Transcript Professor Margaret Hamilton

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 2016
Global Civil Society
Survey
Preliminary Results and Report
S H E I L A P. VA K H A R I A P H . D. , L . M . S .W.
LINDA NILSSON
LO N G I S L A N D U N I V E R S I T Y
W O R L D F E D E R AT I O N A G A I N S T D R U G S
B R O O K LY N , N E W YO R K , U S A
S TO C K H O L M , S W E D E N
Responses at 10 July (
ENGLISH
)
Responses at 10 July
(SPANISH)
Responses at 10 July
French
(FRENCH)
Quantitative Results:
NGO Respondent Characteristics
NGO SITE
LEGAL STATUS
Secular Civil Not-forProfit
11%
Affiliate/Member of
Religious Organization
12%
Headquarters
Branch
89%
Welfare Institution
10%
8%
2% 2%
66%
Users or Ex-Users
Organization
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
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Drugs and Health Drugs and Crime Drugs and Human
Rights
Drugs and
Development
Drugs, Science,
and Technology
Drugs and Youth Drugs and Gender
Other
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 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
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
II. Drugs and Crime
Concerns about the unequal enforcement of policies and sentencing
The harms of trafficking and its associated violence and exploitation
An evaluation of whether the current system is cost-effective and making society safer
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:
• [email protected]
atdc – issues and ideas
• ….
• ..
• .
atdc – issues and ideas
• ….
• ..
• .
atdc – issues and ideas
• ….
• ..
• .
UNGASS 2016
Global Civil Society
Survey
Preliminary Results and Report
S H E I L A P. VA K H A R I A P H . D. , L . M . S .W.
LINDA NILSSON
LO N G I S L A N D U N I V E R S I T Y
W O R L D F E D E R AT I O N A G A I N S T D R U G S
B R O O K LY N , N E W YO R K , U S A
S TO C K H O L M , S W E D E N
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
 Languages and
translations
represented in
report and CSTF
recommendations
can be seen here
1%
4%
1%
2%
6%
 Final Sample =
758 cases
 Those which must
still be translated
and/or analyzed:
•
•
•
•
•
SPANISH
RUSSIAN
FRENCH
CHINESE
ARABIC
86%
English
Vietnamese
Turkish
Persian
Italian
Portuguese
Persian surveys
English surveys
Portuguese surveys
Turkish surveys
Italian surveys
Vietnamese surveys
Quantitative Results:
NGO Respondent Characteristics
NGO SITE
LEGAL STATUS
Secular Civil Not-forProfit
11%
Affiliate/Member of
Religious Organization
12%
Headquarters
Branch
89%
Welfare Institution
10%
8%
2% 2%
66%
Users or Ex-Users
Organization
Volunteer Organization
Other
Quantitative Results:
NGO Drug-Related Areas of Interest
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Drugs and Health Drugs and Crime Drugs and Human
Rights
Drugs and
Development
Drugs, Science,
and Technology
Drugs and Youth Drugs and Gender
Other
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