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Pike, Brigid (2014) UN body passes drug resolutions. Drugnet Ireland, Issue 50, Summer 2014, pp. 3-4.

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The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the UN’s drug policy-making body, met in Vienna between 13 and 21 March 2014 for its 57th Session. For the first two days Ministers and representatives of member state governments undertook a high-level review of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem. The conclusions of this review are described in ‘Towards UNGASS 2016’ elsewhere in this issue of Drugnet Ireland

In the second week of the session the CND passed 11 resolutions. They included the following: 

Drug abuse prevention through sport: promoting a society free of drug abuse through sport and the Olympic ideal (E/CN.7/2014/L.4/Rev.1)

Member states and sporting organisations are encouraged to use sporting events as a platform for promoting social inclusion and to promote equal access to sports as a means of drug prevention. 

Promoting prevention of drug abuse based on scientific evidence as an investment in the well-being of children, adolescents, youth, families and communities (E/CN.7/2014/L.8/Rev.1)

Member states are invited to expand the coverage and quality of drug abuse prevention systems, interventions, including information dissemination and periodic evaluations. 

Supporting recovery from substance use disorders (E/CN.7/2014/L.9/Rev.1)

Member states are invited to:

  • improve understanding of the importance of supporting sustained recovery;
  • provide measures to ensure non-stigmatising attitudes to those seeking help or in recovery, to help reduce marginalisation and discrimination, and to promote social reintegration;
  • consider providing appropriate treatment and support to meet individual needs through the recovery process;
  • gather scientific evidence on recovery and recovery-oriented programmes;
  • facilitate exchanges on developing a chronic-care approach to the treatment of substance use disorders similar to approaches for other chronic conditions ; and
  • support and sustain recovery programmes in schools, universities, workplaces, communities and other domains. 

Enhancing international cooperation in the identification and reporting of new psychoactive substances and incidents involving such substances (E/CN.7/2014/L.11/Rev.1)

Member states are urged to use and follow the scheduling processes of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances , including providing the World Health Organization with timely information and identifying a national government focal point to coordinate information provision on substances for effective review by the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. Member states are also encouraged to consider the provisional application of control measures as established under the 1961 and 1971 conventions to strengthen domestic regulatory controls, particularly regarding new psychoactive substances, while ensuring their availability for medical, scientific and industrial purposes. 

Education and training on drug use disorders (E/CN.7/2014/L.13/Rev.1)

Member states are invited to strengthen professional knowledge and skills for those working with people affected by substance use disorders. The resolution  highlights the need to strengthen the capacity of competent and experienced trainers; to ensure that training programmes adopt a multi-disciplinary approach, drawing on areas such as medicine, psychology, education and the social sciences; and to strengthen intersectoral collaboration involving health and law enforcement professionals. 

Providing sufficient health services to individuals affected by substance use disorders during long-term and sustained economic downturns (E/CN.7/2014/L.14/Rev.1)

Member states are encouraged to ensure that measures taken at the national and local level in response to long-term and sustained economic downturns do not disproportionately affect the implementation of comprehensive and balanced national drug demand and supply reduction policies. They are also invited to continue providing the best attainable coverage, accessibility and quality with regard to health and social care services to all people who are or may be affected by substance use disorders.

 (Compiled by Brigid Pike)

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The Mentor Foundation is the only NGO working on a global basis to prevent drug misuse and promote health and well-being among children and young people. 

During the opening Queen Sylvia of Sweden, as patron of the Mentor Foundation, urged governments all over the world to reduce the availability of drugs in order to protect children's lives in accordance with their recognised rights, and to remember that "we cannot afford to lose our children".

Item Type
Article
Issue Title
Issue 50, Summer 2014
Date
July 2014
Page Range
pp. 3-4
Publisher
Health Research Board
Volume
Issue 50, Summer 2014
EndNote
Accession Number
HRB (Electronic Only)

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