Martin Jelsma argues that the WHO’s decision to maintain the plant's international scheduling disregards scientific evidence and Indigenous Peoples’ rights, reflecting inconsistencies in the UN drug control system and the need for reform.
TNI explores viable ways to safeguard the genetic resources, cultural heritage and Indigenous knowledge of the coca leaf, as well as to protect legal markets from risks of misappropriation, biopiracy and corporate capture.
The recent WHO decision to maintain the international classification of coca leaf highlights ongoing tensions between drug control frameworks and Indigenous rights, cultural practices and scientific evidence.
The WHO’s decision to keep coca leaf under strict controls highlights weak legal reasoning, disregard for scientific evidence, and ongoing harms to Indigenous rights.
The UN Human Rights Committee challenged Canada’s refusal to accept positive obligations under the right to life, as advocates warn that punitive drug policies and the denial of life-saving services like supervised consumption are driving thousands of preventable toxic drug deaths.
This report summarises major topics from the meeting, such as the current geopolitical climate and the importance of rights-based policy for vulnerable communities.
IDPC welcomes Resolution 60/26 as a landmark affirmation of the Council's authority to address the human rights implications of drug policy, strengthening the UN human rights system and reinforcing calls for health-, rights- and evidence-based drug policies globally.
The WHO has upheld the coca leaf’s severe international scheduling, maintaining restrictions despite evidence of its safety and longstanding Indigenous use.
As drug policy reform faces renewed repression and securitisation worldwide, 2026 will test whether evidence, human rights and community leadership can still reshape a system under strain — and where the next openings for change may emerge.
