July 2024
Congratulations to all involved in INPUD’s Global Consultation Forum on the Impact of Drug Policies on the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights of People who Use Drugs: researchers, the 27 participants representing our global network, scribes, authors of the report.
Earlier in the year, this small, representative group of people who use drugs harnessed their lived experience, regional knowledge and understanding of the issues faced by our communities to make practical recommendations to assert our human rights in the face of punitive drug laws, policies and practices.
Recognition of the detrimental and enduring impact of prohibition, particularly in the socio-economic sphere, contravening rights protected under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), led to the CESCR initiated project.
This report constitutes INPUD’s vital contribution to the CESCR commitment to draft a General Comment to “clarify States’ obligations relating to the impact of drug policy on the enjoyment of rights enshrined in the Covenant in order to provide a framework for implementation of the Covenant as whole with regard to drug laws, policies and practices.”
With crucial funding from the Open Society Foundations (OSF), INPUD consulted with our community on these issues, to inform a set of recommendations that we hope will see a more holistic and systematic approach to ensuring the rights of individuals who use drugs at both national and international levels.
INPUD’s global online consultation was entirely community-led at each stage, and focused on the impact of current drug laws, policies, and practices on the daily lives and realisation of rights for people who use drugs. Attendees were asked directly to suggest ways to reduce this impact, for inclusion in INPUD’s final recommendations for change.
This important document includes the consultation processes, the results of the session and INPUD’s key recommendations to the General Comment writing committee.