Dianova to Attend the 61st Session of CND

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CND61

The 61st session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs will open on March 12 with participation from UN Member States and civil society organizations

CND61

The session will make a follow-up to the special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem held in 2016

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to help supervise the application of the international drug control treaties. The 61st session of the CND will open at the UN Office in Vienna (Austria) on March 12; among other items, it will conduct a follow-up to the special session of the General Assembly (UNGASS) on the world drug problem held in 2016, including the seven thematic areas of its outcome document.

In addition, preparations will be made for the ministerial segment to be held next year during the sixty-second session of the Commission. This segment will be convened to take stock of the implementation of the commitments made to jointly address and counter the world drug problem.

Information for NGOs and CSOs

The session’s programme is now available here in English. In addition, Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) drafted a briefing for Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil society organizations participating in the CND. This briefing provides an overview of the structure and organization of the CND and details how NGOs and CSOs can engage with, and contribute to, the commission.

A dedicated blog maintained by the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) will also provide near real-time updates on the plenary session and selected side events. Lastly, an app has been developed within the framework of the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD) to help you track what is happening live at the CND. The app is available from the Apple and Android stores. You may also access its functionalities through your browser, here.

Dianova side events

Side events will be organized by Member States, UN entities, international or civil society organizations. Dianova International and its member organizations will organize or participate in five of these special and side events as part of their contribution to the debates on drug policies, addiction and social inclusion.

  • 12 March: Side Event organized by the San Patrignano “40 years of drugs, drug addiction and recovery: an assessment of the drug situation and its evolution since 1978”. Co-organization and presentation by Dianova – download flyer
  • 13 March: Special Side Event organized by UNODC. “Shedding Light on the Science of Therapeutic Communities, reviewing the latest evidence, sharing experiences from different fields and exploring their potential”. Organized by the Governments of Greece and Spain, Dianova, Association Proyecto Hombre, KETHEA – download flyer
  • 15 March: Special Event organized by the Government of Norway and UNODC. “Strengthening the global prevention response: International Standards for Drug Use Prevention – Second Edition, Listen First Campaign and Stronger Families Programme”. Presentation about the outcomes of the Dianova-led #ListenFirst campaign.
  • 16 March: Side Event “Human rights and quality standards in drug treatment” organized by Dianova. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Care Services of Norway and RIO. This event will explore the many human rights violations related to addiction treatment and how drug policies should help overcome this problem.  Download flyer
  • 12 to 16 March: Exhibition organized by RUN – Recovered Users Network: “Prevent. Not Promote | Mobilize Communities | Rediscover Recovery”. Co-sponsored by Dianova