\u201cHumankind cannot afford a 21st century drug policy as ineffective and counter-productive as the last century\u2019s,\u201d Letter Says<\/p>\n
(New York, New York) \u2013 On the eve of the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the World Drug Problem, world leaders and activists have signed a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urging him to set the stage \u201cfor real reform of global drug control policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The unprecedented list of signatories includes a range of people from Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders to businessmen Warren Buffett, George Soros, Richard Branson, Barry Diller, actors Michael Douglas and Woody Harrelson, Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, singers John Legend and Mary J. Blige, activists Reverend Jesse Jackson, Gloria Steinem and Michelle Alexander, as well as distinguished legislators, cabinet ministers, and former UN officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drug control regime that emerged during the last century,\u201d the letter says, \u201chas proven disastrous for global health, security and human rights. Focused overwhelmingly on criminalization and punishment, it created a vast illicit market that has enriched criminal organizations, corrupted governments, triggered explosive violence, distorted economic markets and undermined basic moral values.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernments devoted disproportionate resources to repression at the expense of efforts to better the human condition. Tens of millions of people, mostly poor and racial and ethnic minorities, were incarcerated, mostly for low-level and non-violent drug law violations, with little if any benefit to public security. Problematic drug use and HIV\/AIDS, hepatitis and other infectious diseases spread rapidly as prohibitionist laws, agencies and attitudes impeded harm reduction and other effective health policies.<\/p>\n
\u201cHumankind cannot afford a 21st century drug policy as ineffective and counter-productive as the last century\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe influence and diversity of the leaders who signed this letter is unprecedented,\u201d said Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which orchestrated the initiative in collaboration with dozens of allied organizations and individuals around the world. \u201cNever before have so many respected voices joined together in calling for fundamental reform of drug control policies \u2013 in particular limiting \u2018the role of criminalization and criminal justice\u2026 to the extent truly required to protect health and safety\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
The UN Special Session, which will take place April 19-21, is the first of its kind since 1998, when the UN\u2019s illusory but official slogan was \u201cA drug-free world \u2013 we can do it!\u201d The upcoming UNGASS was proposed in late 2012 by the Mexican government, with strong support from other Latin American governments. Last year UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a strong call-to-action, urging governments \u201cto conduct a wide-ranging and open debate that considers all options.\u201d Today\u2019s public letter to him was prompted in part by the obstacles to such debate within the confines of the United Nations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis letter was drafted and all the signatures secured in just the past few weeks,\u201d noted Nadelmann. \u201cThe signatories represent a tiny fraction of the distinguished leaders in politics and public policy, academia, law and law enforcement, health and medicine, culture and entertainment, business, and religion who would agree with the sentiments expressed in this letter.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve come a long way since 1998,\u201d said Nadelmann, \u201cwith a growing number of countries rejecting drug war rhetoric and policies. But the progress achieved to date pales beside the reforms still required.\u201d As the letter says: \u201cA new global response to drugs is needed, grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.\u201d <\/p>\n
Link to the release: http:\/\/www.drugpolicy.org\/news\/2016\/04\/over-1000-leaders-worldwide-call-end-disastrous-drug-war-ahead-un-special-session<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former Presidents of Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Switzerland & Poland; Former Prime Ministers of Greece, Hungary & The Netherlands Join With Distinguished Scholars, Celebrities, Clergy, Business Leaders, Elected Officials, and Others in Calling for Alternatives to Prohibitionist Drug Control Policies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36297,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1773,2797,6465],"tags":[1831,2342],"class_list":["post-21010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-internationalization","category-drug-policy","category-noticias-internacional-en","tag-drogas","tag-ungass","subcategory-drug-policy","subcategory-international-bodies","subcategory-public-policies","post-scope-aaa-not-blog","post-scope-internacional-en","post-scope-both-international-national"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n