Organizations call for approval of resolution on drugs in UN

Execução de Marielle, intervenção federal e drogas foram alguns dos temas pautados pela sociedade civil (Foto: Jean-Marc Ferré/UN Photo)

Civil society organizations have declared their support for the resolution “Contribution of the Human Rights Council to the implementation of the Joint Commitment to effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem with regard to human rights”. They also requested the support of the Member and Observer States of the Human Rights Council to approve the resolution at the current session.

In 2015, the Human Rights Council approved the first resolution on this topic that requested that the High Commissioner draft a report on the impact of the world drug problem on the enjoyment of human rights. In April 2016, the United Nations General Assembly held a special session to address the same subject. At the end of this session, an outcome document was approved that reaffirms the need for the implementation of international drug control treaties in accordance with human rights.

The organizations justified the importance of the resolution by emphasizing the impacts that it could have locally: “worldwide, drugs have been used as motives to police women, as well as poor and black communities, in extremely discriminatory ways with negative consequences for public security and community well-being”.

The letter was signed by Conectas and another 11 organizations, including the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and CELS (Center for Legal and Social Studies), and sent to the representatives of the Member and Observer States of the UN Human Rights Council.

• Read the letter here.