Commissioner Pavel Bém has been appointed National Drug Policy Coordinator of the Czech Republic, effective 16 January 2026. He also assumes the role of Executive Vice-Chairman of the Government Council for Addiction Policy Coordination.

The appointment has been publicly welcomed by several Czech professional organisations working in the field of substance use disorder policy, including the České asociace adiktologů (ČAA) (Czech Association of Addictologists [CAA]), the Asociace organizací v oblasti vězeňství (AOOV) (Association of Organisations in the Prison Sector [AOOV]), and the Asociace poskytovatelů adiktologických služeb (APAS) (Association of Providers of Addictology Services [APAS]). In a joint statement, these organisations described the decision as reflecting an intention to pursue substance use disorder policy in a “professional, substantive, and evidence-informed manner”.

In their statement, the organisations underscored the broad scope of substance use disorder policy, noting that it extends beyond illicit drug use to include alcohol, tobacco, the misuse of psychoactive medicines, gambling, and risks associated with problematic digital use, particularly among children and young people. They highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral coordination and integrated responses combining health, social, and preventive approaches.

Commissioner Bém is a psychiatrist and a long-standing figure in Czech and international drug policy. He is a former Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and served as Mayor of Prague from 2002 to 2010, as well as Mayor of the Prague 6 District.

A founder of the Czech drug policy framework, Commissioner Bém played a pioneering role in developing public health-oriented approaches to substance use disorder in former Czechoslovakia and in other countries across Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America. He previously served for many years as the Czech National Drug Coordinator and has held senior policy and management roles at local, national, and international levels, including with the EU, United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO), Council of Europe, and the Pompidou Group. As a Member of Parliament, he successfully introduced national legislation on medical cannabis.

Commissioner Bém has been a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy since 2012 and serves as a Regional Commissioner of the Eastern and Central European and Central Asian Commission on Drug Policy (ECECACD).