Page 70 - WHACK35

#UNGASS

FULL OF HO T AIR

In 1998, the United Nations General Assembly governments and NGO and the whole process drew
Special Session (UNGASS) agreed to a Declaration criticism from countries seeking true drug policy
which set a 10-year deadline to make the world reform. ‘Contentious’ language such as ‘abolishing
“drug free”. After an embarrassing failure to achieve the death penalty’ and’ harm reduction’ was thrown
this goal, the deadline was extended another 10 out and not mentioned in the document. Difficult
years, setting the world up for another inevitable negotiations over proportionality of sentences*,
failure in 2019. In 2012, 3 Latin American countries traditional use and indigenous rights, and access
proposed an UNGASS on Drugs be held in April to controlled medicines were bargained and traded
2016. These countries were motivated by growing off against extremely conservative drug policy. The
concerns about drug-related violence in their region, rights of countries to use the death penalty for drug-
recent comments from political leaders and non- related offences was retained.
government organisations (NGO) on the need for a
new international dialogue about drugs, and a need Bizarrely the UNGASS outcome document was
to look at the effectiveness (or not) of current inter- developed at the CND meeting, and recommended
national drug policies. The meeting was promoted for adoption at the UNGASS meeting. Due to fears
as a momentous political opportunity, a time for the the outcome document wouldn’t be adopted follow-
UN to promote a health and human-rights approach ing on from 3 days of discussions (between country
to drug policy across the world. Everyone was representatives and drug users), the vote to adopt
excited; here was an opportunity to really challenge took place on the first day of UNGASS, just after the
‘the war on drugs’ and to question the death penalty, opening ceremony.
the criminalisation of drug users and the failure of
countries to provide evidence-based treatment and The outcome document was disappointing to say
care for their drug users. the least, its development was not an inclusive
process and it failed to reflect the broken global

Prior to the UNGASS meeting, the notoriously agreement on drug policy. Key countries bargained
conservative UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs hard to retain the status quo and the document was
(CND) met in March to draft the UNGASS outcome largely influenced by Russia which is known for its
document. The CND ignored submissions from punitive and hard-line approach to drugs. Australia’s

70 W H A C K P. I E D I T I O N : S P R I N G 2 0 16

WHACK35_LYOT.indd 70 11-Oct-16 4:25:43 PM