In March 1961, the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was signed. This Convention obliges all UN member states to prohibit the production and distribution of a number of psychoactive substances that are considered dangerous for public health.
From 21 to 25 March, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs will have its 54th Annual Meeting in Vienna. Encod will participate in this meeting and present the following message to the delegates:
The United Nations should start to design an alternative strategy to control the drug phenomenon. A strategy that is built on local experiences and scientific evidence, not on moral principles that are completely out of touch with reality. As citizens of the world who are affected and concerned by the drug issue in many ways, we urge the United Nations to stop this war and start looking for effective and rational alternatives.
Whereas the issue of ADCS, alternative drug control systems not based on prohibition, has been discussed already a number of times in the World Drug Report, and has been mentioned by former Director General, Mr. Costa, in speeches and in his blog, this essential subject never figured on the agenda in the official programme of the CND.
During the last years, this same issue is being discussed more often and more intensely in the media in many countries. In the USA it has become an issue in the elections of the state of California.
This trend will continue and to us, it is clear that it will be succesful. Discussion about the sort of regulation and about the value of the UN Drug Conventions is long overdue.
As a Pan-European NGO, ENCOD carries a heavy responsibility. We are of the opinion that failing to place ADCS on the agenda is equal to negligence - to be precise, to reprehensible negligence, given the existing knowledge about the harmful consequences of drug prohibition, and about the lack of positive results.
Because the governments of UN member states will probably remain negligent, it is the duty of NGOs not to allow further delay, and to point out the moral obligation to discuss drug regulation at this meeting, and the political necessity of preparing for the inevitable transition to a regulated system of drug control.
Agenda
