The Global Commission on Drug Policy held its annual plenary meeting on 8-10 June in Geneva, Switzerland, bringing together Commissioners for strategic discussions on developments in global drug policy and the Global Commission’s priorities and workplan.
Commissioners engaged with a range of diplomatic, multilateral, academic, and civil society stakeholders: a reception co-hosted with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs brought together ambassadors, representatives of international organizations and civil society partners.
Over the course of three days, Commissioners discussed current geopolitical trends and shifts, their impacts on the world drug situation, and how the Global Commission can leverage its political clout and expertise to advance reform. In particular, it homed in on the UN80 and other multilateral reform initiatives; the UN independent expert panel to review the international drug control system established by Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) Resolution 68/6; the shifting posture of drug policy in the United States and its global ripple effects; as well as programmatic work of the Global Commission on drug policy and children and youth, local-level drug policy reform, and access to controlled medicines. To enrich its discussions, it invited external experts from the Geneva Graduate Institute, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), the Global Campus on Human Rights, UN-Habitat, and Vital Strategies.
A regional briefing on human rights and drug policy was hosted by the Permanent Mission of Hungary, where Michel Kazatchkine and Pavel Bém briefed Missions of the Human Rights Council Regional Group for Eastern Europe. The discussions examined regional challenges and opportunities for advancing evidence-based drug policies.
Commissioners also attended the United Nations Secretary-General Candidates’ Debate, organized by Global Women Leaders Voices (which Chair Helen Clark co-founded) and the UN Foundation, where SG candidates presented their vision for the future of the United Nations and engaged on pressing global challenges.
