UN attempt to decriminalise drugs foiled

An attempt by UN officials to get countries to decriminalise the possession and use of all drugs has been foiled, the BBC can reveal. A paper from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been withdrawn after pressure from at least one country. The document, which was leaked, recommends that UN members consider […]

An attempt by UN officials to get countries to decriminalise the possession and use of all drugs has been foiled, the BBC can reveal.
A paper from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been withdrawn after pressure from at least one country. The document, which was leaked, recommends that UN members consider “decriminalising drug and possession for personal consumption”.
It argued “arrest and incarceration are disproportionate measures”.
The document was drawn up by Dr Monica Beg, chief of the HIV/AIDs section of the UNODC in Vienna. It was prepared for an international harm reduction conference in Kuala Lumpur next month.
The UNODC oversees international drugs conventions and offers guidance on compliance.