The 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs was a watershed moment in drug policy. It brought about a rare opportunity to reconsider the global paradigm on drugs and to chart a new direction. The process was notable for the unprecedented involvement of civil society, communities, UN entities, and human rights experts. The Special Session placed public health, human rights, and communities closer to the centre of drug policy making. It also paved the way for a better alignment of the UN drug control regime with the rest of the UN system, and created valuable momentum for new debates and advocacy at national level. However, the UNGASS fell short of introducing genuine reform of the norms and institutions of the international drug control system.
This report examines the progress that has been made as a result of the 2016 UNGASS, to determine the role of the global drug control regime in shaping such change. To do so, it draws on UN data and reporting, research by academia, civil society and community organisations, and a civil society survey amongst IDPC members and partners.
