UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized the urgent need for a human-based approach to drug control in a speech at the second conference on the fight against drugs in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday.
In his statement, he also pointed to the record number of drug-related deaths and the rise in drug addiction disorders.
The first conference on this topic was organized by the Mayor of Amsterdam in January 2024 and this second conference also took forward the discussion on the same topic.
At this conference, leaders and experts from Europe and around the world come together to share best practices and expertise.
“Means to criminalize and ban drug use have failed to prevent drug-related crime,” said Volker Turk. “These policies are not working at all – and we are failing to help the most vulnerable groups in our society.”
Global drug crisis
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volcker’s warning is particularly relevant at a time when the production and distribution of illegal drugs has increased.
Opium production in Afghanistan is expected to increase by 19 percent in 2024, despite a ban on opium cultivation by the Taliban in 2022. The Taliban ban initially reduced opium cultivation by 95 percent.
Meanwhile, North America is facing an unprecedented drug crisis, with synthetic drugs killing people at alarming rates in the United States and parts of Asia and Africa.
From punishment to support
Volker Turk emphasizes the need for a transformative change in attitudes that prioritizes health, dignity and inclusion.
“We need gender-sensitive and evidence-based drug policy based on public health rather than punitive measures,” she urged.
He called for easier “inclusive access to voluntary medical care and other social services” and stressed that harm reduction measures are necessary to prevent drug overdose deaths.
Volker Turk clearly stated that a key component of the reform would be to stop treating drug users as criminals.
He advocated policy changes as well as supporting social reintegration, saying, “We need to start treating the individual instead of punishing the drug use disorder.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights pointed to clear evidence supporting this view, saying that a focus on inclusion and education of those who use drugs, rather than incarceration, would reduce drug abuse.
“Choosing social integration over stigma means reduced drug-related infections”.
Prioritize people
Volker Turk emphasized the importance of focusing on those most affected by current anti-drug policies.
He said, “Historically, people who use drugs have often been marginalized, criminalized, discriminated against and left behind in society – often beyond their means. Their dignity and rights have been taken away.”
“Unless we ensure their real participation in the formulation and implementation of drug policy, we are on the road to failure,” said Volker Turk.
He said, “The evidence is clear. The so-called war on drugs has completely failed, and prioritizing people over punishment means more lives will be saved.”