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Taking stock of a decade of failed drug policies
A new report also outlines new indicators for assessing drug policy progress and impacts
Ann Fordham (IDPC)
Monday, October 22, 2018
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Ten years ago, UN member states set themselves a target ‘to eliminate or reduce significantly and measurably’ the illicit cultivation, production, trafficking and use of internationally controlled substances by 2019. That deadline is fast approaching and at the next session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March, a Ministerial Segment will be held, ostensibly to “take stock” of progress made and delineate the global drug strategy for the next decade. However, the UN preparations for the March meeting have arguably missed a rather crucial step. -
Veneer of consensus masks deep disagreement on global drug policy
Trump to host UN meeting on drug policy
John Walsh, Ann Fordham, Martin Jelsma & Hannah HetzerSaturday, September 22, 2018
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On September 24, President Trump will begin his appearance at the UN General Assembly by hosting an event on the “World Drug Problem.” Only delegates of those UN Member States that have signed a document circulated by the Trump administration – a “Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem” – will be invited to attend. At the event, delegates will have the opportunity to pose for a group photograph with President Trump before he, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and UN Secretary General António Guterres provide remarks. -
We from the police advise: more money and powers for the police
The inconvenient truth about an alarmist police report
Tom BlickmanFriday, September 7, 2018
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The study 'The Netherlands and synthetic drugs: An inconvenient truth' by the Dutch police academy on the role of the Netherlands in the production of synthetic drugs has the sound of "We, the people at Toilet Duck, recommend Toilet Duck". The rather predictable conclusion of this investigation is that law enforcement needs more money and resources. In passing, competitors for limited government budgets, like those who advocate a public health approach to drug policy, are rendered suspect; they stand in the way of an “effective” policy of repression. -
New government in Spain: An opportunity for cannabis legalization?
Pedro Sanchez is the new and unexpected president of Spain. Among his supporters, some openly call for the legalization of cannabis. Is this really an opportunity for things to change?
Martín BarriusoFriday, August 10, 2018
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On June 1, Pedro Sanchez became Spain’s first president to be elected through a no-confidence motion. A few days after the Popular Party was condemned for corruption, the socialist candidate won the support of an unlikely confluence of theoretically incompatible groups. Will this unexpected change serve to unblock the debate on the regulation of cannabis? For years, a long list of corruption cases has been gradually damaging the image of the Popular Party (PP), an organization which until recently drew together almost all the conservative electorate in Spain. -
More drugs, more deaths, more damage...
U.N. drug report shows global drug trade grows despite draconian enforcement efforts
Juan Fernandez Ochoa (IDPC)Tuesday, June 26, 2018
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In 2012, Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, referred to current drug control efforts as something akin to riding a stationary bicycle. "One keeps pedalling, pedalling and pedalling, and making great efforts,(...) only to find out one hasn’t really moved”. Today, as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) releases its latest figures on the drugs market, Santos’ words ring particularly true. In fact, the 2018 World Drug Report shows some countries are fruitlessly pedalling faster. Between 2012-2016, the amount of drugs seized by law enforcement authorities increased noticeably. By around 60% when it comes to cocaine, opioids and amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS); and a whopping 150% when it comes to ‘new psychoactive substances’ (NPS). Cannabis, an outlier in this trend, showed a slight downtick of roughly 10%. -
INCB should exert caution in presenting data on cannabis regulation
The INCB has a duty to ensure its contribution to debates on drug control remains balanced and rigorous
Ann Fordham (IDPC)Sunday, May 6, 2018
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At the recent 63rd Session of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organisation of American States, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) member who was present, Raúl Martin Del Campo Sánchez, spoke on a panel titled “The link between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Drug Policy: A focus on international organisations”. At the end of a wide-ranging presentation that addressed the drug policy related facets of SDGs 3, 5, 10 and 16, Mr Del Campo Sánchez moved to present several final slides on the “Negative Effects of Cannabis Legalization in the USA”. It was unclear as to how the concluding slides related to the earlier part of the presentation, however Mr Del Campo Sánchez seemed quite determined to make the point that cannabis regulation initiatives at the state-level in the USA had only resulted in negative outcomes. -
In bid to intimidate Canada on cannabis regulation, INCB is reckless and wrong
Canada should reject the Board’s false claims and thinly veiled effort at intimidation
John Walsh (WOLA) and Martin Jelsma (TNI)Friday, May 4, 2018
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On May 1, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland appeared before the Canadian Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (AEFA) to discuss the international dimensions of Bill C-45 to regulate cannabis. She acknowledged that regulating cannabis would entail “contravening certain obligations related to cannabis under the three UN drug conventions,” adding that, “we have to be honest about that.” Asked about the ‘inter se’ proposal, whereby like-minded nations can negotiate amongst themselves to contract out of certain provisions of the treaty, Minister Freeland replied that the government had discussed the ‘inter se’ concept and that it was worth thinking about: “We are definitely open to working with treaty partners to identify solutions that accommodate different approaches to cannabis within the international framework.” -
“The drug market is thriving” while the Commission on Narcotic Drugs limps along
The most tense and difficult negotiations revolved around the ‘modalities resolution’ for the preparations and procedure for the 2019 high-level “ministerial segment”
Ann Fordham (IDPC)Sunday, April 8, 2018
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“The drug market is thriving” is one of the key messages in UNODC’s 2017 World Drug Report. This is an important admission from the UN’s lead agency for drugs given that it is now less than nine months away from 2019 – the current target date by which governments committed to “significantly reduce or eliminate” the global drug market within ten years. At last month’s annual gathering of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, the abysmal failure to be able to claim any progress whatsoever towards these so-called ‘drug-free’ targets was the backdrop to the latest round of tense negotiations on global drug control. -
The new Italian Parliament must act on drug policy reform
The first and most important issue is the full revision of the current drug law
Hassan Bassi (Forum Droghe)Wednesday, March 28, 2018
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After the March 4 general elections in Italy, the 18th Legislature is starting its session facing an array of urgent problems – including a national drug policy reform. At least this is the main goal of several groups that in mid-February introduced a seven-item platform detailing a series of actual changes to the current repressive approach. Indeed, even the new President of the House, Roberto Fico, underlined that the Parliament is an ideal setting for civil society proposals and direct democracy action, a place where “popular initiative” bills deserve broader acknowledgement and consideration. -
UN Human Rights Council reaffirms role of human rights in international drug policy debate
Despite the unequivocal link between the drug policy debates and human rights, the negotiations in Geneva held over several weeks were not easy
Olivia Rope (Penal Reform International)Wednesday, March 28, 2018
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Last Friday evening, 23 March 2018, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council concluded its 3-week long session by voting to adopt a Resolution reaffirming that human rights must play a central role in the ongoing international debate on global drug policies. While there remain important challenges to overcome in the discussions on international drug policy, this resolution represents a key milestone for ensuring drug policies comply with human rights obligations.
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