The Road to UNGASS 2016
Process and Policy Asks from the IDPC
April 2015
On 19th to 21st April 2016, there will be a United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) held in New York, dedicated to the issue of drug policy. The General Assembly is the highest policy making and representative organ of the United Nations (UN), and its infrequent Special Sessions focus on pertinent topics at the request of member states. The UNGASS on drugs has the potential to be a ground-breaking, open debate about the international drug control system – but there is much work to be done to ensure that it fulfils that potential.
Download the asks (PDF - outside link)
The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) is a global network of more than 130 civil society organisations that come together to promote objective and open debates on national and international drug policies. This document outlines the five main “asks” that the Consortium members will collectively call for between now and 2016. These “asks” have been developed through detailed consultations with IDPC members and partners, and will each be the subject of more detailed briefing papers in the coming months:
ASK 1: Ensure an open and inclusive debate
ASK 2: Re-set the objectives of drug policies
ASK 3: Support policy experimentation and innovation
ASK 4: End the criminalisation of the most affected populations
ASK 5: Commit to the harm reduction approach
