Weaknesses in the UN drug control system have often been identified,
related to the functioning of the key organs UNODC, INCB, and the CND;
related to collaboration with the wider UN system (WHO, UNAIDS, UNDP,
etc.) and related to the outdated character of several treaty
provisions. What has been attempted to date to achieve more structural
reform? Are existing evaluation mechanisms capable of bringing the need
for reform to the table? How could a neutral and evidence-based role of
UNODC as a centre of expertise be strengthened? How can these issues be
related to the UN call for more ‘system-wide coherence’ and ‘delivery
as one’?
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Drug Law Reform in Latin America |
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Promoting more humane, balanced, and effective drug laws
The TNI/WOLA Drug Law Reform Project promotes more effective and
humane drug policies through dialogue and up-to-date analysis of
developments in the region.
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Legislative Innovation in Drug Policy |
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 This briefing summarizes good practices in legislative reforms around
the world, representing steps away from a repressive zero-tolerance
model towards a more evidence-based and humane drug policy.
The
examples provide lessons learned in practice about less punitive
approaches and their impact on levels of drug use and drugrelated harm
to the individual and society. Evidence suggests that legislation
lessening criminalization combined with shifting resources from law
enforcement and incarceration to prevention, treatment and harm
reduction is more effective in reducing drug-related problems.
Legislative Innovation in Drug Policy
Martin Jelsma
Latin American Initiative on Drugs and Democracy, October 2009
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Drug policy reform in practice |
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 The academic journal Nueva Sociedad recently released an issue to promote the debate in Latin America on drug policy reform. TNI contributed with the article Drug policy reform in practice: Experiences with alternatives in Europe and the US. The article aims to give inputs for the Latin American debate providing an overview
of European drug policy practices regarding harm reduction,
decriminalization of consumption and possession, and more tolerant
policies towards cannabis, particularly in The Netherlands and several
states in the US.
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Call to Action: Support Global Drug Policy Reform |
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Call to Action
World Drug Day, 26 June 2009
As the United Nations launches the 2009 World Drug Report this week, more than 40 international groups and experts worldwide today issued a call to action that presses governments to adopt a humane approach to drug policy.
The call to action, signed by the Transnational Institute (TNI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, former president of Brazil Fernando Cardoso, and others, urges governments to enact policies that are based on scientific and medical research rather than politics.
Download the Press release
Download the Call to Action: Support Global Drug Policy Reform
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Toward a Paradigm Shift |
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 Prohibitionist policies based on the eradication of production and on the disruption of drug flows as well as on the criminalization of consumption have not yielded the desired results. We are further than ever from the announced goal of eradicating drugs.
Breaking the taboo, acknowledging the failure of current policies and their consequences is the inescapable prerequisite for the discussion of a new paradigm leading to safer, more efficient and humane drug policies.
Drugs and Democracy: Toward a Paradigm Shift
Statement by the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy
February 2009
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The current state of drug policy debate |
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 Martin
Jelsma, from the Transnational Institute, prepared an analysis for the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, explaining the drug policy situation in the European Union and the current state of debate in the United Nations agenda. The commission is an initiative born of former presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso, from Brazil, César Gaviria, from Colombia and Ernesto Zedillo, from Mexico, to respond to concerns related to the problems of drug consumption and traffic in Latin America. The idea to constitute a commission capable of consolidating a debate concerning this problematic also responds to the necessity of reviewing the world drug policies in the scope of the United Nations, which began in March 2008.
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Recalibrating the Regime |
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The Need for a Human Rights-Based Approach to International Drug Policy
Beckley Foundation Report 13,
March 2008
This new report, co-authored by the HR2 team, looks at the tensions between some aspects of the global drug control system and international human rights law. The report highlights that, despite numerous instances of human rights abuses perpetrated in the name of drug control, there has been little engagement with this issue by the responsible bodies, the UNODC, INCB and the human rights treaty bodies.
The report was published by the Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme, and is co-authored by IHRA, Human Rights Watch and the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.
Download the full report (pdf)
The report will presented on Monday March 10th from 13h30 - 15h00 at the Vienna International Centre, 7th floor, Conference Room 2.
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The 2010 Commission on Narcotic Drugs – report of proceedings |
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 The CND Proceedings Document aims to provide a summary of what happened
at this year's 53rd Commission on Narcotic Drugs, including at the
various satellite events, and offers a comprehensive analysis of the
key discussions and debates that took place during the meeting.
The 2010 Commission on Narcotic Drugs – report
of proceedings
International Drug Policy Consortium Briefing, April 2010
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UN Drug Control 
