Towards the Second Latin American Conference on Drug Policy
Latin America is trembling. The recent set of discussions and proposals about alternatives to drug users´ penalization just went one step further with the ruling of the Supreme Court of Argentina. The Court acquitted a “mule” who was sentenced after he was denounced while seeking medical attention. The new strategy adopted at the 47th session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) was the second positive sign in this area, as the OAS explicitly pronounced in favour of respecting human rights in the policies of the region.
In addition, in the context of events on June 26, International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, hundreds of organizations around the world issued coordinated statements.In Argentina, the book "Contributions to a New Drug Policy" was also launched, which captures the voices of experts from national conferences on drug policy in 2006 and 2007. A second book, published by the Ministry of Education for schools, reflects a holistic prevention-based approach to drugs problematic use.
This is the context in which experts, activists and public officials throughout the region are preparing for the Second Latin American Conference on Drug Policy. It will be held in Rio de Janeiro on August 26 and 27, organized by Intercambios and Psicotropicus.It is expected that the conference will advance proposals and strategies to strengthen a new agenda for drug policy in Latin America.
InterCambiando Nr 27
July 2010
