On 17 September, during the 80^th regular session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hosted the side event “Development Dimensions of Drug Policy: New Challenges, Opportunities, and Addressing Emerging Issues” at UNDP headquarters in New York., co-organized by the Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP), the Government of Colombia, and Open Society Foundations (OSF). The event also marked the launch of UNDP’s third discussion paper on drug policy and development, entitled “Development Dimensions of Drug Policy: Assessing New Challenges, Uncovering Opportunities, and Addressing Emerging Issues”.

The discussion highlighted how punitive drug policies undermine health, human rights, governance, livelihoods, and the environment, while exploring pathways to align drug policies with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The session was moderated by Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of UNDP’s HIV and Health Group. Commissioner Ernesto Zedillo and (former President of Mexico) delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the human, social, and economic costs of punitive drug control and calling for a new international framework centered on health, human rights, and sustainable development.

Panelists included Ambassador Raúl Sánchez of Colombia’s Permanent Mission to the UN; Steve Rolles, Senior Policy Analyst at Transform Drug Policy Foundation and lead author of the discussion paper; Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA); Matteo Pasquali, Deputy Representative of the UNODC Liaison Office in New York; and Ninan Varughese, Senior Advisor at the UNAIDS New York Office. The event fostered dialogue on rights-based regulation, harm reduction, and sustainable alternatives to criminalization and forced crop eradication, while strengthening collaboration among UN agencies, Member States, and civil society to advance equitable and sustainable approaches to drug policy reform.