" - will take place on Monday, 27 May at 13:00-14:30, at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland. A light buffet lunch will be served.

Please confirm your attendance by 21 May. 

Kindly specify your preferred format of participation (in person or online), along with your name, title, and affiliation, by email to secretariat @ globalcommissionondrugs.org.

For remote participation, the Zoom link is in the attached flyer (via short link and QR code), and can be found here.

Please feel free to share this link with interested colleagues and stakeholders, particularly those working on drug policy and related matters in Vienna and in your capitals.

We look forward to your participation and valuable contributions.

Charting paths, strengthening the present and navigating the future of harm reduction

 22 May 2024, 10AM CEST (Vienna time, UTC+2).

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) will host a civil society hearing for the INCB board members in the margins of the 140th session. The hearing will be on the topic of “

scenarios and possible responses to the rapid expansion of synthetic drug manufacture, trafficking, marketing and consumption

Up to 8 NGOs will have the possibility to present their work and positioning on this issue during the two hour meeting. In order to ensure an inclusive, comprehensive and meaningful civil society participation, the VNGOC will once again coordinate and select contributions from around the world. The VNGOC will follow our 

Each speaker will have 5-7 minutes to present their work on the topic of 

"scenarios and possible responses to the rapid expansion of synthetic drug manufacture, trafficking, marketing and consumption"

. Selected speakers will be asked to send in their statements or videos including transcripts before the hearing. All abstracts have to be submitted in English.

In order to apply for a speaking slot, please fill out

efore 3 May 2024, 11.45pm CEST (Vienna time)

. Please make sure that your abstract is relevant to the topic of the event, and clearly describes what you will be presenting about. Selected candidates will be notified as soon as possible.

INCB civil society hearing 2024 (Theme: Synthetic drugs - Scenarios and responses)

Please join us on Monday 13 May at 12.00 CET for the launch of the 

2024 Manifesto for a Progressive EU Drug Policy

 through a conversation on the future of European drug policy that will feature Members of the European Parliament and keynote European civil society speakers.

Please kindly register for the event through 

More than 260 European drug policy NGOs and 130 drug policy experts from 25 EU Member States have already signed the 2024 Manifesto for a progressive EU drug policy. We are coming together to call for a pragmatic and innovative EU drug policy that makes Europe safer, healthier, and more just.

If you want to support the manifesto, please make sure to:

Encourage your drug policy networks and colleagues to sign the manifesto.

Share the manifesto on social media with the hashtag #FutureDrugPolicyEU24.

If you want to get more involved in the campaign by translating the manifesto to your language or organizing a local launch event, please reach out to arogialli@correlation-net.org and kschiffer@correlation-net.org.

You can find the manifesto in Czech, English, Estonian, French, German, Italian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Romanian, and Spanish, and the list of signatories, 

Thank you very much for your support, and we are looking forward to seeing you on Monday 13 for the launch of the manifesto.

Manifesto for a Progressive EU Drug Policy 2024 - Launch event

The United Nations Civil Society Conference is the premier event on the civil society calendar at the United Nations. The Conference offers civil society organizations an opportunity to put a global perspective on a specific issue and brings together senior UN System officials, prominent international civil society organizations, youth changemakers, academia, public opinion makers, and international media to discuss issues of global concern. This international forum, expected to host some 1500 participants, will provide preliminary discussions and data ahead of the Summit of the Future in September 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Since 1947, sixty-eight civil society conferences have resulted in successful outcomes due to previous interactions with civil society organizations.

Participation & 'The Future of Drug Policy'

As part of the stakeholder consultations to feed into the Summit of the Future, the 

 will focus on the Summit of the Future. With the aim to open room for drug policy voices the Vienna & New York NGO Committees on Drugs are convening an 

 for the upcoming Civil Society Conference in Nairobi (9-10 May).

The title of our coalition and session is as follows: »

 and the recommendations identified therein. The proposed agenda is available 

As one of the initial steps of the ImPACT Coalition we’ll 

session at the Civil Society Conference on 10 May 2024, 12.30-14.00 EAT (UTC+3)

The outcomes of the session on 10 May will feed into the Chair’s summary of the Civil Society Conference and are an important opportunity to try to ensure that drug related issues are also taken into consideration at the Summit of the Future.

We invite all interested stakeholders to contribute to the session!

Please share this with your respective partners and networks to ensure a wide as possible opportunity to engage.

2024 UN Civil Society Conference —Highlight: 'Drug Policy for the Future'

 Open Society Foundations located at 224 West 57th Street, New York.

International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP)

, is hosting a Dialogue on 'Harmony in Healing: Indigenous-led solutions in Substance Use Policy' to expand philanthropic advocacy, establishing relationships and dialogue with the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). The dialogue will focus on assessing the prioritization given to drug policies impacting Indigenous Peoples and exploring potential collaboration on a report integrating substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction with Indigenous-led innovations. 

The aim is to initiate meaningful and collaborative engagement between Indigenous leaders/experts and key UNPFII representatives, specifically the Chair, addressing the critical issue of substance use disorder treatment among Indigenous Peoples affected by drug policies.

Kindly note that this session is divided into two panel discussions.

 Panel Discussion: Impacts of drugs use and policy on Indigenous Peoples and strategies and solutions.

 Panel Discussion: UNPFII and EMRIP Chair and Indigenous Leaders

Understanding the Current Landscape of substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction and Indigenous-led innovations, identifying shared aspirations and opportunities for coordinated philanthropic support.

Advancing Collective Knowledge and diverse perspectives on Indigenous-led care for people who use drugs, including substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction, fostering an exchange of ideas, experiences, and strategies for collective action

Enhance collaboration and partnership with UNPFII and EMRIP for collective advocacy for Indigenous Peoples

Creating a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences, and strategies is crucial for advancing collective knowledge on Indigenous-led substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction.

Influence the global philanthropic sector to value and respect Indigenous views, center Indigenous leadership, and increase funding resources for Indigenous Peoples impacted by drug policies.

Lay the foundation for a collaborative and impactful partnership between Indigenous leaders, UNPFII, EMRIP and other key stakeholders, fostering positive change and advancement in substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction and Indigenous-led responses.

 UNPFII members, EMRIP Members, Indigenous Leaders and experts, representatives from UN Agencies, and philanthropic communities.

 The session will provide simultaneous interpretation in English and Spanish.

For any questions and clarifications: please contact: Chanda Thapa Magar- chanda@internationalfunders.org and/or Anabel Lopez: anabel@internationalfunders.org

Harmony in healing: Indigenous-led solutions in substance use policy

The 67th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) took place from March 14-22, 2024, in Vienna, Austria. For the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), it was an opportunity to engage with delegates from the CEECA region countries, co-sponsor side events, participate and ask questions in the informal dialogues with WHO, UNAIDS and UNODC, and advocate for progressive drug policies centered around public health and human rights.

Webinar will be in English and Russian languages.

Harm reduction, the 'Vienna spirit', and the pro-reform coalition - Follow-up to #CND67

Monday April 15, 9:00pm ET | Tuesday April 16, 9:00am PHT

As Mayor of Davao City and then President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte orchestrated a campaign of widespread extrajudicial killings in the Philippine drug war. Now the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court, the Duterte drug war according to the government has claimed more than 6,000 lives, while NGOs believe the true number is upwards of 30,000. Since late during the Duterte presidency and continuing under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., drug war killings reported by media outlets in the Philippines have continued at a rate of about one per day.

Adding to the the suffering of victims/survivors, burial plots rented by the government have expiration dates, leading to cremations when families can't pay or sometimes without their knowledge. In addition to the indignity, this is also a potential evidentiary issue for the ICC. The AJ Kalinga Foundation's Program Paghilom helps families make arrangements for their loved ones' remains, with ritual to provide closure, and conducts forensic examinations, as part of a support framework that includes education, legal support and other basic needs.

International Center for Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma

, Founder and Executive Director, Rock Ed Philippines and head of its 

Fr. Flaviano Villanueva SVD is a leading human rights advocate in the Philippines. He will discuss the work of Program Paghilom, including its efforts to document and memorialize extrajudicial killings in the Duterte drug war while helping victims/survivors move forward with their lives.

Dr. Yael Danieli, a clinical psychologist, psychohistorian, victimologist and traumatologist, will discuss the challenges faced by victims/survivors of atrocities, the role of victims in relation to cases at the International Criminal Court, and the concept of reparative justice in international law. She will also discuss the impact that trauma from mass atrocities has on future generations, a phenomenon recognized by the ICC for the first time in the Uganda Dominic Ongwen prosecution.

Gang Badoy Capati is the founder of Rock Ed Philippines and Project: Steady Asia, and is a trauma therapist and trained media literacy instructor with a background in media, documentary filmmaking, education and publishing. She will discuss victims' trauma in the context of events and conditions in The Philippines.

Victims move forward from the Philippine drug war

The ‘Vienna Spirit’ shatters: Report of the 67th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and its high-level segment

Join us for a debrief session on the 67th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) to discuss progress, gridlocks and potential ways forward for the UN drug control regime.

Monday, 8 April (13:00 - 14:30 - London time).

, International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC)

Keynote speaker: H.E. Ambassador Laura Gil

, Permanent Representative of
Colombia to the UN in Vienna

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC)

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

, International Indigenous Peoples Drug Policy Alliance

 International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD)

Past Events