Evidence and human rights -- not swelling prisons -- are critical to sound drug policy, both here and abroad！
June 2, 2011 -- We, the undersigned organizations, welcome today's release of a landmark report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy. It not only denounces the "war on drugs" as a failure but also puts forth a series of major recommendations for political leaders worldwide to adopt evidence- and rights-based approaches to drug policy.
The Commission represents the most renowned group of international political leaders ever to speak in a unified voice against the so-called "war on drugs." The authors recognize that it is ultimately a war on people, and especially on people with addictions. The Commission's report makes the case for alternatives to imprisonment for people who use and sell drugs and for a public health approach to drug use and addiction. As well, the Commission's report also calls for a more profound "paradigm shift".
Specifically, the report calls on governments to:
The Commission's call reflects the arguments that we have made for many years for a humane and rational public policy regarding drugs in Canada. Indeed, the timing of the release of the Commission's report could not be more opportune for our country. Currently, the Supreme Court of Canada is deliberating the fate of Insite, the supervised injection site in Vancouver. Various published evaluations provide overwhelming and incontrovertible scientific evidence that Insite is both cost-effective and humane in meeting its objectives of preventing death and disease among some of those people who are most vulnerable. Such critical health services should be expanded, not threatened with closure.
Yet, in the name of getting "tough on crime," an omnibus crime bill package -- which includes mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offences -- is also likely to be presented in Parliament this month. Its passage will result in a large increase in the number of people in prison, many of them for drug-related offences. Yet the billions of dollars of taxpayers' money to be spent on more prosecutions and punishment will do nothing to reduce drug use or drug-related crime. Instead, it will contribute to unnecessary suffering for individuals, families and communities. This has been well illustrated in other countries with such laws, such as the United States, and will further damage public health by contributing to the spread of blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C, including in prisons. These are exactly the sort of measures that have been internationally denounced with the release today of the Commission's report.
Canada would do well to heed the
conclusions and recommendations of the esteemed members of the Global
Commission on Drug Policy and see how policies based on evidence, human rights
and public health are key to a sensible and successful approach to drug use in
Canada.
Read the report:http://www.aidslaw.ca/publications/interfaces/downloadFile.php?ref=1886
Ｏｒｇａｎｉｚａｔｉｏｎ： Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
On the eve of the 2011 high level meeting on HIV/AIDS, the Independent Reference Group to the United Nations on HIV and Injecting Drug Use calls for Member States to scale up evidence-based interventions to address HIV among people who inject drugs . Although injecting drug use continues to fuel the HIV epidemic in many countries, particularly in Eastern Europe and Asia, the majority of people who inject drugs remain unable to access quality HIV prevention or treatment. There are an estimated 16 million people who inject calls on Member States to commit to an evidence-based and rights-based public health approach to reach universal access to quality HIV prevention and treatment for people who inject drugs and to revise punitive drug policies that counteract and undermine public health and human rights. More specifically, the Reference Group calls on countries to:
1. Improve engagement with people who inject drugs in shaping responses to HIV/AIDS.
2. Support a public health, rights-based approach to HIV programming that recognizes that access to life-saving, proven interventions for the prevention and treatment of HIV is a human right for all people, including people who inject drugs.
3. Urgently implement and/or scale up the comprehensive package of nine interventions outlined in the WHO, UNODC and UNAIDS technical guide for the prevention and treatment of HIV among people who inject drugs.
4. Remove legislation and policies that prevent the introduction or inhibit the delivery of these nine interventions.
5. Commit to ending punitive law enforcement approaches to injecting drug use.
6. Improve integration of HIV services with treatment for drug dependence
7. Commit to treating health conditions that co-occur alongside HIV among people who inject drugs.
8. Gather data to enhance the response to HIV among people who inject drugs.
As Member States prepare for the 2011 High Level meeting, the Reference Group would like to refer members to the 2010 Consensus Statement which forms the basis for this call to action. This statement was developed by the Reference Group at the request of the United Nations to inform the policy development and priority setting by UN agencies involved in addressing HIV and injecting drug use. It draws on research examining the effectiveness of interventions to address HIV and injecting drug use and their impact in differing contexts around the world. The full report and summary of recommendations can be accessed at: www.idurefgroup.com as well as the UNAIDS, UNODC and WHO websites.
The Reference Group to the United Nations
on HIV and Injecting Drug Use was established in 2002 and provides independent
advice to the United Nations system on matters related to injecting drug use
and HIV. The Group consists of experts from around the world and includes
researchers, clinicians and representatives from civil society organisations.
In 2010 and 2011, 117 countries took stock of their progress towards Universal Access. Those assessments fed into multiple regional consultations. A multi-stakeholder International Advisory Group (IAG), mandated by the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board, reviewed the findings of countries and regions, as well as other global and regional studies and declarations. The IAG found overwhelming and ongoing support for the Universal Access movement. This diverse group endorsed the recommendations from these aggregate consultations and concluded that five global challenges are pivotal now. The IAG consensus does not extend to every detail of every response, but its collective perspective highlights where action is critical.
This important consensus statement has been prepared by an independent, high level group of expert stakeholders and is based on the work of thousands of people around the world as we prepare to renew global commitment to HIV at the High Level Meeting on AIDS (United Nations General Assembly, 8-10 June 2011) and beyond.
View the full statement in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Solidarity for Universal Access: the International Advisory Group consensus
Only history will be able to judge the impact AIDS has on humanity, but one thing is certain: the global response to this epidemic has changed the paradigm of economic and social development by identifying and acting on shared principles that are essential for success: HIV does not stand alone; partnerships are essential. Human rights are fundamental. The most affected communities must be at the centre. Traditional gender norms can be obstacles. Resource allocations and flows need rigorous coordination and mutual accountability. Young people will inherit the problems the current generation cannot solve.
A worldwide crisis requires worldwide mobilization, which
182 countries embraced in the United Nations General Assembly 2006 Political
Declaration, aptly titled Universal Access. The premise is simple: when every
nation achieves for all its populations Universal Access to HIV prevention,
treatment, care and support, this epidemic will end.
In 2010 and 2011, 117 countries took stock of their progress towards Universal
Access. Those assessments fed into multiple regional consultations. A
multi-stakeholder International Advisory Group (IAG), mandated by the UNAIDS
Programme Coordinating Board, reviewed the findings of countries and regions,
as well as other global and regional studies and declarations. The IAG found
overwhelming and ongoing support for the Universal Access movement. This
diverse group endorsed the recommendations from these aggregate consultations
and concluded that five global challenges are pivotal now. The IAG consensus
does not extend to every detail of every response, but its collective
perspective highlights where action is critical.
HUMAN RIGHTS SAVE LIVES
No HIV response can be effective unless it combats discrimination and
exclusion. Punitive laws and stigma against people living with HIV, men who
have sex with men, transgender people, people who use drugs, sex workers and
migrants undermine the programmes.
Girls and women are routinely denied their human rights.
They have less access to education, nutrition, health care and economic
opportunity than men. Many societies continue to tolerate or justify violence
against girls and women.
Until the human rights of all people are protected, HIV will continue to
spread. International human rights legal frameworks should be updated to
include sexual rights. Regional and national mechanisms, from charters to legal
services, should be used to provide access to justice for those whose rights
are violated.
Parliamentarians, the judiciary, law enforcement, educators, media, and civil and religious leaders should be mobilized to build a culture of non-discrimination, tolerance and respect. UNAIDS should lead the development and use of a set of human rights indicators for national monitoring, accountability and budgeting. There must be zero tolerance of violence against girls and women. Homophobia must be fought. There must be zero tolerance of violence against gay and other men who have sex with men, and transgender people.
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT: TWO
SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
Treatment has transformed AIDS from a death sentence into a challenge for
lifelong care, giving hope, restoring productivity, and providing incentives
for knowing your HIV status. It has created a new understanding of HIV
prevention. Yet the costs of AIDS drugs remain too high and often are subject
to narrow commercial interests. Tuberculosis (TB) is the biggest killer of
people living with HIV, and viral hepatitis and other coinfections need to be
addressed.
Prevention has fallen dangerously behind treatment because the causes of new infections - sexuality, gender inequalities, socioeconomic disparities and drug use - are hard to talk about, and hard to change. Stigma around these issues, and around HIV itself, continues to block support for and uptake of services. Well-designed prevention programmes work. Families and communities are central to their success. Countries and communities need to own their HIV responses and demand full implementation of proven strategies with ambitious targets.
Young people must have unfettered access to quality sexuality education and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services. Harm-reduction services for HIV prevention need to be available for all people who use drugs. Every country should provide and promote access to continuous and comprehensive HIV treatment, as early as possible. Treatment services should be integrated with strengthened TB, sexual, reproductive and maternal health-care services. All countries should remove barriers to the manufacture, import and export of life-saving generic medications in order to lower the costs of treatment, and use all available mechanisms to achieve simpler, affordable, high-quality antiretroviral therapy. National programmes should bring combination prevention to scale. Cultural and religious differences should not deter the provision of life-saving services
INSPIRING LEADERS
Strong leaders have a clear vision and use all ethical technical and political
means to achieve it. They take on difficult topics, seek evidence from
stakeholders, and lead by example.
AIDS cuts across health, education, economics, justice, gender, religion,
labour and politics worldwide, and in hyperendemic settings it intersects with
agriculture, water, sanitation, transport, housing, culture and sport. Because
of this diversity, informed leadership is needed not only in government, but
also from civil society, affected communities, scientists, trade unions, the
media, faith-based organizations and the private sector. Countries should
invest in new and courageous leaders, especially young people, to drive
coordinated partnerships that engage with the communities where AIDS hits
hardest.
Leaders should challenge conventional wisdom and prejudices, promote fairness, and ensure that the voices of the marginalized and other minorities are heard. Programmes should be led by people who understand and use the power of inclusion and solidarity.
INVESTING AND RESOURCING: GETTING
SMARTER
All current and future investments need to be based on evidence and allocated
with the "know your epidemic, know your response" principle. If done correctly,
this will deliver high-impact interventions, 'tipping point' strategies, and
evidence-informed planning, all designed to yield the maximum return on investment:
the end of AIDS.
Long-term responses need to be financed by domestic expenditures where possible, although there will always be a need and a role for international financing. More resources are required to scale up the response. Current and new donors should review and increase their contributions to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and other innovative financing mechanisms. UNAIDS should lead the development of a long-term (20-year) global investment and financing strategy, identifying the key elements, and the most cost-effective and efficient ways to fund them. Countries need to develop and apply evidence-informed investment criteria and tools to support the most effective and efficient use of resources at community and national levels. National AIDS authorities should require all partners, domestic and international, to adhere to these criteria in order to maximize value for money.
SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY
Thousands of people and organizations are involved in Universal Access at all
levels. With so many resources on the line and so many millions of lives at
stake, stronger systems are needed to monitor and account for how human and
financial resources are deployed, and to measure their impact. National
programmes must include people living with HIV and those most at risk in
decision-making. They have the biggest stake in effective HIV programming; they
know what is working, what is not, and why. Governments should be responsible
and accountable for allocating resources where they are most needed, and for
monitoring the impact of investments on achieving national targets aligned with
global indicators.
Recognized government authorities, such as parliaments,
should exercise their oversight functions by calling for regular reporting from
governmental, civil society and international partners in their national
responses. The United Nations General Assembly should continue to hold biennial
reporting on progress towards Universal Access. Regional economic and political
communities should also hold routine reviews of progress until Universal Access
is achieved.
Only global solidarity on these issues will change the trajectory of the
epidemic and lead to:
Zero new infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths.
CO-CHAIRS:
Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, UNAIDS
Bathabile Dlamini, Minister of Social Development, Republic of South Africa
MEMBERS:
Aleksandra Blagojevic, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Switzerland
Pamela Bolton, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, USA
Hafedh Chekir, United Nations Population Fund, Arab States Regional Office,
Egypt
Michaela Clayton, AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa/UNAIDS
Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights, Namibia
José Angel Córdova Villalobos, Secretary of Health, Mexico
Clifton Cortez, United Nations Development Programme, Asia Pacific Regional
Centre, Thailand
Kieran Daly, International Council of AIDS Service Organizations, Canada
Mary Guinn Delaney, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Bureau of Education,
Chile
Lucica Ditiu, Stop TB Partnership, Switzerland
Nicole Fraser-Hurt, The World Bank, USA
Loon Gangte, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, India
Javier Hourcade Bellocq, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Argentina
Marie Laga, Institute of Tropical Medicine/Scientific Advisory Panel for the
High Level Commission on HIV Prevention, Belgium
Innocent Laison, African Council of AIDS Service Organizations, Senegal
Kyomya Macklean, Women's Organization Network for Human Rights Advocacy, Uganda
Ian McKnight, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, Jamaica
Ren Minghui, Ministry of Health, China
Amirreza Moradi, Iranian Positive Life, Iran
Svitlana Moroz, All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS/ Civil
Society Task Force for the HLM, Ukraine
Mia Amor Mottley, Member of Parliament, Barbados
Zuzanna Muskat-Gorska, International Trade Union Confederation, Belgium
Litha Musyimi Ogana, African Union Commission, Ethiopia
Alloys Orago, National AIDS Control Council, Kenya
Vadim Pokrovsky, Russian AIDS Centre, Russian Federation
Peter Prove, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Switzerland
Nadia Rafif, Fight Against AIDS Association/UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board
NGO, Morocco
Milinda Rajapaksha, South Asian Regional Youth Network/International Planned
Parenthood Foundation, Sri Lanka
Yves Souteyrand, World Health Organization, Switzerland
Papa Salif Sow, African Network for Care of People Living with HIV/AIDS,
Senegal
Elhadj As Sy, United Nations Children's Fund, Eastern and Southern Africa
Regional Office, Kenya
Jérôme Traoré, Minister of Justice, Burkina Faso
Marijke Wijnroks, AIDS Ambassador, Netherlands
Georgina Theodora Wood, Chief Justice, Ghana
The challenges highlighted by the IAG can be explored in
detail in the reports of country and regional Universal Access consultations
and the Report of the UN Secretary-General: Uniting for universal access:
towards zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related
deaths (March 2011). All documents can be accessed at www.unaids.org
For further information on the IAG and universal access please contact Richard
Burzynski: burzynskir@unaids.org
117个国家在2010年和2011年间相继对普及治疗所取得的进步进行评估，并将评估结果加入多地区磋商中。一个由联合国艾滋规划署（UNAIDS）项 目协调委员会授权的包括多个利益相关群体组成的国际咨询小组（IAG-International Advisory Group）回顾了各个国家与地区的成果以及其它国际与地区相关研究和声明。IAG最终发现了全球正掀起巨大的地、持续地支持普及治疗的运动。
通过总结各 地的磋商结果，该咨询小组总结出目前五个对全球至关重要的挑战：
IAG共识并未对个别建议进行单独回应，而是针对关键领域的实践给出总体的观点。
本声明由一群独立的、高端的专家组成的利益相关群体、以世界各地成千上万人共同的努力下制定并在此发布，为在即将召开的艾滋高级会议（2011年6月8-11日联合国大会）重申全球抗艾决心而做好充分的准备。
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