Global Day of Action: Drug Policy Advocacy Training

This webinar will explore drug policy advocacy at national and international levels, including how young individuals and organisations can engage in lobbying and advocacy for harm reduction-driven drug policies both in the UK, and within the UN framework. The panelists will discuss the failures of current drug policies, the concept of UN as a flawed actor in policy reform, the role of the Commission of Narcotic Drugs and wider UN bodies such as WHO and ECOSOC, as well as the intricacies of UK based lobbying.

Discover the unique and extensive advocacy insights offered by our speakers:

Adrià Cots Fernández: Research and Advocacy Officer at the International Drug Policy Consortium, a network of 198 organisations that promote drug policy reform to advance social justice and human rights. Before joining IDPC, Adrià worked for organisations like Harm Reduction International, Amnesty International and the European Parliament, always with a focus on international advocacy and human rights.

Harvey Slade: Research and Policy Officer at Transform Drug Policy Foundation, a UK charity working to promote public health, social justice and human rights through drug policy reform. Harvey has recently authored two publications analysing the legal regulation of cannabis across the US and Canada, drawing out key lessons for drug policy reform going forward. Harvey has a background in human rights law, having previously worked as a consultant expert for the Council of Europe between 2017-2019 to revise the European Prison Rules.

Róisín Eimear Downes: Global Program Coordinator for Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), she supports young people from over 30 countries across the world to advocate for progressive drug policies that are based on human rights and anti-racism. She also coordinates SSDP’s presence at the United Nations and in international coalitions. She is passionate about drug policy reform and believes we must work for a better future for all stakeholders within the drug industry, from people who grow drugs to people who sell drugs to people who use drugs. She believes we cannot achieve this without taking a global approach.

For more information about this event visit our Facebook event page or click here to learn more about the campaign.