A meeting to analyze sanitary, legislative, and political reforms in the region

The III Latin American Conference and I Mexican Conference on Drug Policies is the most important meeting in the region, where public officials, exports, and activists meet to analyze legislative reforms in distinct countries, successful initiatives, and pending challenges. The meeting that will take place in Mexico City proposes to debate how to confront violence, give responses to the consequences of the War on Drugs, and search for alternative policies in themes of security as well as health, from a perspective that tackles the complexity of the problem.

Objectives

In its third Latin American edition, the Conference on Drug Policy has the following as objectives:

• To overcome an informed social debate with hopes of boosting policies that are non-punitive, based on scientific evidence, and respond in an efficient manner to diverse problems associated with drugs.

• To generate an exchange at the regional level between academics, policy makers, and civil society, with the goal of updating the map on drug consumption, associated problems, policies, and interventions in the region.

Past Meetings

The I Latin American Conference and VII Argentine Conference on Drug Policies took place in 2009 at the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized by the civil association Intercambios. The Conference’s conclusion in 2009 was: “to earn consensus regarding the proposal of not criminalizing the weakest links in trafficking.” A few days later, the Argentine Supreme Court of Justice effectively issued the decriminalization of those who were detained with doses of personal consumption.

At the II Latin American Conference and I Brazilian Conference on Drug Policies, held in 2010 at the Faculty of Law at the University of Rio de Janeiro, the debate centered on the ineffectiveness of warlike responses to drug trafficking as well as the new regional role. “Latin America is ahead of the United States in drug policies,” concluded the participants after two days of debate. It was the first time that Brazil had joined such an important number of experts and policy makers from Latin America regarding the topic.

It is hoped that the III Latin American Conference and I Mexican Conference on Drug Policies will be the environment to carry out a broad and purposeful reflection regarding the increase in violence associated with drugs and organized crime that the entire region suffers from, especially the host country where the application of the War on Drugs paradigm has left now tens of thousands of victims.

Organizers

Intercambios Civil Association is a key organization in Latin America on themes including harm reduction and drug policy. It develops policy advocacy, research, and training. It organized the I and II Latin American Conferences (Buenos Aires 2009, Rio de Janeiro 2010) and coordinated the civil society discussion in the region regarding goals set by the United nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Drugs. Among its publications are included: “Contributions for a new drug policy. V and VI National Conference on Drug Policies” (2010); and “Drug Practices and Wisdom. The case of the cocaine base paste” (2007).

CUPIHD (Commission for a Comprehensive Drug Policy) is a civil society organization dedicated to research, education, action, and dissemination oriented toward transforming culture and drug policies with a focus on harm reduction and a multidisciplinary, comprehensive, scientific, and respectful focus on human rights. Formed in 2009, CuPIHD seeks to promote a constructive dialogue of drug policy reforms at the national and international levels as well as how to propose alternative drug regulation.

Sponsor: The conference depends on support from the Open Society Institute Foundation.

Participants

Drug Policy Alliance (DPA)

Harm Reduction International Association (HRI)

German Caritas

UNESCO “Social and Economic Transformations related with the International Drug Problem” Cathedra

Caritas Training Center (CAFAC)

Center of Political Studies of the Autonomous National University of Mexico (FCPyS - UNAM)

“Drugs and Human Rights” Research Center (CIDDH)

Center for Economic Research and Training (CIDE)

Harm Reduction Coalition (HRC)

Human Rights Commission of the Federal District (CDHDF)

International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC)

Embassy of Argentina in Mexico

Espolea

International Federation of Catholic University (FIUC)

Latin American Group on Drug Policy (GRULAD)

Institute for the Care and Prevention of Addictions in Mexico City (IAPA)

Washington Office on Latin American (WOLA)

World Health / Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO)

Working Groups Program- Latin American Social Sciences Council (CLACSO)

Psicotropicus. Brazilian Center on Drug Policy

American Network of Intervention in Situations of Social Suffering (RAISSS)

Iberian-American Network of NGOs that Work with Drug Addicts (RIOD)

Transnational Institute (TNI)

Youth R.I.S.E