The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) is a global network of nearly 200 NGOs. IDPC's vision is described as "Drug policies that advance social justice and human rights". The IDPC secretariat has offices in London (UK), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Accra (Ghana) and Bangkok (Thailand).[1]
IDPC's advocacy positions are based on five core policy principles. These principles are that drug policies should:[2]
Be developed through an objective assessment of priorities and evidence.
Comply with national, regional and international human rights principles, laws and standards.
Focus on reducing the harmful consequences, rather than the scale, of drug use and markets.
Promote social justice and the inclusion of marginalised groups, rather than focus on punitive measures towards them.
Be developed and implemented based on open and constructive relationships with civil society and affected populations.
History
The IDPC network formed in the mid-2000s, but was formalized following a "Global Drug Policy Seminar" at the House of Lords in November 2005, hosted by the Beckley Foundation.[3] At this meeting, participants including NGOs and academics identified the need for "a credible, global NGO network that would engage constructively with governments by providing policy-makers with a ‘critical friend’ analysis, and realistic proposals of how dilemmas in drug policy and programme formulation could be resolved".[4]
In January 2011, IDPC was formally registered as a legal entity in the United Kingdom.[5] In 2019, Stichting (translation: Foundation) IDPC was also registered in the Netherlands, and has been designated status as an "Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling” or ANBI (translation: public benefit organization).[6] In 2014, IDPC was granted Special Consultative Status by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).[7] In 2016, IDPC commemorated its 10th anniversary.[8]
Members
As of June 2025, the IDPC network comprised 198 organisations from 75 countries, which include NGOs, academic institutions, think tanks, networks and community-led organisations engaged in drug policy advocacy – located in every region of the world.[9]
Activities
Examples of IDPC's work includes:
Organisation of capacity building workshops.[10][11]
Direct engagement in policy making processes around drug control at the international and United Nations levels[12] and frequent attendance at meetings of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
Providing the CND Blog which is the only publicly available transcript from meetings of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
Over the years, IDPC has published hundreds of reports, advocacy tools and thematic briefings.[13]
The Drug Decriminalisation [e]Course, an open access online course on all aspects of decriminalisation for people who use drugs.[14]
A global advocacy campaign called Support. Don't Punish, which has run since 2013 and calls for better drug policies that prioritise public health and human rights. The campaign encourages grass-root participation in advocating for better drug policy which culminates in the Support. Don't Punish Day of Action on 26 June each year, the UN's official International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.[15] The campaign is organized worldwide with local activities such as rallies, street art, concerts, petitions, sports events, seminars and film screenings.[16] In June 2024, the campaign claimed the participation of 295 cities from 85 countries.[17]
"[IDPC's] Drug Policy Guide represents the collective work of authors from around the world who bring together a wealth of evidence and experience into a concise and readable format for policy makers"
Kofi Annan,Former UN Secretary-General. Chairman and founder of the Kofi Annan Foundation
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