Joint work with the UNITE Drug Policy Desk to promote the engagement of parliamentarians in Drug Policy Reform globally
Since the beginning of 2021 the APPG has been working with UNITE, an organisation based in Portugal. In 2021, over 189 parliamentarians and policymaking officials from various countries have been engaged in capacity-building workshops, policy roundtables, peer-to-peer discussions, international conferences, and parliamentary hearings.
To date, the Drug Policy Desk has promoted successful interventions, such as:
In Zimbabwe, two official online meetings to discuss the inclusion of harm reduction services in the public health system have been organised. The events gathered more than 100 members of parliament, with CSO representatives and international experts to discuss recommendations for the country.
In Portugal, momentum for cannabis regulation was achieved through the publishing of a joint open letter addressed to the Health Committee and endorsed by 67 key political personalities and experts.
In Morocco, regulation of cannabis supply for medical and industrial use has been approved. Partnerships have been established for the continuation of the country-based work to advance with further reform.
In Kenya, the desk contributed to the ongoing efforts for advancing drug policy reform, establishing partnerships with local networks of parliamentarians and civil society organisations. The initiative has gathered MPs sitting in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Caucus to discuss recommendations for Kenya, and mobilised high-level stakeholders in the promotion of reforms aligned with the SDG agenda.
For further details see the annual report of the UNITE Drug Policy Desk.
This work is supported by the Open Society Fund (OSF).