The 69th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) convened in Vienna from 9–13 March. The “Vienna spirit” of consensus was tested, with all resolutions requiring a vote. Notable progress came with Finnish and Norwegian Resolution 69/6, “Promoting integrated and coherent systems of scientific evidence-based drug-related public health responses”, which reinforced harm reduction language in CND discussions. Colombian President Gustavo Petro also addressed the CND in person, reaffirming Colombia’s commitment to human rights-based drug policy reform nationally and internationally.

The session finalized the composition of the CND Independent Expert Panel, established under Colombian-led CND Resolution 68/6. After previous delays due to a lack of consensus, the 19-member panel now includes two Global Commissioners: Adeeba Kamarulzaman, appointed by the UN Secretary-General, and Pavel Bém, one of two Member State-nominated panelists from the Eastern European regional group.

The Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP) was active throughout the session, hosting side events and bilateral meetings. On 11 March, GCDP convened civil society partners to discuss priorities for the year ahead, including opportunities arising from the now fully established CND Independent Expert Panel.

On 9 March, the Global Commission on Drug Policy co-organized a side event with Youth RISE  entitled “The Next Generation of Care: Youth-Centered Innovations to Renew and Strengthen Health Systems”. The event explored youth leadership and health-centered approaches to drug policy reform. Commissioner Adeeba Kamarulzaman delivered a video message highlighting key findings from GCDP’s forthcoming policy brief on children and youth. In addition, UNICEF delivered a video message emphasizing that “the international drug control system must place the best interests of children and adolescents at its center”. The event also featured young speakers from the medical, service, and research sectors, alongside interventions from Commissioner Pavel Bém, UNDP, OHCHR, the Global Campus of Human Rights, and the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA). A video recording will be made available.

The Global Commission organized meetings with Pakistan’s Minister of State for Law & Justice, Barrister Aqeel Malik, and the newly appointed Ambassador of Colombia to the UN in Vienna, Marcela Tovar Thomas, to discuss global drug policy opportunities and challenges. The Global Commission also met with Chris Raine, a mental health entrepreneur and Co-CEO of The Psychedelic Consultancy and Peridot Clinics. His work has supported more than 25 psychiatrists in Australia to become Authorised Prescribers of MDMA- and psilocybin-assisted therapies, with a mission to advance the safe medicalization of scheduled substances and drive progress toward a post-prohibitionist approach to their use.

Commissioner Michel Kazatchkine provided opening remarks at a side event launching the UNAIDS Guidance Note on Decriminalization of Drug Use in the Context of HIV, affirming the Global Commission’s support for the elimination of punitive sanctions for drug possession and use. The event included speakers from the University of Essex, Release, the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD), the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement (EMLER), the Drug Harm Reduction Advocacy Network (DHRAN) Nigeria, UNDP, and UNODC, with closing remarks from H.E. Ambassador Tovar Thomas of Colombia.

Commissioner Kazatchkine also spoke at a side event led by Harm Reduction International (HRI), the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD), and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), entitled “Human Rights Dimensions of Harm Reduction.” He was joined by Ambassador Tovar Thomas, as well as representatives from AfricaNPUD, the Ukrainian Network of People Who Use Drugs (VOLNa), and WHO. The event highlighted key human rights considerations in drug policy and looked ahead to the forthcoming OHCHR’s report on the rights of women and girls affected by drug policies.

Commissioner Juan Manuel Santos delivered a video message at the Vienna-based launch of IDPC’s report, “The UNGASS Decade in Review: Gaps, Achievements and Paths for Reform”, emphasizing that while UNGASS commitments remain relevant, progress toward rights- and health-based reforms faces ongoing threats from geopolitical instability and funding cuts.

Commissioner Pavel Bém spoke at the OHCHR led event “Human Rights Implications of Drug Policy: Prevention, Effective Remedies and Accountability”, joined by H.E. Schedler Fischer (Switzerland), H.E. De Lima (Philippines) – video message, Anton Baskeno (INPUD), Marta Machado (Brazil), and Massimiliano Bagaglini (UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture). It was moderated by Michael Camilleri, Chief, Rule of Law, OHCHR.

Commissioner Bém, attending the CND in his capacity as the recently reappointed Czech National Drug Policy Coordinator, also spoke at two side events in that role: “Novel Regimes of Psychoactive Substances’ Control at the National Level,” organized by Czechia, and “Medical Use of Psilocybin in the Czech Republic: A New Legal Framework and Access to Care,” organized by the Psychedelic Research Foundation. In the same capacity, he was also interviewed by Drug Reporter (view interview here).

Commissioner Kgalema Motlanthe delivered a keynote video message at “Addressing Discrimination Against People of African Descent and All Forms of Racism in Relation to Drug Policy”, organized by OHCHR and Release. Speakers included representatives from the UN International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement (EMLER), Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), AfricaNPUD, IDPC, and Brazil’s National Secretariat for Drug Policy and Asset Management (SENAD), with opening remarks by H.E. Ambassador RS Molekane of South Africa.

The Eastern and Central European and Central Asian Commission on Drug Policy (ECECACD), with the support of the Global Commission, hosted an event on “EU Accession and Drug Policy Reform in Candidate Countries” (details in the Regional Highlights).