Informal Drug Policy Dialogue 2012 Prague

The ninth meeting of the TNI/ Diogenis Informal Drug Policy Dialogue series took place in Prague on 27th and 28th January 2012. The aim of the dialogues is to provide a platform for professionals to discuss drug policy issues. Thanks are due to the National Drug Commission Office of the Government of the Czech Republic and the City of Prague for co-hosting this Dialogue. Over 40 participants attended the meeting, including policy makers, practitioners, academics, and representatives from non-governmental and inter-governmental organisations and agencies. Four themes were discussed: the European Union (EU) drug policy agenda, cannabis policy reform, the future of the UN drug control conventions and the upcoming 55th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. This report highlights the main issues covered during each of the sessions.

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Informal Drug Policy Dialogue 2011 Lisbon

The eighth meeting of the Informal Drug Policy Dialogue series took place in Lisbon on January 21-22, 2011, a joint initiative of Transnational Institute (TNI) and Diogenis, Drug Policy Dialogue in South East Europe that has replaced the Andreas Papandreou Foundation (APF) in co-operation with the Portuguese Institute on Drugs and Drug Addiction (IDT). Over 50 policy makers, practitioners, academics, and representatives from NGOs and governmental organisations attended the meeting, and discussed the Portuguese decriminalisation model, cannabis policy reform, and the agenda and global initiatives at the 54th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

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Prior to the Dialogue an Expert Seminar on Threshold Quantities was held in cooperation with the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drugs Addiction (EMCDDA). The issues under discussion were the advantages and disadvantages of threshold quantities as a policy and legislative tool and it was hoped that this seminar would provide a springboard to inform current debate and to assist the elaboration of evidence-based drug law reform proposals now and in the future.

Informal Drug Policy Dialogue 2009 Amsterdam

The seventh meeting of the Informal Drug Policy Dialogue series, a joint initiative of the Andreas Papandreou Foundation and the Transnational Institute was co-hosted by the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The two-day dialogue focused on several themes: law enforcement, human rights and proportionality of sentences; the classification of controlled substances; current developments of the Dutch drugs policy; and various UN-level drug policy developments and preparations for the upcoming CND.

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Prior to the Dialogue an Expert Seminar on the Classification of Controlled Substances was held. The issues under discussion were the UN treaty schedules – inconsistencies and options for reform; National classification systems – comparing the UK and Dutch models; and Conclusions - achieving more consistency and rationality.

Informal Drug Policy Dialogue 2009 Crete

The sixth meeting of the Informal Drug Policy Dialogue series took place in Kolymbari-Chania, Crete, at the same venue where the dialogue series began in 2004. Over 35 people attended, approximately one-third policy makers and two-thirds representatives of non-governmental organizations or academic institutions. Four themes were covered over the two days: the 52nd Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), including the High Level Segment (HLS) and its Political Declaration; drug law reform, law enforcement and supply reduction; UN system-wide coherence; and the UNGASS review process and the Informal Drug Policy Dialogues.

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Informal Drug Policy Dialogue 2008 Berlin

The fifth informal drug policy dialogue took place in Berlin in cooperation with the German Federal Health ministry. The principal focus of the meeting was the UNGASS review process, the Political Declaration to be adopted at the next CND meeting in March 2009 and future goals in international drug policy. Discussion also took place on the outcomes of the five Working Groups held between June and September as part of the period of “global reflection” and the preparations for the high level segment to be held on the first two days of the 52nd CND session from 11-20 March 2009.

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Informal Drug Policy Dialogue 2007 Rome

The fourth informal drug policy dialogue took place in Rome in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Social Solidarity. The two-day dialogue had seven sessions focused on (1) New developments in the field of Harm Reduction; (2) Drugs and prisons; (3) Social spending of confiscated criminal assets; (4) Access to controlled medications; (5) Evaluating the UN drug control system and the 1998 UNGASS review; (6) Towards another control model for cannabis and a reassessment of the coca leaf?; and (7) What to expect from the UNGASS review process.

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