Human rights and drug policy report launch and workshop

Australian Research Centre in Sex Health & Society

A world-first ‘post–human rights’ framework for drug policy

La Trobe University City Campus

Since the early 1960s, international treaties have characterised certain drugs as illicit, prohibiting their use, possession and supply. However, global drug policy is currently undergoing a seismic shift. In early 2019, the heads of all thirty-one United Nations agencies released a communiqué calling for the decriminalisation of drugs and a move away from ineffective penal approaches. Importantly, the call for change noted that reforms must be shaped by human rights. This call raises key questions: Are human rights really the best, and most effective framework, for guiding reform? And how might rights-based reform work in practice?Please join us for a launch and workshop of the human rights and drug policy research project report.This will be a hybrid event, held on Level 2, La Trobe City Campus, 360 Collins St Melbourne, and on Zoom. Capacity is limited, so please register early. If you have any accessibility requirements (e.g. Auslan interpreting) please email <a href="mailto:arcshs@latrobe.edu.au" title="mailto:arcshs@latrobe.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">arcshs@latrobe.edu.au</a>) as soon as possible and we will make every effort to accommodate you.This event marks the culmination of a four-year research project undertaken in order to learn more about the relationship between human rights and drug policy, including: whether human rights are a useful framework to guide reform, especially for specific populations sometimes critical of rights (such as women and LGTBQIA+ populations); how rights can guide reforms; and what it would take to move towards a more rights-compliant future.The launch of this research report will feature presentations and a panel discussion. The event will be followed by the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association Conference on 13-14 February. Further details at <a href="https://www.vaada.org.au/2025-conference/" title="https://www.vaada.org.au/2025-conference/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.vaada.org.au/2025-conference/</a>