City Report – Esch-sur-Alzette. Establishing a drug consumption room in a small-scale city

Esch-sur-Alzette, home to fewer than 40,000 people in Luxembourg’s south, reached a significant milestone in 2019 as the second city in the country to establish a drug consumption room. Contact Esch was based upon educational, medical, and social pillars, garnering strong support and success. The DCR’s effectiveness stemmed from robust political backing for harm reduction, effective collaboration among policymakers, NGOs, and local leaders, and the Ministry of Health’s objective to decentralise treatment and harm reduction services across Luxembourg. The Jugend-an-Drogenhëllef Foundation (JDF), the organisation behind Contact Esch, prioritised community involvement, fostering positive relations between locals and the initiative. Esch-sur-Alzette’s success in implementing a DCR, marked by minimal opposition and notable community support, can help to inspire other small-scale cities to implement DCRs, within and beyond Luxembourg.

 

Following a new format, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network’s Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe 2023 Data Report is launched in 6 volumes: Hepatitis C Care, Essential Harm Reduction Services, New Drug Trends, Mental Health of Harm Reduction Staff, TEDI Reports and City Reports (Warsaw, Bălţi, Esch-sur-Alzette, London, Amsterdam). The Executive Summary can be accessed here.

City Report – Bălţi. Violating confidentiality: The disclosure of medical data of people who use drugs

In Bălţi, Moldova’s second-largest city, the prevalence of HIV and HCV among people who inject drugs in Bălţi is disproportionately high. Despite the presence of harm reduction services throughout Bălţi, accessibility to these services remains a key problem. Barriers, including inadequate psychosocial support, employment and travel constraints, and fear of discrimination, hinder participation in treatment and harm reduction services. A notably prominent barrier is the pervasive stigma and discrimination exhibited by healthcare staff towards key populations, deeply rooted within healthcare settings. Approximately one quarter of people who inject drugs avoid medical care and HIV/HCV testing due to fears about their drug use becoming known. This is linked to healthcare personnel disclosing sensitive medical information such as a person’s HIV status, which can lead to stigma, discrimination and even dismissal from employment. It also hinders access to HIV services and breeds mistrust in the wider health system. Legal restrictions criminalising HIV exposure and transmission, drug use, and certain sexual activities further obstruct safe behaviours and service access. Though a national network of specialist paralegals established in 2017 has helped to bring justice to affected individuals, addressing these issues at their core is crucial for systemic, lasting change.

 

Following a new format, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network’s Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe 2023 Data Report is launched in 6 volumes: Hepatitis C Care, Essential Harm Reduction Services, New Drug Trends, Mental Health of Harm Reduction Staff, TEDI Reports and City Reports (Warsaw, Bălţi, Esch-sur-Alzette, London, Amsterdam). The Executive Summary can be accessed here.

City Report – Warsaw. A critical review of the harm reduction landscape in the district of Praga

Despite a recent boom in gentrification, Praga – one of eighteen districts comprising the city of Warsaw, is witnessing an escalating problem with homelessness, street drug use, and drug-related violence. OAT services in Warsaw have been purposefully accumulated in the Praga district, with the aim of concentrating service users in one spot, away from the city centre. People who use drugs in Praga are subject to fear, intimidation and acts of violence, with around 1200 individuals accessing OAT services in Praga alone. An increase in migration in recent years has increased pressure on these services and the profile and needs of service users has changed significantly. Local residents’ discontent and hostility towards people who use drugs has led to opposition against further treatment and harm reduction centres, fueling further support for punitive responses. The report urges policymakers in Warsaw to take drug policy seriously, calling for collaborative efforts that prioritise health, safety, and human rights for people who use drugs.

 

Following a new format, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network’s Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe 2023 Data Report is launched in 6 volumes: Hepatitis C Care, Essential Harm Reduction Services, New Drug Trends, Mental Health of Harm Reduction Staff, TEDI Reports and City Reports (Warsaw, Bălţi, Esch-sur-Alzette, London, Amsterdam). The Executive Summary can be accessed here.

Open Letter supporting COE Commissioner’s Commentary on Human Rights of Sex Workers | Joint Statement

On 15/02/2024 the outgoing Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović published her Comment on Protecting the Human Rights of Sex Workers.

The undersigned organisations warmly welcome the Comment as a timely & important step forward in recognising the human rights of all sex workers.

The undersigned organisations are leading civil society networks & human rights organisations with a range of expertise that allows us to address issues affecting the rights of sx workers through an intersectional lens.

We thank Dunja Mijatović for this great farewell gift & look forward to cooperating with the new mandate holder!

C-EHRN Activity Report 2023 – Summary of Activities and Impact

C-EHRN is proud and grateful to present its 2023 Network Report, providing a summarised version of the activities undertaken last year. In this document, we are looking back at a year full of tasks, challenges and opportunities.

EFUS Security, Democracy and Cities Conference

On the 20th and 21st March, our Policy and Project Support Officer, Arianna Rogialli, attended the EFUS Security, Democracy and Cities Conference in Bruxelles and took part in the panel discussion on Drugs and Harm Reduction moderated by Laurent Maisse, Deputy Director of Transit ASBL and together with Nadia Zourgui, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg and José Martinez Espasa, Chief Commissioner of the Gandia Local Police.

The session focused mainly on the challenges that cities face when providing support to people who use drugs, people who are experiencing mental health challenges or other marginalised populations while coordinating different social support services and communicating to the public about them.

During the session, C-EHRN emphasised its dedication to organising collaborative initiatives with city-level actors in the harm reduction field, including mayors, policymakers, and civil society. We also highlighted the urgent need to eliminate barriers to accessing mental health support services and to support and fund low-threshold services that can better reach and assist people who use drugs and are experiencing mental health challenges. Furthermore, we drew attention to the importance of funding harm reduction services. We also shared best practices for effective communication about harm reduction and neighbourhood cooperation between harm reduction services, residents, and business owners.

During the second day of the conference, we had the opportunity to visit the drug consumption room Gate, which is a member of the European Network of Drug Consumption Rooms [ENDCR], and the day and accommodation centre operated by Transit ASBL. Alongside the drug consumption room, Gate offers weekly drug-checking services, opportunities for testing for communicable diseases and community activities.

 

Launch of the City Reports | A New Addition to the C-EHRN Civil Society-Led Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe 2023

To mark the publication of the City Reports, we invite you to join our webinar on Tuesday, 9th April, 12:00 (CEST/Amsterdam time).

The City Reports are the final segment of Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network (C-EHRN)’s Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction 2023 Data Report. These concise harm reduction ‘case studies’ highlight either innovative practices or urgent issues demanding immediate attention in five different European cities. The reports will serve as advocacy tools to engage decision makers at all levels, either by showcasing best practices or as an urgent call to action.

During the webinar, primary author Alice Pomfret will be joined by the five representatives of the participating focal points to delve into the findings and discuss the next steps for advocacy based on the reports’ conclusions. Participants are invited to engage in an interactive Q&A session.

 

Panellists:

 

 

Following a new format, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network’s Civil Society-led Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe 2023 Data Report is launched in 6 volumes: Hepatitis C Care, Essential Harm Reduction Services, New Drug Trends, Mental Health of Harm Reduction Staff, TEDI Reports and City Reports (Warsaw, Bălţi, Esch-sur-Alzette, London, Amsterdam). The Executive Summary can be accessed here.

Call for Abstracts – 6th European Harm Reduction Conference

The European Harm Reduction Conference 2024 invites researchers, practitioners, policymakers, activists, and advocates to submit abstracts for presentations, workshops, and discussions across various tracks to advance harm reduction efforts in Europe and beyond. The conference will be held in Warsaw and will provide a platform for sharing knowledge, experiences, and innovative approaches to harm reduction. 

Under the overarching Conference Theme “Putting People First – Empowering communities and driving innovation”, the conference aims to not only reflect on the progress made but also to move us forward by exploring innovative approaches, fostering collaboration, and sharing knowledge and experiences that will shape the future of harm reduction in Europe and beyond.

We encourage reflective, innovative submissions that offer pragmatic solutions to the challenges faced in our field. This conference is your platform to share original research findings, best practice case studies, and theoretical analyses and discuss the challenges and solutions related to service delivery, advocacy, policy action, and more.

Abstract Submission Deadline: 12 May 2024
Please read the Abstract Guideline carefully before submitting an abstract. For more information, visit the conference website.

Drug Policy Manifesto for the 2024 European Parliament Elections

For a drug policy that makes Europe safer, healthier, and more just

Despite billions spent in drug control, European drug policies have failed to protect the health and safety of our communities.

Drug use is reaching historical records. New substances are entering the EU market every year. War-on-drugs policies have been unable to stop the growing power of organised crime. Evidence shows that prevention, treatment, and harm reduction are necessary to save lives and protect our communities, but services for people who use drugs lack resources and political support.

The 2024 European elections must bring a paradigm shift. This manifesto lays down a vision for a pragmatic, innovative, and human rights-centred European drug policy that will deliver healthier and safer communities. We invite all European civil society organizations, parties, and candidates to endorse the following calls to action.

Together, we will build a drug policy that prepares Europe for the future.

#FutureDrugPolicyEU24

Open To Everyone, Initiated by Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network, NEWNet Enjoying Safer Nightlife.

 

SIGN AND DOWNLOAD THE MANIFESTO

Also in 🇫🇷, 🇨🇿, 🇮🇹, 🇪🇸, 🇩🇪, 🇭🇺, 🇷🇴, 🇱🇹, 🇪🇪, 🇲🇪.

 

The Principle of the Drug Policy Manifesto:

Ramp up investment in health and social care

Drug use in Europe is at record levels, and the growing presence of new psychoactive substances, including synthetic opioids, has raised the alarm. Law enforcement and drug control will not stop this new threat, just as they have failed in other regions of the world. To be prepared for the future, the EU institutions must prioritise support and funding for integrated health and care services that are proven to work. A focus on services that support, rather than punish, people who use drugs is necessary to save lives and keep communities safe.

EU drug policy must be rebalanced, ending the current prioritisation of law enforcement over health. The EU institutions must ramp up investment and support for selective and indicated prevention programmes, evidence-informed voluntary treatment, life-saving harm reduction (including HIV/AIDS and HCV prevention, opioid assisted treatment, take-home naloxone, drug checking services, and drug consumption rooms), and community-based and community-led services that can reach out to everyone in need.

Abandon war-on-drugs policies

It is time to abandon war-on-drugs policies that, despite costing billions, have failed to reduce the size of illegal drug markets, to curb the power of organised crime or to reduce violence. Policies and narratives that stigmatise and blame people who use drugs and marginalised communities must be replaced with interventions grounded in evidence, inclusion, and human rights.

To ensure an integrated, holistic, and intersectional approach to drugs, EU health bodies must have a pivotal role in shaping EU drug policy. Drug policy must be mainstreamed across social, health and economic policies, and not be left at the hands of law enforcement alone.

The EU institutions must mainstream an inclusive, human rights and gender-based approach to drugs, including an unequivocal support for the decriminalisation of people who use drugs as a measure to remove stigma and improve access to services.

The new EU Drugs Agency must create indicators that monitor the effectiveness and impact of current drug policy approaches such as crime prevention and demand and harm reduction, including on stigma, access to services, and human rights, and conduct more policy-oriented research. EU bodies mandated to uphold human rights, EU values and the rule of law must also be involved.

Ensure civil society and community participation

A safer and more effective drug policy requires the involvement of civil society organizations that work every day with communities, can reach out to vulnerable populations, and are best informed of new trends in drug markets. EU drug policy must reflect the principle ‘nothing about us without us’, involving first and foremost affected communities and people who use drugs.

Mechanisms for civil society participation in EU drug policy, including the Civil Society Forum on Drugs in the EU, should be appropriately funded, supported, and meaningfully consulted by the European Commission, the EU Drugs Agency, and all relevant EU institutions. They should include representatives of affected communities, including people who use drugs, young people, women, and those disproportionately affected by criminalisation, stigma, and discrimination.

Explore innovative approaches, including responsible regulation

A pragmatic drug policy requires exploring innovative approaches to drug markets, including the responsible regulation of drugs such as cannabis, as a key measure to protect the health and human rights of communities, and reduce the power of organized crime. The EU should facilitate these innovations, and monitor their impact on health, safety, and human rights.

European policy makers must ensure that European laws and policies facilitate the adoption of innovative approaches to drug markets, including responsible regulation. The EU Drugs Agency should monitor the impact of drug policies and regulation, to allow for evidence-informed policy making. This will support mutual learning, increase uptake of best practices, contribute to pragmatic solutions, and prepare Europe for the future.

Already signed by…

Politicians & Decision-Makers

BELGIUM:
Bart Staes (MEP, Flemish Greens – Groen)

Saskia Bricmont (MEP, Ecolo / Greens/EFA)

Estelle Ceulemans (MEP candidate, PS – Parti Socialiste)

Matthieu Liessens (MEP candidate, PS – Parti Socialiste)

Yvan Verougstraete (MEP candidate, Les Engagés)

 

FINLAND:
Merja Kyllonen (MEP, Left Alliance)

 

FRANCE:

Alexandre Feltz (Deputy Mayor, Strasbourg)

Dominique Broc (Member of the Mairie de Chenevelles City Council)

 

GERMANY:
Kirsten Kappert-Gonther (Member of national parliament, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)

 

IRELAND:
Luke Ming Flanagan (MEP, The Left group in the European Parliament)

Graham de Barra (MEP Candidate, Independent)

 

ITALY:

Massimiliano Smeriglio (MEP, Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra)

Luca Boccoli (MEP candidate, Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra)

Giuditta Pini (MEP candidate, Partito Democratico)

Andrea John Dejanaz (MEP candidate, Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra)

Luca Fella Trapanese (Councillor for Social Policies, City of Naples, Italy)    

Jacopo Rosatelli (Councillor for Health and Social Affairs, City of Turin, Italy)

Paolo Ticozzi (Member of the Venice City Council / Partito Democratico, Italy) 

 

LUXEMBOURG:
Clement Sven (Member of National Parliament, Luxembourg)

Daniel Silva (MEP candidate, Volt Luxembourg)

Philippe Schannes (MEP candidate, Volt Luxembourg)

Conny Jaroni (MEP candidate, Greens/EFA & Volt Europa)

 

MALTA:
Sandra Gauci (MEP candidate, ADPD Green Party, Malta)

Civil Society Organisations:

Almost 300 CSOs from the following countries have signed the Manifesto.

AUSTRIA:

Koje | taktisch klug

Students for Sensible Drug Policy International

InnovaDrug

Suchthilfe Wien

 

BELGIUM:
Modus Vivendi

European AIDS Treatment Group

Ex Aequo

Projet Lama centre psycho-médico-social

VAD

ARAS Romanian Association Against AIDS

Médecins du Monde Belgium - Dokters van de Wereld

Smart on Drugs

Free Clinic vzw

Odas Coordination

ASBL SOLAIX

ESPAS

CGG Noord-West-Vlaanderen

CAW de Kempen de Lange Gaank

Fedito wallonne

Gig (Health Promotion in Injecting Drug Use)

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA:
The Chronic Viral Hepatitis Patients Association - B18

 

BRAZIL:

Rede Brasileira De Redução de Danos e Direitos Humanos

Plataforma Brasileira de Política de Drogas

 

BULGARIA:

Dose of Love Association

 

CANADA:
CAPUD - Canadian Network of People Who Use Drugs

Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec

 

CATALUNYA:
Episteme. Investigació i Intervenció Social

Associacio Canaan-Pla De L'Estany

 

CROATIA:
Alternation Association

Life Quality Improvement Organisation FLIGHT

 

CZECHIA:
Asociace poskytovatelů adiktologických služeb, z.s.

SANANIM z.ú.

PREVENT 99, z.ú.

Kolpingovo dílo České republiky z.s.

Prostor plus, o.p.s.

Centrum sociálních služeb Praha

Association Of Social Care Providers Of Czechia

KOTEC o. p. s.

Středisko křesťanské pomoci Plzeň

Společnost Podané ruce, o.p.s.

Institut for Rational Addiction Policy (IRAP)

ANA, z.ú.

P-centrum, spolek

Kontaktní centrum  - víceúčelová drogová služba

Darmoděj z.ú.

Unie LZZ

Zařízení sociální intervence Kladno

CYPRUS:
RESET - Research and Education in Social Empowerment and Transformation

 

DENMARK:
HealthTeam for the Homeless and Health in Front

Brugernes Akademi

 

ESTONIA:
Estonian Association of People Using Psychotropic Substances "LUNEST"

Lunest

MTÜ Ööhaldjad

 

FINLAND:
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

Humaania päihdepolitiikkaa ry

 

FRANCE:
Global commission on drug policy

RdR:RefletsduReel - Asud auto-support usagers de drogues

Fédération Addiction

AIDES

Association GrEID

Association Bus 31/32

ENCOD

ASUD

Sovape

NORML France

Forum Drugs Mediterranean-FAAAT

Techno Plus

CAARUD Lou Passagin

AEP

APSA 30

RdR:RefletsduReel

CSAPA BLANNAVES

Underground

FEDERATION ADDICTION

Association ITHAQUE

CSAPA BLANNAVES

Csapa OPPELIA

Sara Logisol

Nautilus RdR

Techno+

ithaque

Littoral Prévention Initiatives

Act Up Sud-Ouest

Nautilus

Freeparty

Addiction

Keep Smiling

CSAPA Soléa

Psychonaut

PlaySafe Paris, Paris LGBT

Culture Drogues

Psychonaut.fr

Afder.org & Old Timers Recovery un homme

Drogues et Société

L'Amicale RDR

Nouvelle Aube

Groupement Addiction Franche Comté

Health Without Barriers

Collectif Ensemble Limitons les Risques

Les Insoumis

Fédération addiction

SIDA Paroles 78

SOS Addictions

 

GEORGIA:
Eurasian Movement for the Right to Health in Prisons

 

GERMANY:
#MyBrainMyChoice Initiative

Fixpunkt e. V.

Akzept e.V. - Bundesverband für akzeptierende Drogenarbeit und humane Drogenpolitik

Basis - Beratung, Arbeit, Jugend und Kultur e.V.

Jugend und Kulturverein Halle e.V.

SONICS e.V.

Drug Scouts

Chill out e.V.

VIVID e.V.

Akzept e.V.

Audshilfe Dortund e. v.

Palette gGmbH

Integrative Drogenhilfe e.V.

Paritätischer Landesverband Hessen

IDH

BASIS-Projekt, basis&woge e.V.

Integrative Drogenhilfe e.V

Verein für Integration und Suchthilfe e.V.

Deutsche Aidshilfe

Aids Hilfe Frankfurt

 

GREECE:
Steps Non-Profit

PRAKSIS

Steps

PeerNUPS

Positive Voice

Self-organizing Initiatives for People who Use Drugs

 

HUNGARY:

Rights Reporter Foundation

INDIT Közalapítvány Bulisegély Szolgálat

Daath.hu - Hungarian Psychedelic Community

ELTE PPK; Behavioural Research Social Sciences and Services Ltd

Dát 2 Psy Help

Blue Point Drug Outpatient Centre

INDONESIA:
GAMMA Indonesia

 

ICELAND:
Matthildur, harm reduction organization

 

IRELAND:

Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign

Ana Liffey Drug Project

Help Not Harm

Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign

Rialto Community Drug Team

UISCE

Walkinstown Greenhills Resource Centre

Daish Project

Ballyfermot Advance Project CLG

Addiction Response Crumlin

Youth Workers Against Prohibition

RADE CLG

Kilbarrack Coast Community Programme

SURIA/Euronpud

 

ITALY:

LILA - Italyn League for Fighting AIDS

Forum Prävention - streetlife.bz

L' Isola di Arran

Forum Droghe

Parsec NGO

Lab57 - Alchemica, Bologna

NADIR ETS

LILA Onlus - Lega Italyna per la Lotta contro l'AIDS

L'isola di Arran ODV

Itanpud

ITANPUD APS

Itanpud

Itanpud

Chemical Sisters

Antigone onlus

CNCA - Coordinamento Nazionale Comunità di Accoglienza

ARCI

CGIL

ITARdD Itałian Harm Reduction Network

Gesco consorzio di cooperative sociali

la Società della Ragione

Substantia

 

LITHUANIA:
Eurasian harm reduction association (EHRA)

Support foundation "RIGRA"

Association of HIV affected women and their families

Support foundation "RIGRA"

Young Wave

NGO "Gilės sodas"

Coalition "I Can Live"

 

LUXEMBOURG:
4motion asbl. / PIPAPO

 

MALTA:
Harm Reduction Malta

Releaf Malta

MONTENEGRO:
NGO Juventas

Crnogorska mreža za smanjenje štete LINK / Montenegrin Harm Reduction Network LINK

 

NETHERLANDS:
Belangenvereniging Druggebruikers MDHG

Mainline

Legalize NL

LEAP NL

De Regenboog Groep

VOC (Union for the abolition of cannabis prohibition)

Harm Reduction Network/Trimbos Institute

 

NORWAY:

Association for Humane Drug Policy

Safer Youth

proLAR Nett

The Norwegian Association for Humane Drug Policy

 

POLAND:
PREKURSOR Foundation for Social Policy

Youth Organisations for Drug Action

 

PORTUGAL:
Médicos do Mundo

CASO

Kosmicare

MANAS/ GAT Portugal/ EuroNPUD

Associação Existências

Associação "Ninguém Pode Ficar Para Trás"- Porto Solidário 20

Acompanha, CRL

 

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA:
PULS COMUNITAR

 

ROMANIA:
ARAS - Romanian Association Against AIDS

Romanian Harm Reduction Network

Fundatia PARADA

Sens Pozitiv Association

ALIAT

 

SCOTLAND:

Scottish Drugs Forum

Crew 2000 Scotland

 

SERBIA:

Drug Policy Network South East Europe

NGO Re Generation

 

SLOVAKIA:
Odyseus

 

SLOVENIA:

Društvo SVIT Koper

Association SKUC

Društvo AREAL

Association DrogArt

Zveza NVO na področju drog in zasvojenosti

Association For Harm Reduction Stigma

 

SPAIN:
Governance Research Center - University of Salamanca

Asociación Stop SIDA

Metzineres SCCL

Kykeon Analytics

UNAD

Grupo de Trabajo sobre Tratamientos del VIH (gTt-VIH)

ICEERS - International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service

Sociedad Clínica de Endocannabinología (SCE)

ARAIS

Asociación Amaina

Asociación Proyecto Hogar

Colectivo De Prevención E Incorporación CEPA

Asocación Progestión

ALAT

Federación Andaluza ENLACE

Asociación Punto OMega

Asociaciación Bienestar y Desarrollo

Asociación para la Prevención y Estudio de las Adicciones (APRET)

Fundacion Erguete-Integracion

Asociación Noesso

Asociación Bidesari

Fundación Ambit Prevencio

Asociación DESAL

Kykeon Analytics

 

SWEDEN:
Safe Haven Sweden

 

SWITZERLAND:
Groupement Romand d'Études des Addictions, GREA

Infodrog

ARUD Suchtzentrum

 

UKRAINE:
Alliance For Public Health (Drugstore Project)

ГОЗахідний  Ресурсний центр Волна-Захід / Western Resource Center of All-Ukrainian Association of People with Drug Addiction

VOLNa всеукраїнське об'єднання людей з наркозалежністю / Charity Organization "All-Ukrainian Association of People with Drug Addiction (VOLNA)"

Charitable Foundation "Second Life"

 

UNITED KINGDOM:

ReShape/International HIV Partnerships

Asociación Punto OMega

Psycare UK

Benzo Research Project

Newcastle University

PostScript360

WALES:
Barod

EUROPE/GLOBAL:
EuroNPUD

Coalition PLUS

Youth RISE

European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA)

D2 INNOLAB- Global Innovation Lab on Drug Policy & Sustainable Development - Global 

AUSTRALIA:
AIVL

ECUADOR:
Anandamind

Parametria

 

FRENCH GUYANA:
Association guyanaise de réduction des risques (AGRRR)

NEPAL:
Recovering Nepal

SENEGAL:
Alliance Nationale des Communauté pour la Santé (ANCS)

 

 
And 150+ drug policy experts, researchers, healthcare professionals, citizens & activists...

Join the side events at the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs!

We would like to highlight 3 side events, one on drug consumption rooms, organised by De Regenboog Groep, with C-EHRN, the European Network of Drug Consumption Rooms and ICAD as co-sponsors, and the other 2, on civil society’s role in monitoring drug policy and on the incorporation of social justice into harm reduction, organised with the support and participation of our Network.

Empowering Voices: Civil Society’s Role in Monitoring and Evaluation of Drug Policy

19 March 2024, 14:10-15:00 [CET]
Room M0E07

Civil society organisations play an essential role in monitoring drug policy and drug-related services, providing ground-level insights that complement and expand the knowledge generated by the governments and international organisations. By being more connected with people who use drugs, and advocating for the rights of affected communities, they bridge the gap between policy and practice, contributing to the development of more effective, humane, and realistic drug policies.

This side event will highlight the crucial role of civil society in monitoring drug trends and drug-related services and the added value civil society brings to the policy-making process through its monitoring activities. This event also aims to underscore the effectiveness of networking among civil society organisations, highlighting their capacity to systematically monitor essential, field-derived data.

Speakers:
Dr Mireia Ventura, Drug checking services coordinator, Trans European Drug Information network [TEDI] – NEW Net; Acción, Bienestar y Desarrollo [ABD] – Energy Control
Dr Iga Jeziorska, Senior Researcher, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network [C-EHRN]
Susanna Ronconi, Researcher, Forum Droghe
Danilo Ballotta, Principal Policy Analyst, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction [EMCDDA]

Chair & Moderator: Stéphane Leclercq, Director, Fédération bruxelloise des institutions pour toxicomanes [FEDA BXL]

Download the flyer

Drug Consumption Rooms in Europe – Between Health & Safety

21st of March, 09:10h [CET]
Hybrid Location: Room M0E100 & Online
You can join the event via this Zoom link.

For more than 30 years, Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs) have been implemented in Western countries, generating a substantial body of practical experience and research that evidences their effectiveness in achieving public health and safety goals and contributing to the well-being of people who use drugs. However, the scale and breadth of their global implementation still vary significantly. This side event aims to contribute to an informed discussion about DCRs by presenting the available evidence, reviewing the various models being adopted and their characteristics, as well as (legal) preconditions and considerations that would allow this public health service to be integrated in a balanced continuum of drug policy initiatives.

Speakers:
Dr. João Castel-Branco Goulão, Director General of the Portuguese Institute on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies [ICAD]
Dr. Blanca Iciar Indave Ruiz, Scientific Agent of the Support to Practice Sector at the Public Health Unit of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction [EMCDDA]
Mx. Roberto Perez Gayo, Head of Policy at Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network [C-EHRN] and Coordinator of the European Network of Drug Consumption Rooms [ENDCR]
Mr. Hugo Faria, Team Manager at Associação Ares do Pinhal

Chair & Moderator: Ms. Katrin Shiffer, Director of Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network [C-EHRN] and Head of the International Department of Stichting De Regenboog Groep.

Download the flyer
 

The Incorporation of Social Justice Into Harm Reduction, an Essential Step

22 March, 13:00 [CET]
Room M0E100
Organized by the ABD Associació Benestar I Desenvolupament

Harm reduction is consolidated worldwide as an effective public health strategy in substance use.

Through the example of Spain with experience of more than 40 years, the main of this Side is to make visible the importance of (re)incorporating the perspective of social justice to strengthen health and social protection systems, while integrating and stimulating the participation, learning and leadership of the communities themselves.

Ester Aranda Rodríguez, Director of Harm Reduction in ABD and researcher in UNAD.
Juan Fernández Ochoa, Campaigns and Communications Officer at IDPC. Global coordinator of the Support Don’t Punish campaign.
Roberto Pérez Gayo, Head of Policy at Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network [C-EHRN] and Coordinator of the European Network of Drug Consumption Rooms [ENDCR]
Aura Roig Fortaleza, Founder Director of Metzineres and international advisor on drug policy, harm reduction, human rights and gender

Chair & Moderator:
Constanza Sánchez Avilés, Law, Policy and Human Rights Director at ICEERS

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