Responding to drug-related harms remains one of the most pressing challenges facing govenernments, and one that engages a wide range of human rights. In the spirit of inter-agency cooperation, since 2016 the OHCHR partnered with the UNDP, WHO, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the International Centre for Human Rights and Drug Policy (HR-DP) of the University of Essex to develop  International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy. The Guidelines set out the measures States should undertake or refrain from undertaking in order to comply with their human rights obligations, while taking into account their concurrent obligations under the international drug control conventions. They apply existing human rights law to the legal and policy context of drug control in order to maximise human rights protections. This side event aims to share the Guidelines with States and other stakeholders, and explore various possibilities to promote the Guidelines through UN Human Rights Mechanisms for its implementation at the national, regional and international levels.

Opening remarksAmbassador Socorro Flores Liera, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Walter Stevens, Head of the EU Delegation to the UN in GenevaPresentation of the GuidelinesDamon Barrett, Director, International Centre on Human Rights and Drug, policy, University of EssexDiscussantsJosé Santos Pais, Member, Human Rights CommitteeAnnette Verster, Technical Lead Key Populations, Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programme, WHOAnn Fordham, Executive Director, International Drug Policy ConsortiumJudy Chang, Executive Director, International Network of People Who Use DrugsClosing RemarksBarbara Schedler Fischer, Head of Human Security Divison (a.i.), Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

ChairMona Rishmawi, Chief, Rule of Law Equality and Non Discrimination Branch, OHCHR