- the work of NGOs active in the drug field,
- areas of expertise,
- key priorities and concerns to be addressed as well as
- best practices.
UNGASS
The United Nations General Assembly held a Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs on April 19th -21st, 2016 (UNGASS 2016). This was the most significant opportunity to hold a global and in-depth discussion on drugs in almost 20 years. The beneficial role civil society played in the preparation for this meeting has been widely acknowledged by the United Nations.CSTF
With the support of the United Nations, the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC) and the New York NGO Committee on Drugs (NYNGOC) joined forces to launch the Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) for the UNGASS 2016. The CSTF was designed to secure civil society engagement and coordination in order to effectively include NGO voices in the UNGASS. The VNGOC and the NYNGOC oversaw the composition of the CSTF, aiming for an overall balance in terms of both geography and approaches to drug policies and interventions.
CSTF Recommendations for UNGASS Zero Draft
The Civil Society Task Force for UNGASS 20161 respectfully submits these recommendations and priority areas for inclusion in the UNGASS outcome document.
These recommendations are based on a preliminary compilation of the results the Global Civil Society Survey, which was distributed to NGOs all over the world, as well as on prior civil society collaborations including Civil Society Hearings and the Declaration adopted in connection with Beyond 2008.
Other issues considered important by civil society for UNGASS and its preparations, concrete outcome expectations of civil society for UNGASS, and thoughts from civil society on how to define success and the long-term impact of UNGASS 2016, follow the recommendations.
Access the full recommendations paper here.
