Chapter 1 The 2016 UNGASS on Drugs: A Catalyst for the Drug Policy Reform Movement

From Alternative Development to Development-Oriented Drug Policies

“…The following years were marked by a continued effort at 'both the national and the international level to evaluate programmes and to exchange best practices and lessons learned during international workshops and expert group meetings' (Me and Kamminga, 2018, 2), which resulted in the adoption of the milestone of the UN Guiding Principles on Alternative Development (UN General Assembly, 2013) by the General Assembly in October 2013. Facing the consequences and high costs of repressive means, the widely criticised 'war on drugs' served as an incentive for reformist actors and some of the most affected countries-including Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico-en route to ungass 2016, leading to calls for a re-evaluation of international drug policy (Fordham and Haase, 2019). While expectations were high, for many drug policy players the 2016 ungass Outcome Document was initially perceived as a disappointment (Collins, 2018;Klein and Stothard, 2019).…”

“…The Document has been a significant door opener for development within UN drug control. The involvement of civil society, especially through the creation and strategic representation of the Civil Society Task Force-en route for and during ungass 2016-had a significant impact on strengthening development in the Outcome Document of ungass 2016 (Fordham and Haase, 2019). Major changes between the 2009 pd and the 2016 ungass Outcome Document can be found in their structure and in how the latter addresses socio-economic issues as a main driver for illicit drug crop cultivation.…”