Yuri Fedotov has now tooken office as the new UNODC Executive Director. He declared that he would place a strong emphasis on health, human rights and justice, and stated : "Whether we talk of the victims of human trafficking, communities oppressed by corrupt leaders, unfair criminal justice systems or drug users marginalized by society, we are committed to making a positive difference".
In August 2010, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared that he would support a national debate on the legalisation of illicit drugs, reversing his previous stance on the subject. He then underscored that he did not favour legalisation, particularly while the US and the international community maintained their prohibitionist approach. Nevertheless, Calderon's call is significant and has sparked intense discussions on drugs in the country.
This series of videos features people who have endured harsh and disproportionate sentences for drug-related crimes. The videos are part of a TNI/WOLA study investigating the prison systems of eight countries in Latin America. These personal stories illustrate the unjust impact of current drug laws on the most vulnerable individuals of society.
The Global Drug Policy program of the Open Society Institute is pleased to announce a call for letters of intent from organisations active or interested in drug policy reform in Asia. The deadline for submissions is Friday, 17th September 2010.
The International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy is calling for papers for the first Volume of The International Yearbook on Human Rights and Drug Policy, the first and only peer-reviewed journal focusing on human rights and drugs. The deadline for submissions for Volume 1 is 15th October 2010, but submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and later accepted submissions will be included in Volume 2.
The 18th International AIDS Conference brought together some 20,000 policy makers, people living with HIV, scientists, researchers, clinicians and advocates – all committed to halting the spread of HIV. IDPC and our members took advantage of this major event to advocate on the importance of more humane and effective drug policies to combat the HIV epidemic more efficiently.
This is the official declaration of AIDS 2010 which calls for drug policies that are based on scientific evidence rather than ideology. As of today, over 17,000 have signed the Declaration.
The Global Commission on HIV & the Law, established in June 2010, will work with the World AIDS Campaign to reach out to civil society working on the HIV response and related issues to engage in dialogue on the need for rights-based law and policy in the context of HIV. This is a first public call to make brief submissions on issues of priority that civil society feels the Commission should address.
Anya Sarang, the director of the Andrey Rylkov Foundation addressed the delegates at the first plenary session of the XVIII International AIDS Conference, on 19 July 2010, in Vienna, Austria. During her speech, Anya criticised Russia's drug policy and called for a drug policy based on human rights and harm reduction.
The NGO Delegation to the UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board (PCB), which represents the perspectives of civil society, is currently recruiting new members. The deadline for applications is 16 August 2010, 18:00 Geneva Time.
The Centro de Investigación 'Drogas y Derechos Humanos' (CIDDH) has developed a webpage in which it intends to provide a virtual analytical, graphical and cartographic tour of the various locations involving cocaine trafficing in the Andes Region.
The 2010 Report on Drug Addictions, presented a few weeks ago to the Italian Parliament by Mr Berlusconi's Drug Czar Carlo Giovanardi, contains data that have triggered hot debates, and ironical comments from professionals working in the drugs field.