In Moscow alone there are more than 30,000 people who use drugs and activists there allege that people who use drugs are frequently denied their rights.
Following the dramatic executions of drug traffickers in April 2015, the Indonesian government decided to step up its anti-narcotics efforts, reinforcing public condemnation of drugs while slashing activists' hopes for progressive reforms.
After a UNODC paper promoting drug decriminalisation was leaked, UNODC claimed that the paper did not constitute a policy position. Transform analyses the full story behind the controversial paper.
The goal of the hearing was to update member states on Civil Society Task Force activities as well as to provide valuable input from civil society in preparation for the 2016 UNGASS on drugs.
Ahead of the UNGASS 2016, senior representatives of several United Nations agencies have taken part in a high-level multi-stakeholder perspective in Geneva to discuss the intersections between public health, human rights and the world drug problem.
The legislation has created the first statewide licensing and operating rules for cannabis growers and retailers, prompting a divided reaction among advocates.
Speaking ahead of the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, two United Nations human rights experts urge States and the international community to prioritise universal and non-discriminatory availability and access to palliative care and pain relief treatment to anyone in need.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the agency that has overseen the global drug war for 50 years, has been blocked from announcing its momentous new position – that all countries should decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use.