The International Drug Policy Consortium has started a drug policy mapping project across 10 countries in Asia (India, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Laos and Cambodia).

The goal of the project is to gain a better understanding of drug policy making in the region. We are particularly interested in identifying the key policy actors, especially organisations who are engaged in policy advocacy. In an attempt to avoid the trap of "intra-disiplanary capture," where one only frames the issue from their own perspective, I'm keen to define drug policy as widely as possible.

In order to understand the process of drug policy making, we have developed a data collection website. The website seeks to gather data on a range of topics relevant to the policy process. I would be extremely grateful if you could get the ball rolling by logging into the site and having your say.

If you are tweeting this info, please use: @drugpolicydata

Click here to access the Drug Policy Data website.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

IDPC drug policy mapping project in Asia

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) seeks an entry-level administrative staff person to work with program staff. The Program Assistant provides administrative support to senior staff within a fast-paced human rights organization working in Washington and Latin America. S/he will have initiative, excellent problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate effectively in both English and Spanish. The position is for two years, subject to an evaluation at the end of the first three months, and brings a committed individual into contact with the human rights, religious, and foreign policy communities in Washington and Latin America. WOLA’s Washington office has a paid staff of 18, plus seven interns and five fellows.

The deadline for application is on Wednesday, June 26, 2013.

Draft correspondence; copy-edit and format documents.

Assist with publication and distribution of reports, memos, press work, and other materials.

Assist in the coordination of public events, conferences, and delegations.

Maintain contact with U.S. and Latin American NGOs, attend coalition meetings, and accompany Latin American delegations while in Washington.

Monitor relevant congressional hearings and legislation.

Manage an intern in coordination with the Intern Coordinator.

Maintain and update website and social media content.

Coordinate travel, meetings, and scheduling for associates.

Other duties, including research assistance, will be assigned depending on the Associates’ needs and Assistant’s abilities.

A demonstrated commitment to human rights, democracy, and social justice in Latin America.

Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills.

Spanish and English fluency required. Written translation experience highly desired.

Excellent organizational and administrative skills, follow-through, and attention to detail. Event planning skills preferred.

Experience working or living in Latin America preferred.

Human rights, political advocacy, and/or Capitol Hill experience highly desired.

Computer maintenance and IT trouble-shooting skills a plus.

High level of initiative and ability to work independently, as well as work on a team.

Flexibility; ability to work in a small, fast-paced, dynamic office environment with frequent international visitors.

Knowledge of desktop publishing, database management, and website maintenance a plus.

SALARY: $33,000, full health, dental, vision, and life insurance, three weeks annual vacation.

TIME COMMITMENT: Two-year commitment, subject to a favorable evaluation after the first three months.

APPLICATIONS DUE BY: Wednesday, June 26, 2013.
START DATE: Immediately.

TO APPLY: Please submit in English the following items in one PDF document electronically to PASearch@wola.org.

A list of two references with daytime telephone numbers and email addresses

Only candidates authorized to work in the U.S. without any restrictions need apply.

For more information, please visit www.wola.org.

WOLA is recruting a program assistant

President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill detailing the psychological and medical tests on young people suspected of drug abuse.

The tests would be voluntary and comprise two stages. The first is a written psychological test, followed by medical checks to find traces of illegal drugs in their bodies.

If experts find schoolchildren are using illegal drugs, they would be sent to a rehab centre.

The anti-drug program has already caused controversy – in some places parents were asked to sign their consent but were not told the details of the test.

Russia introduces drug tests for school children

"Disappearances in Mexico have become commonplace because federal and state authorities have tolerated and refused to clamp down on them," Amnesty says in a new report.

Official figures say 26,000 people have gone missing since December 2006.The date coincides with the deployment of the army to fight drug cartels. Critics of the war-on-drugs policy of former President Felipe Calderon say police brought about an escalation in violence.

"These figures demonstrate one of the key human rights challenges facing the government of Enrique Pena Nieto," said Rupert Knox, Amnesty International researcher on Mexico.

Amnesty International: Mexico 'failing to tackle disappearances'

In recent years, there has been an emerging epidemic of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among young injection drug users (IDU) in rural and suburban settings. Early this spring, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services convened a multidisciplinary technical consultation to discuss the existing evidence and to identify and define priorities for the development of a public health response.

Already working together to implement the 

Action Plan for the Prevention, Care, and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

—which includes among its priorities “reducing viral hepatitis caused by drug use behaviors”—the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration organized the consultation which brought together representatives of federal agencies, state health department officials, researchers, care providers, staff of community-based organizations, and other experts in the field.

Injection drug use is known to play a major role in HCV transmission. Surveillance data shared by Massachusetts in 2010 put a spotlight on an emerging HCV infection trend among young PWID.

Hepatitis C infection among young injecting drug users: Addressing an emerging trend

On 20-22 of May in Hammamet, Tunisia, Youth RISE joined other key global and regional youth organisations to develop a PACT for social change in the AIDS response. The meeting involved a free space for the development of a youth strategy and solidification of a cohesive HIV youth movement, and also fed into the UNAIDS youth policy and strategy. It was an important meeting that youth organisations had been calling for for some time and allowed the youth movement to define its own direction, priorities and goals.

The PACT outlined 5 key themes that emerged from the youth organisations: sexual and reproductive health services, with a focus on government accountability and sexuality education; enabling legal environments and removing punitive laws that impede access to services fro young key populations at higher risk; scaling up treatment and disaggregating data for evidence informed advocacy; using resources effectively; and ensuring that HIV remains a priority in the Post-2015 development framework.

Youth Rise joins the UNAIDS youth advisory forum to develop a pact for social change 

National drug control policies that impose criminal penalties for personal drug use undermine basic human rights, Human Rights Watch said this 4th of June. To deter harmful drug use, governments should rely instead on non-penal regulatory and public health policies.

Governments should also take steps to reduce the human rights costs of current drug production and distribution policies. Among the steps should be reforming law enforcement practices and exploring alternatives for legal regulation that would reduce the power of violent criminal groups.

International drug conventions should be interpreted and, where necessary, revised to ensure that they do not prohibit or discourage governments from adopting policies that would enable them to reduce the human rights costs of current policies, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch launched its statement in the context of the 43rd General Assembly of the Organization of American States, taking place in Antigua, Guatemala from June 4 to 6, 2013, that focus on drug control policy in the Americas.

HRW calls for the decriminalisation of the personal use of drugs in the Americas

Nosso continente está sangrando nas mãos do crime organizado e de traficantes

, destruindo milhares de vidas todos os anos. Tudo isso porque os EUA forçaram os governos da América Latina a seguir 

políticas de combate às drogas que se mostraram um fracasso, favorecendo as facções criminosas

 por trás do comércio de drogas.

Agora, pela primeira vez na história, os líderes de governo da América Latina estão se separando do extremismo dos EUA e exigindo políticas que dêem resultados. 

Em menos de 24 horas, a Guatemala será o país anfitrião de chefes de Estado de toda a região

, e exigirá uma nova proposta que dê a cada um de nossos países a liberdade de ficar ou não do lado dos EUA e adotar políticas de combate às drogas como as dos países europeus, bastante bem sucedidas.

Apelamos aos membros da Organização dos Estados Americanos que sigam as recomendações do novo relatório da OEA sobre a política de drogas e apoiem a proposta para que cada país experimente novas estratégias de combate à violência e crimes causados pelas drogas. A ditadura da atual política de drogas falhou, apesar de 50 anos de tentativas -- essa política alimenta o violento crime organizado, devasta vidas e está nos custando bilhões. É hora de uma abordagem humana e eficaz que realmente transformará nossos países e comunidades em lugares mais seguros.

 Membros do alto escalão do comitê de negociação nos disseram que para que todos os líderes cheguem a um acordo e tenham o poder necessário para se opor aos EUA, 

eles precisam de uma onda de apoio da opinião pública nas próximas horas

 para mudar a situação atual de completo fracasso. 

Assine esta petição urgente e compartilhe com todos

 -- se alcançarmos 100.000 assinaturas, nós entregaremos pessoalmente a petição para a comitiva da Guatemala que está liderando as negociações.

Assine esta petição urgente e compartilhe com todos.

Registe-se para recever as Alertas mensais do IDPC e obter informação sobre questões relacionadas com as políticas de drogas.

Petição urgente: 24 horas para acabar com o império das drogas

Our continent is bleeding at the hands of organized criminals and drug traffickers, destroying thousands of lives every year. All because the US has forced Latin American governments to carry out failed drug policies that only reward the criminal gangs behind the drug trade.

Now, for the first time in history, Latin American leaders are separating themselves from the extremism of the U.S. and demanding policies that deliver results. In 24 hours, Guatemala will bring together the Heads of State of the region to push for a new proposal that gives each of our countries the freedom to buck the US and adopt drug policies like those that have worked successfully in Europe.

We call on the members of the Organization of American States to heed the recommendations of the new OAS report on drug policy and support the proposal to allow individual countries to experiment with new strategies for curbing drug violence and crime. The current policy regime has failed despite 50 years of trying -- it fuels violent organised crime, devastates lives and is costing us billions. It is time for a humane and effective approach that actually makes our countries and communities safer.

It’s urgent -- high level officials have told us that for all the leaders to agree and have the power to stand up to the US, they need to see a groundswell of public support in the next few hours for changing the failed status quo. 

Sign the urgent petition and share with everyone

 -- when we reach 100,000 our voices will be personally delivered to the Guatemalan commission that is leading the summit. Join in.

Petition: 24 hours to end the drug war in the Americas!

Políticas públicas que impõem sanções criminais para o consumo pessoal de drogas minam direitos humanos básicos, declarou hoje a Human Rights Watch. Para impedir o consumo prejudicial de drogas, os governos devem contar com políticas reguladoras não criminais e de saúde pública.

Os governos também devem tomar medidas para reduzir os impactos sobre os direitos humanos das políticas atuais de produção e distribuição de drogas, afirmou a Human Rights Watch.

As convenções internacionais sobre drogas devem ser interpretadas e, sempre que necessário, revistas, para que não proíbam ou desmotivem os governos a adotarem políticas para reduzir os custos relacionados aos direitos humanos, disse a Human Rights Watch.

A 43a Assembleia Geral da Organização dos Estados Americanos, realizada em Antígua, Guatemala, de 4 a 6 de junho de 2013, é focado a política de controle de drogas nas Américas.

HRW pede aos governos das Américas para descriminalizar o consumo pessoal de drogas

Exactly one year ago, during the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, the issue of drug policy was not (or was) officially opened.

In corridors and various meetings, the topic was impossible to avoid—although the United States tried their hardest. The progressive regulation of marijuana in the United States, as well as decades of highly expensive and ineffective anti-drug policies in the region, provided the perfect opportunity for President Juan Manuel Santos to achieve the necessary consensus to ask the Organization of American States (OAS) to conduct a comprehensive study on the current state of drug policy on the continent, and the possibilities the future holds.

After a year-long process, on Friday May 17, in Bogota, Colombia, the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Inzulsa, gave President Santos the requested report. The document is actually two: first, an analytical report on "the drug problem in the Americas" and the other a report of four possible scenarios exploring them for the future of the region.

The process involved many specialists in the region and were selected to ensure a diverse set of viewpoints and positions, but the organizing agency was the OAS itself, which is traditionally dominated by the United States. Those involved in the final draft of both documents had low expectations of innovation.

However, the report could not contain the urgent need for change. Despite containing some strategies long used in the region (such as alternative development and the threat of "alternative justice" via drug courts) the report also recognizes the need for a genuine change of policies to address the problem from the perspective of health and human rights; calls for a balance in budgets; opens the door for testing alternative regulations, especially in the case of cannabis, and makes an implicit invitation to the rest of the global community to review, in one way or another, international drug control treaties.

A few days ago, while participating in the Pacific Alliance meeting, the President of Mexico reiterated that, like his previous counterpart, he is open to debate the legalization of some drugs, but is certainly not in favor of it. In addition, he mentioned that "this may be an easy or even false position and could possibly be more effective to combat crime linked to drug trafficking and the sale of drugs." He also said that organized crime had diversified its activities, so that the "legalization would not prevent them from growing and may even increase other crimes." But in all honesty the "easy way", appears to be the same as before: it seems to forget that crime linked to drug trafficking stems from drug prohibition policies and these routes encourage black markets, increase the weakness of state institutions, and thus encourages impunity.

In other words, reformulating policies that simply continue prohibition will have the same results: violence, human rights violations, corruption and a lack of rule of law.

OAS Report: Response from Mexico?

EHRN is working on a Regional Initiative Concept for Eastern Europe and Central Asia that, if accepted, will be implemented with the support of the New Funding Model (NFM) of the Global Fund. The regional online consultation conducted by EHRN in preparation for this proposal has already been launched to
solicit region wide opinions on:

If you have any questions, please contact:

the goals, objectives and core activities, as well as the main benefitsof regional approach (closed on May 27).
the criteria for the prioritization of countries for the Regional

Initiative (going from 27 May to 3 June). The survey is available here http://j.mp/Country_Prioritization_Criteria_ENG

One of the key aspects of the implementation of the Regional Initiative will be the interaction with the model sites, and regional experience exchange, so now EHRN is launching the third and final survey on the existing regional successful practices in the field of harm reduction. One of the goals of this process is to identify potential partners for the Regional Initiative.


EHRN invites you to provide information on successful practices in the region (CEECA) in the following areas:


Quality harm reduction services/ eliminating barriers in access to services

Advocacy and protecting the rights of people who use drugs (PWUD)

Capacity development of community/PWUD-organizations and organizations of opioid substitution treatment (OST) program participants.

For each area, you will have an opportunity to provide an example of one successful practice. In order to share the information with us please fill in the questionnaire which you will find here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xYH_1sq0J7Qcl5m7DSUAHaNFB7czooog7yoZaGJdaGA/viewform

Please provide us with the information before June 5. Marija Subataite Program Manager for Technical Support marija@harm-reduction.org

News