Each year, the UNODC reports an estimated half a million drug-related deaths – deaths that
could be prevented with well-funded harm reduction services and an enabling political and
legislative environment that provides care and support for people who use drugs, instead of
punishment. This side event was organised by the International Drug Policy Consortium.
This is also the main recommendation of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in their landmark reports on drug-related issues.
And yet, a global overview of harm reduction services around the world show that they continue to be inaccessible for many, direly underfunded, and at constant risk of being closed down – while a majority of countries continue to impose severe sanctions against people who use drugs.
Speakers (all confirmed):
Moderator: Gloria Lai, IDPC, Thailand
Opening remarks by Zaved Mahmood, OHCHR
Anand Grover, Former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health and member
of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, India: Comparative analysis of
UNODC/UNSR’s interpretation of the right to health – especially expanding the concept
of harm reduction, decriminalisation, legal regulation, and UN system reform (online)
Ahmed Said, African Network of People Who Use Drugs, Kenya: Person who uses
drugs opens the session with a lived experience
Yuliya Georgieva, Center for Humane Policy, Bulgaria: Experience of successful
advocacy for Bulgaria to fund harm reduction services
This side event was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Elton John AIDS
Foundation.
Video: István Gábor Takács
