How the “War on Drugs” Impacts the Current Response to Drugs and HIV

The global ‘war on drugs’ has had a number of unintended consequences. In many countries, HIV and Hepatitis C infection rates have risen. People who use drugs often have insufficient access to care and treatment, and frequently experience human rights violations.

The growing perception that it is time to rethink drug policies led to the formation of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. High-profile figures and experts, including ex-presidents and a former U.N. Secretary General, came together to review and discuss science-based and humane ways to reduce the harm caused by drug-related activities to people and societies. The Global Commission launched a report in June 2011 recommending major reforms to the global drug prohibition regime.

Co-hosted by the Asian Harm Reduction Network and the Global Drug Policy program, this session at the at the 2011 International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific will examine how the current international drug control regime has impacted the overall drugs and HIV response, and discuss the recommendations of the Global Commission.

Speakers

• Jon Ungphakorn, Former Senator, Thailand. Presentation: Drug policy as a global shared responsibility—recommendations of the Global Commission on Drug Policies
• Datuk Zaman Khan, the Malaysian AIDS Council (former Prisons Department director-general and CID chief, Malaysia). Presentation: Impact of current law enforcement and criminal justice on the drugs and HIV response
• Tripti Tandon, Lawyers Collective, India. Presentation: Benefits of drug policies based on public health principles to prevention interventions and harm reduction approaches
• Claudia Stoicescu, Harm Reduction International (formerly known as IHRA/International Harm Reduction Association). Presentation: The global state of harm reduction and structural barriers to evidence-based programmes

Location

Busan Exhibition Convention Centre
Room No. C 103-104
#43 APEC Rd
Haeundae-gu, Busan 612-704
South Korea

For More Information

For more information, please visit the 2011 International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific website.  Please note that registration for the conference is now closed.