NADA 16th NOVEMBER 2015

NGO’s opportunity to influence international drug policy (?)

Planning for UNGASS 2016

“ …..information and consultation session on how we (as government and non-government service providers) can have a role and input into international drug policy.”

Margaret Hamilton From ……….…..

Outline

UN & international drug policy context UN Drug Conventions – Australia a signatory Commission on Narcotic Drugs CND meetings / UN General Assembly

Civil Society – past 10+ years CSTF – membership and role NGO’s views and issues/ideas/experience

Survey – including preliminary results Consultations – your ideas and experience?

UN / Drug policy

• Drug conventions – 1961[&1972], 1988 & 1971 • Australia - a signatory• CND (annual meeting) • Delegations – government’s representatives [Aust.

elected member of CND in 1974 & remains ….]

• INCB – International Narcotics Control Board• UNODC – UN Office of Drugs & Crime [Secretariat]

• NB: Other UN bodies link to drugs for some particular matters (eg: Human Rights; Rights of the Child; Indigenous peoples forum; etc)

UN General Assembly

In 2009 the UNGA special meeting on drugs – established 2019 as a target date for States “to eliminate or reduce significantly and measurably”:

The illicit cultivation of opium poppy, coca bush and cannabis plant;

The illicit demand for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; and drug related health and social risks;

The illicit production, manufacture, marketing and distribution of, and trafficking in, psychotropic substances, including synthetic drugs;

The diversion of and illicit trafficking in precursors; and …

money-laundering related to illicit drugs.

Context -Example of UN language

• In 2012, the UNGA decided to hold:

UNGASS 2016 [UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem] – towards 2020.

• “to review the progress in the implementation of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem, including an assessment of the achievements and challenges in countering the world drug problem, within the framework of the three international drug control conventions and other relevant United Nations instruments.”

• NB: Language negotiations …..

NGO voice in UN CND/UNGASS

Words …. ‘Civil Society’ / … ‘fit for purpose’ / … Civil Society - > efforts & > respect/opportunity

2008 – many NGO’s attended

CND meetings – critical forum re policy decisions

How NGO’s can be involved: International NGO’s Research/policy debates – including WHO; UNODC doc’s Membership of linked bodies (eg: VNGOC-Drugs; NY group)

Civil Society Task Force – 2015/16

Civil Society Task Force (CSTF)

Membership (Regions and affected populations)

Role Expectations (not necessarily consensus)

Mode of operation Teleconferences, Skype meetings, Email Pay own way (thanks NADA 4 invite & support to attend AGM)

Purpose - NGO’s views/issues/ideas/experience

Note: CND expectations (“… include the voices of civil society org’s through the CSTF ….”)

Our Opportunity

Me here today – sharing information & seeking views/experience/input

Seek others input – diversity/examples what works

Ensure that (as far as possible) there is NGO ‘voice’ at the UNGASS Encourage participation through:

Survey – completed and report written

Consultations - where possible

UNGASS 2016Global Civil Society

SurveyPreliminary Results and Report

SHEILA P. VAKHARIA PH.D., L.M.S.W.

LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USA

LINDA NILSSON

WORLD FEDERATION AGAINST DRUGS

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Responses at 10 July (ENGLISH)

Responses at 10 July (SPANISH)

Responses at 10 July (FRENCH)

French

Quantitative Results:NGO Respondent Characteristics

NGO SITE

89%

11%

HeadquartersBranch

LEGAL STATUS

67%2%2%

8%

10%

12%

Secular Civil Not-for-Profit

Affiliate/Member of Re-ligious Organization

Welfare Institution

Users or Ex-Users Or-ganization

Volunteer Organization

Other

Context: Drug Policy - Australia

• International issues – usually seem remote • National drug policy since 1985:

– Role of various bodies • MCDS, IGCD, ….. Others :ex-ADCA, various xAADAs; ex-ANCD, APSAD,

NIDAC, etc … ANACAD; then specific NGO’s ….. )

• Internationally NGO voice – small/growing

Context

• WHO, Trade (WTO), International courts (eg: re tobacco)• Police/regulatory authorities/ interdiction• Crime/smuggling (people, guns & drugs / information)

• Strengths – Aust. approach (past 30 years)– Minimise harm – All psychoactive substances (licit and illicit)– Law enforcement and Health working together– “Talk the Talk but do we still Walk the walk” Kay Hull, Chair ANACAD

2015

Emerging Themes

Harm minimisation > including eg: eg: Justice reinvestment; NSP’s in prisons; …..

Death penalty - abandon

First nations peoples (including consider farmers of raw product)

Access to treatment & prevention

Balance spending LE/Prevention and Treatment

ATS Access to essential medicines (pain relief, palliation +

treatment options for opiate dependence)

Eg: Additional (NT consultations)

• Drugs and violence links and interventions• Pathways to resilience (eg: NIDAC milestone screening)• Early years of children’s lives • Importance of family engagement• Gendered roles and impact on aspects of drug policy • Access to family planning• Importance of housing / antecedent & in treatment• Telling the story/stories• Links with mental health concerns and interventions• Importance of choices

Emerging Themes (cont.)

• Acknowledge best practice and urge adoption• Need data and information/evaluation(s) in context• Family engagement (prevention/responding)• Information and education – their place

• ……… [NT, …Q’sland ….. Vic., …Tas.], [WA], NSW, SA, ACT (Feb. ‘16)

UNGASS: Set Topic based agenda

a) DRUGS AND HEALTH: demand reduction and related measures, including prevention, treatment, as well as health related issues; and ensuring the availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing their diversion.

 b) DRUGS AND CRIME: Supply reduction and related measures; responses to drug-related crime; countering money-laundering and promoting judicial cooperation.

 c) DRUGS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, YOUTH, WOMEN, CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES, cross-cutting issues.

 d) NEW CHALLENGES threats and realities in preventing and addressing the world drug problem in compliance with the relevant international law, including the three drug control conventions; strengthening the principle of common and shared responsibility and international cooperation.

 e) ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT, regional, inter-regional and international cooperation on development oriented balanced drug policies, addressing socio-economic issues

 

Quantitative Results:NGO Drug-Related Areas of Interest

Drugs and Health

Drugs and Crime Drugs and Human Rights

Drugs and Development

Drugs, Science, and Technology

Drugs and Youth Drugs and Gender

Other0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Civil Society Task Force Recommendations for the “Zero Draft” of the Outcome Document for UNGASS 2016

The Civil Society Task Force for UNGASS 20161 respectfully submits the following recommendations and priority areas for inclusion in the UNGASS outcome document. …..based on a preliminary compilation of the results the Global Civil Society Survey,…. distributed to NGOs all over the world, [and] prior ….. Civil Society Hearings and the Declaration adopted in connection with Beyond 2008. Other issues considered important …………how to define success and the long-term impact of UNGASS 2016, …. .

Additional information and recommendations will be finalised after 1) the report on the survey is finalised and 2) the ongoing global regional and thematic consultations are completed and the results consolidated, later in 2015.

Recommendations and Top Priorities to be addressed in the UNGASS Outcome document ….. I. Drugs and Health …..2. Drugs and Crime …..Etc… following the agenda headings for UNGASS 2016

…../cont

CSTF Recommendations (draft)Drugs and Healtha. The need for evidence-based or evidence-informed drug preventionb. The widespread adoption and availability of harm reductionc. Funding concerns for treatment, prevention, and other services for people who use drugsd. Universally available evidence-based and culturally-appropriate drug dependence treatmente. The need for a health response to drug usef. The need to address stigma, discrimination, and reintegration for drug user health and well-beingg. Access to controlled medicines

h. II. Drugs and Crime i. Concerns about the unequal enforcement of policies and sentencingj. The harms of trafficking and its associated violence and exploitationk. An evaluation of whether the current system is cost-effective and making society saferl. Allowing for greater policy experimentation by member states

CSTF recommendations (cont.)

III. Human rights, women, children, and communities a. The elimination of the death penalty for drug offenses b. Human rights violations c. Drug-related issues which affect youth d. Drug-related issues which affect women e. Drug-related issues which affect other marginalised populations IV. New challenges, threats and realities in addressing the world drug problem a. New psychoactive substances (NPS) b. Diverse views on the Conventions c. Diverse views on recent decriminalisation and regulation trends

V. Drugs and (Alternative) Development

Survey themes emerging ….

Qualitative Results:Other Issues and Concerns

A. Reduce barriers and increase civil society access to events

B. Meaningfully include other UN agencies in the UNGASS

C. Support inclusion and communication amongst NGOs and member states

Thank You

Margaret Hamilton

Contact me:

• hamilton@unimelb.edu.au

atdc – issues and ideas

• ….• ..• .

atdc – issues and ideas

• ….• ..• .

atdc – issues and ideas

• ….• ..• .

UNGASS 2016Global Civil Society

SurveyPreliminary Results and Report

SHEILA P. VAKHARIA PH.D., L.M.S.W.

LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, USA

LINDA NILSSON

WORLD FEDERATION AGAINST DRUGS

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Method: Survey Distribution

• Civil Society Survey was comprised of 25 multiple choice and open-ended questions about NGO respondents and priority areas for UNGASS

• Available in the following languages: English, French, Spanish, Persian, Vietnamese, Turkish, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, and Italian

Circulated via email, websites, and social media among the following networks:

• UNODC Civil Society Team, the Field Office network, Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, New York NGO Committee on Drugs, and Civil Society Task Force

• Web-based survey remained active between April 21st and July 31st 2015

Method:Mixed Methods Analysis

•Output from survey site was first reviewed for duplicate log-on attempts, surveys with <80% of questions answered

•Mixed Methods Approach:• Quantitative data was tallied and tabulated• Qualitative data was coded and sorted in accordance with 5 Thematic Areas to

be discussed at UNGASS 2016 as an attempt to organize such a large quantity of qualitative results

• As recurring priorities and topic areas were identified, they were highlighted in the report and key respondent quotes were selected to highlight the diversity of opinions in each area

86%

6%

1%4%

1%2%

English Vietnamese TurkishPersian Italian Portuguese

Languages and translations represented in report and CSTF recommendations can be seen here

Final Sample =

758 cases Those which must

still be translated and/or analyzed:• SPANISH• RUSSIAN• FRENCH• CHINESE• ARABIC

English surveys

Portuguese surveys

Persian surveys

Turkish surveys Italian surveys

Vietnamese surveys

Quantitative Results:NGO Respondent Characteristics

NGO SITE

89%

11%

HeadquartersBranch

LEGAL STATUS

67%2%2%

8%

10%

12%

Secular Civil Not-for-Profit

Affiliate/Member of Re-ligious Organization

Welfare Institution

Users or Ex-Users Or-ganization

Volunteer Organization

Other

Quantitative Results:NGO Drug-Related Areas of Interest

Drugs and Health

Drugs and Crime Drugs and Human Rights

Drugs and Development

Drugs, Science, and Technology

Drugs and Youth Drugs and Gender

Other0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Qualitative Results:Thematic Area: Drugs and Health

A. The need for evidence-based or evidence-informed drug prevention

B. The widespread adoption and availability of harm reduction

C. Funding concerns for treatment, prevention, and other services for people who use drugs

D. Universally available evidence-based and culturally-appropriate drug dependence treatment

E. The need for a health response to drug use

F. The need to address stigma, discrimination, and reintegration for drug user health and well-being

G. Access to controlled medicines

Qualitative Results:Thematic Area: Drugs and Crime

A. Concerns about the unequal enforcement of policies and sentencing

B. The harms of trafficking and its associated violence and exploitation

C. An evaluation of whether the current system is cost-effective and making society safer

D. Allowing for greater policy experimentation by member states

Qualitative Results:Thematic Area: Human rights, women, children, and communities

A. The elimination of the death penalty for drug offenses

B. Human rights violations

C. Drug-related issues which affect youth

D. Drug-related issues which affect women

E. Drug-related issues which affect other marginalized populations

Qualitative Results:Thematic Area: New Challenges

A. New Psychoactive Substances

B. Diverse views on the Conventions

C. Diverse views on recent decriminalization and regulation trends

Qualitative Results:Thematic Area: Drugs and Development

A. Addressing the human rights and concerns of producers and farmers within the context of alternative development programs

B. Presentation of successful and effective examples of alternative development programs

Qualitative Results:Other Issues and Concerns

A. Reduce barriers and increase civil society access to events

B. Meaningfully include other UN agencies in the UNGASS

C. Support inclusion and communication amongst NGOs and member states

Qualitative Results:Concrete Outcomes and ‘Success’ defined

A. Harm reduction language

B. Use of data in decision-making

C. Re-evaluating indicators of policy success

D. The increased use of a health-based approach

E. Greater civil society involvement

F. Discussions and dialogue despite lack of consensus

Acknowledgments Rita Notarandrea and

Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse for hosting the survey