Briefings and submissions

Harm Reduction International submission to the UN Secretary General on the question of the death penalty

28 March 2019

This submission is made to the United Nations Secretary-General on the question of the death penalty pursuant to resolution 36/17 , adopted by the Human Rights Council in September 2017. Harm Reduction International urges the Secretary-General to continue prioritising the death penalty, and reaffirms the call for a moratorium on the death… Read more

Harm Reduction Group Submission to the UK the Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry on Drugs Policy

18 March 2019

This response to the United Kingdom's Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry on Drugs , looks at the shortfalls of the UK government's current approach to harm reduction, drug treatment and drug policy. The submission was made by the Harm Reduction Group, which is comprised of Release, Harm Reduction International, DrugScience, SMMGP, the… Read more

Harm Reduction International Submissions to UN Human Rights Committee - Viet Nam

31 January 2019

This report, co-submitted with the World Coalition against the Death Penalty , assesses the compatibility Viet Nam's drug control policies with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), in particular: its use of the death penalty for drug offences; and, the compulsory treatment of people who use… Read more

Harm Reduction International Joint Briefing on Global Fund Catalytic Investments for Harm Reduction

25 January 2019

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the largest donor for harm reduction in low and middle countries (LMICs), providing two-thirds of all international donor support. In May 2019, the Global Fund Board will approve the 2020-2022 allocation methodology and catalytic investment priorities, ahead of replenishment for the… Read more

Harm Reduction International submission to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - Bulgaria

21 January 2019

This submission - compiled with the Centre for Humane Policy - assesses the compatibility of Bulgaria's drug policies and practices with its obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). It was submitted to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ahead of the Committee’s review of… Read more

Harm Reduction International submissions to UN Universal Periodic Review - China and Malaysia

06 November 2018

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process of peer review of the human rights performance of States. The overall human rights situation of each of United Nations's 193 members is assessed every five years, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council. This review includes information received from civil society. These submissions… Read more

Harm Reduction International Submission to UN Universal Periodic Review - Viet Nam

05 July 2018

The report was co-submitted with the International Drug Policy Consortium ( IDPC ) and the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs ( ANPUD ). It focuses specifically on the alignment of Viet Nam's drug policy with its human rights obligations. Information is provided on: the death penalty for drug-related offences; the availability of quality,… Read more

Harm Reduction International Submissions to UN Human Rights Committee - Lao PDR

14 June 2018

This report, co-submitted with the World Coalition against the Death Penalty , assesses the compatibility of key drug control policies and practices pursued by Lao PDR with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), in particular: the death penalty for drug offences; and, arbitrary arrest and… Read more

Harm Reduction International makes submissions on human rights and drug control to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

23 May 2018

On May 18th Harm Reduction International submitted information to the OHCHR, feeding into a report that the human rights body will present at the next session of the Human Rights Council, on the implementation of the 2016 UNGASS Outcome Document (entitled "joint commitment to effectively addressing and countering the world drug problem with… Read more

HRI calls for human rights of people who use drugs and 10 by 20 at UNAIDS PCB

28 June 2017

This statement was delivered by HRI’s Campaigns and Advocacy Manager, Olga Szubert, at the 40th meeting of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board in Geneva. The statement was delivered under agenda point four: Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF). UNAIDS/PCB 40th Meeting Agenda item 4: Unified Budget, Results and… Read more

WHO Forum on Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours statement on behalf of HRI, IDPC and INPUD

26 June 2017

The World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse organized, for the first time, the global Forum on alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours (FADAB) with the primary goal of enhancing public health actions in these areas by strengthening partnerships and collaboration among public health oriented organizations,… Read more

HRI's Intervention at the Sixtieth Session of the Committee on Narcotic Drugs

15 March 2017

The following intervention was made by Harm Reduction International at the Sixtieth Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna. "Thank you to the Chair for the opportunity to make this intervention on behalf of Harm Reduction International. Paragraph 1 of the UNGASS outcomes document commits to minimising the adverse health and… Read more

UN agencies must use CND to push for post-UNGASS harm reduction targets

07 October 2016

Harm Reduction International is urging governments and UN agencies attending the upcoming intersessional meetings at CND, called to discuss the implementation of the UNGASS on Drugs outcome document, to push for targets which will turn the outcomes into real progress on harm reduction and the human rights of people who use drugs. Our short… Read more

Left behind? A call to fund harm reduction and end AIDS among people who use drugs - HRI at the International AIDS Conference 2016

08 July 2016

Harm Reduction International is at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, 18th-22nd July 2016. The message we bring to the conference is simple: in spite of the commitment to 'leave no-one behind' in the global response to HIV/AIDS, people who use drugs are at serious risk of being left behind. This is thanks to a deadly… Read more

HRI makes three submissions to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

21 May 2015

HRI makes three submissions to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to feed into a report on the impact of drugs and drug control on human rights which will feed into the 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs, due to be held in 2016. The first submission was on behalf of a coalition of harm reduction… Read more

Women who use drugs, domestic violence and access to shelters

19 March 2013

HRI launched a new briefing paper on the issues of ‘Women who inject drugs and experience domestic violence and access to shelters’ at the side event on ‘preventing and eliminating the violence against women: drug policy reform as a way of violence elimination’ organised by Eurasian Harm Reduction Network on 12 March 2013 during the UN Commission… Read more

Harm Reduction: A low cost, high-impact set of interventions

02 October 2012

Harm reduction is one of the most rigorously evaluated and best proven public health interventions. A growing body of literature demonstrates the cost of the failure to act and attests to the cost… Read more

Harm Reduction International Statement on Women at the 17th Plenary Meeting - 20th session of the UN Human Rights Council

28 June 2012

(Agenda item 2 & 3 – General Discussion on the rights of women) Thank you Mr President, June 26 is the UN day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. If previous years are anything to go by it would be marked by death sentences being passed in some of the thirty-two countries that retain the death penalty for drug offences. The… Read more

Advocating for Needle and Syringe Exchange Programmes in Prisons briefing

09 May 2012

Harm Reduction International is pleased to present the first of a new series of Evidence and Advocacy briefings entitled ‘Advocating for Needle and Syringe Exchange Programmes in Prisons’. This… Read more

Women who use drugs, harm reduction and HIV

29 November 2011

The Global Coalition on Women and AIDS (GCWA), the International Network of Women who Use Drugs (INWUD), and the Women’s Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN) are pleased to present a new… Read more

Joint statement against the death penalty at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

24 March 2011

Joint statement against the death penalty for drug offences delivered by Harm Reduction International's Eka Iakobishvili at the 54th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. It was delivered on behalf of Read more

Joint Statement Delivered to African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

25 November 2010

Harm Reduction International signed a joint statement with a group of NGOs, raising objections to the Gambian National Assembly’s introduction of the death penalty for drug offences. The statement was delivered at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 48th Ordinary Session in Banjul. Harm Reduction International co-signed the… Read more