Switzerland took part in the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, of which it is a member for the period 2022-2025. The meeting ended with the adoption of a resolution on the prevention and treatment of overdoses, in which the concept of harm reduction is explicitly recognized by the Commission for the first time.
The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND ), founded in 1946, is responsible for drawing up international drug policy. The CND decides whether narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors are subject to international control. The aim of the current meeting was to carry out an interim review of the implementation of the 2019 ministerial declaration on drug policy. Switzerland was represented in Vienna by a delegation led by Anne Lévy, Director of the Federal Office of Public Health. During the preparatory work, Switzerland committed itself to continuing its efforts to develop a coherent, health- and human rights-based addiction policy that also incorporates development policy aspects. It also pledged to support efforts to promote dialog and cooperation between Vienna, Geneva and New York and to involve civil society in the process. As part of its participation in the high-level segment, the Swiss delegation also held bilateral talks with a number of other countries. The meeting ended with the adoption of a resolution on the prevention and treatment of overdoses. This resolution can be described as historic, as it explicitly recognizes the importance of harm reduction for the first time by the CND. Switzerland has played a pioneering role in this area for over 30 years.
Switzerland, which has been a member of the CND on several occasions, has always been actively involved in the work and discussions of the Commission. In this body, she continues to promote a drug policy with a focus on health and human rights. With its four-pillar strategy (prevention, therapy, harm reduction and repression) and its gradual development into a national strategy in the field of addiction, Switzerland is pursuing an approach that is recognized and respected abroad.
Source: www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/das-bag/aktuell/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-100519.html (last accessed on 29.03.2024).
InFo NEUROLOGIE & PSYCHIATRIE 2024; 22(2): 40 (published on 12.4.24, ahead of print)
