21 July 2026 – Global, Online
Commissioner Michel Kazatchkine participated in the launch of the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD) report, “The Human Cost of Policy Shifts: A World in Turmoil”, during an online webinar examining the global impact of funding and policy shifts on people who use drugs, harm reduction services, and community-led organizations.
The launch brought together representatives from community networks, international organizations, donors, and civil society to discuss the report’s findings and explore the consequences of funding cuts, punitive policy environments, and the erosion of community-led responses.
Speakers included Anton Basenko, Executive Director of INPUD; Angeli Achrekar, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS; representatives of the International Network of Women Who Use Drugs (INWUD) and the Network of Asian People Who Use Drugs (NAPUD); Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the Department of HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and STIs at the World Health Organization; Dr. Vuyiseka Dubula, Head of the Community, Rights and Gender Department at The Global Fund; Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, Director of the Global Drug Policy Program at the Open Society Foundations; Zaved Mahmood, Human Rights and Drug Policy Advisor at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Kate Thomson, Vice Chair of the International Steering Committee of the Robert Carr Fund; and Thomas Bridgen, People Who Use Drugs Portfolio Lead at the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Speaking during the panel on protecting networks led by people who use drugs and strengthening community leadership, Commissioner Kazatchkine highlighted the essential role of community-led organizations in delivering effective, evidence-based services and responses. He emphasized that people who use drugs must be meaningfully involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of drug policies and services, noting that sustained investment in community leadership is critical to ensuring that responses reflect the realities and needs of affected communities.
