© Photograph: UNODC
Vienna (Austria), 23 September 2022 — From 21 to 22 September 2022, the Fee on Narcotic Medicine (CND) held its thematic discussions on the implementation of all worldwide drug coverage commitments, following as much as the 2019 Ministerial Declaration.
This yr’s discussions centered on the necessity for drug insurance policies to be in step with each worldwide drug management conventions and human rights obligations – a problem recognized by United Nations (UN) Member States within the 2019 Ministerial Declaration.
The basic aim of the worldwide drug management conventions is to guard the well being and welfare of humankind, with the intention to make important drugs obtainable for the reduction of ache and the alleviation of struggling, whereas defending the individuals, notably essentially the most weak, from the doubtless harmful results of managed substances. Drug insurance policies that are inconsistent with the conventions or human rights obligations will result in individuals struggling and being left behind – undermining the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Growth which seeks to enhance the lives and prospects of everybody, in all places.
The intersessional assembly was chaired and moderated by the Chair of the CND at its sixty-fifth session, H.E. Mr. Ghislain D’Hoop of Belgium, and was kicked off with a high-level opening involving the Govt Director of the United Nations Workplace on Medicine and Crime (UNODC), Ms. Ghada Waly, the President of the Human Rights Council, H.E. Mr. Federico Villegas of Argentina, and the President of the Worldwide Narcotics Management Board, Ms. Jagjit Pavadia. Their participation underscored the significance of positioning human rights on the centre of the drug coverage debate. Addressing the assembly, Ms. Waly famous: “Drug management obligations and human rights obligations are appropriate, complementary, and mutually reinforcing. What Member States have to try for, is to reside as much as these obligations in a coherent method that by no means loses sight of the last word aim.”
The assembly was held in a hybrid format – combining in-person participation on the Vienna Worldwide Centre and on-line participation – to facilitate participation from consultants and related stakeholders throughout the globe. There have been round 700 registered contributors, with the assembly additionally webcast to a world viewers. Over the course of each days, displays had been made by round 40 consultants from Member States, United Nations entities, intergovernmental organizations, and civil society, signifying the relevance of the subject and its unifying nature. Notably, the assembly showcased inter-agency collaboration throughout the United Nations system, with participation from an array of United Nations entities, together with UNODC, the World Well being Group and its Skilled Committee on Drug Dependence, the Worldwide Narcotics Management Board, the Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and the United Nations Growth Programme.
The Chief of the Analysis and Pattern Evaluation Department of UNODC, Dr. Angela Me, delivered introductory displays forward of the discussions on each days, outlining world developments and traits referring to the problem. This was adopted by a keynote introduction delivered by the Chief of the Medicine, Laboratory and Scientific Companies Department of UNODC, Dr. Justice Tettey, on the primary day, and the Chief of the Crime Prevention and Legal Justice Part of UNODC, Ms. Valerie Lebaux, on the second day.
Consultants addressed a variety of points, together with, amongst others, entry to managed substances for medical and scientific functions; safety of well being via substance scheduling; safety of youngsters and younger individuals from substance use; prevention and remedy of drug use; alternate options to conviction and punishment; different growth; and the significance of worldwide cooperation in addressing drug-related crime.
The assembly was closed by the CND Chair and the Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs of UNODC, Mr. John Brandolino, who each applauded the extent of engagement and high quality of discussions. He inspired stakeholders to proceed to attach on the problem, speed up the implementation of all worldwide drug coverage commitments and be certain that nobody can be left behind.
The CND is the policymaking physique of the United Nations with principal accountability for drug-related issues, and a governing physique of UNODC. The Fee is the discussion board for Member States to trade information and good practices in addressing and countering all features of the world drug drawback.
Additional info
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