Category: General News

World Health Day 2026

Posted on by DPNSEE

The World Health Day is observed every year on 7 April, marking the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. It has been celebrated since 1950 to raise awareness of key global health issues and mobilize action worldwide. Purpose is to highlight a priority health issue and encourage governments, institutions, and individuals to act.

World Health Day 2026 calls on people everywhere to stand with science. Under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science”, this year’s observance launches a year‑long campaign celebrating the power of scientific collaboration to protect the health of people, animals, plants, and the planet. This theme emphasizes:

  • The importance of science and evidence-based decision-making
  • The need to rebuild trust in public health and scientific institutions
  • Strong international cooperation to address global health threats

The campaign spotlights both scientific achievements and the multilateral cooperation needed to turn evidence into action through a strong focus on the One Health approach.

Public engagement is expected through:

  • Awareness campaigns and educational materials
  • Government and institutional policy discussions
  • Community-level health promotion activities

World Health Day serves as a global reminder that health is a shared responsibility. In 2026, the focus on science and cooperation highlights the need for evidence-based solutions and international solidarity to build healthier, more resilient societies.

 

Decriminalization of drug use in the context of HIV

Posted on by DPNSEE

A new guidance note by UNAIDS, UNDP, INPUD, Release and HRDP outlines how decriminalizing drug use and possession for personal use can strengthen the global HIV response through more effective, rights-based drug policies.

Based on lessons from countries that have already moved away from punitive approaches, the document examines how criminalization undermines access to health services, increases stigma, and worsens HIV outcomes among people who use drugs. It highlights practical policy options and “promising practices” to help governments design decriminalization models that better protect the right to health while supporting evidence-based HIV prevention and care.

The guidance note is available following this link>>>.

Call for Meaningful Civil Society Influence in the 2026 HIV Political Declaration

Posted on by DPNSEE

The Drug Policy Network South East Europe endorsed a joint letter addressed to the President of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the process leading to the 2026 High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS.

While efforts have been made to facilitate civil society engagement, including through the Multistakeholder Task Force (MSTF), there are significant concerns that the current process may limit meaningful influence on the Political Declaration. In particular, the timeline and scope of engagement risk creating a gap between participation and actual decision-making.

The letter calls for a strengthened and more substantive role for civil society, including formal recognition of the MSTF as a channel for consolidated inputs into the drafting of the Political Declaration, and the establishment of structured opportunities to engage with Member States during negotiations.

We invite all our member organisations, other civil society organisations, networks, and communities to endorse this letter following this link>>>.

Initial endorsements are welcome by 30 March 2026.

 

The UNGASS decade in review

Posted on by DPNSEE

The report “The UNGASS Decade in Review: Gaps, Achievements and Paths for Reform” by the International Drug Policy Consortium examines global drug policy developments since the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS). That landmark event marked a turning point by bringing public health, human rights, and community perspectives closer to the center of international drug policy discussions. It also enabled unprecedented participation from civil society and helped align drug policy debates with broader United Nations goals.

Despite these advances, the report concludes that the promise of UNGASS has largely remained unfulfilled. While new narratives around health and human rights have emerged, the global drug control system continues to be dominated by punitive and prohibitionist approaches. These policies have failed to reduce drug markets and have instead contributed to rising harms, including increased incarceration, preventable deaths, and disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities.

The publication highlights key structural challenges within the international system, including outdated drug control treaties, weak coordination across UN agencies, and the marginalization of civil society actors. At the same time, it acknowledges some progress, such as the expansion of harm reduction initiatives and growing debates around decriminalization and legal regulation in various countries. However, many of these positive changes have occurred despite the existing system rather than because of it.

In response, the report calls for comprehensive reform of global drug policy. It advocates for a shift toward approaches grounded in human rights, public health, and sustainable development, as well as stronger involvement of affected communities in decision-making. Ultimately, the report argues that without meaningful structural changes, the international drug control regime will continue to fall short of its goals and perpetuate harm rather than effectively addressing the global drug situation.

To access the report, follow this link>>>.

 

Workshop on the future of drug-related technologies

Posted on by DPNSEE

DPNSEE Executive Director Milutin Milošević participates today and tomorrow, as a member of the expert pool of the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) in the Technology Foresight workshop on the future of drug-related technologies. The workshop is held in Lisbon, Portugal.

The primary goal of this workshop is to collaboratively analyse each key technology & innovation using a systems lens. We will focus on identifying potential long-term impacts of these technologies across distinct systems (social, environmental, ethical etc.), pinpointing enablers, opportunities, barriers, and challenges, which will lead to the identification of interdependencies, synergies and knowledge gaps. The results of our analysis will inform discussions on future research and development needs.

The event is held under the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security and its Foresight Cluster, and is the first technical meeting under EUDA’s 2026 Justice and Home Affairs Agencies Network (JHAAN) Presidency. Under the JHAAN Presidency’s theme, ‘One Safety’, EUDA want to contribute to the wider European preparedness agenda: building resilient communities by anticipating cross‑cutting risks at the interface of health, security and technology.

Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP) for People Who Inject Drugs

Posted on by DPNSEE

The World Health Organisation (WHO), Médecins du Monde (MdM) and the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) are organising a webinar to launch WHO’s revised Needle and Syringe Programmes operational guide.

Needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) are highly effective harm reduction interventions, yet under-implemented globally. The revised WHO operational guide, along with complementary efforts and ground-breaking projects, aim to expand access and improve implementation.

This webinar will highlight the operational guides’ objectives, provide country examples of success, and discuss the broader context for scaling NSPs.

To apply for the webinar, follow this link>>>.

 

Today we remember the victims of the Holocaust

Posted on by DPNSEE

On 27 January, we honour the millions of lives lost and stand against hatred in all its forms.

The pink triangle was used by the Nazis to mark and persecute LGBTQ+ people. It is a symbol of suffering that has since become one of resilience and pride.

Never forget. Never again.

Today we remember the six million Jewish women, men and children, hundreds of thousands of Roma, and all the other victims murdered during the Holocaust. We also mark the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

It is our duty to teach future generations about European history, including its darkest chapters.

 

Never again.

 

Western Balkans Civil Society Presents Analysis of the EU Drugs Strategy 2026 – 2030

Posted on by DPNSEE

Civil society organisations from the Western Balkans have published a health- and human rights-based analysis of the EU Drugs Strategy 2026 – 2030, examining its relevance and implications for South East Europe, including both EU Member States and EU candidate countries.

The analysis is developed from the perspective of organisations working on public health, harm reduction, human rights, and social inclusion, and aims to contribute constructively to policy dialogue at national, regional, and EU levels. It highlights the importance of treating drug policy primarily as a health and social issue, rather than a punitive or security-led one.

Key messages from the analysis

The document underlines that the EU Drugs Strategy 2026 – 2030 provides an important opportunity to strengthen evidence-based, humane, and rights-centred drug policies across South East Europe. Civil society organisations emphasise in particular:

  • The central role of the right to health, human dignity, and non-discrimination in drug policy
  • The need to recognise harm reduction as an essential pillar, including access to services such as opioid agonist therapy, needle and syringe programmes, and overdose prevention
  • The importance of addressing stigma and discrimination, which remain major barriers to accessing healthcare and social services
  • Ensuring continuity of care, especially in prisons, detention settings, and during transitions back into the community
  • The value of meaningful participation of civil society and people with lived experience in policy design, implementation, and monitoring

Relevance for South East Europe

The analysis stresses that drug-related challenges are cross-border and shared across South East Europe, making regional cooperation essential. The EU Drugs Strategy offers a common framework that can help reduce policy fragmentation, strengthen public health systems, and promote closer cooperation between EU Member States and candidate countries.

For EU candidate countries in the Western Balkans, the Strategy also supports alignment with EU standards in the areas of public health, human rights, and governance, contributing to accession-related reforms. For EU Member States in South East Europe, it reinforces health-centred approaches, supports more effective use of resources, and helps reduce pressure on criminal justice systems.

A call for balanced implementation

Civil society organisations underline that the impact of the EU Drugs Strategy will depend on its implementation. The analysis calls for a comprehensive and balanced Action Plan that translates strategic commitments into concrete measures, with adequate funding, clear health-focused indicators, and strong human rights safeguards.

The analysis is intended as a contribution to ongoing discussions with policymakers, EU institutions, and regional partners, and as a tool for advocacy, dialogue, and cooperation in building more inclusive, healthier, and safer societies across South East Europe.

 

The analysis is available here>>>.

 

What do we do with the new EU Drugs Strategy?

Posted on by DPNSEE

DPNSEE participated in the EU Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSFD) meeting held in Brussels on 8 and 9 December. Our Executive Director Milutin Milošević, who is a member of the CSFD Core Group, joined colleagues working on drug policy from across Europe for two days of exchanges with the European Commission (DG HOME, DG SANTE, DG JUST, DG HERA and DG ENEST).

The key topic of the agenda was the new EU Drugs Strategy, presented only 4 days before the meeting. The Forum contributed to the strategy on several occassions during the year. 40% of our recommendations were accepted, including the one on basing the Strategy on the European Union values which was the DPNSEE proposal.

CSFD members commented that even though the Strategy is a solid document, concerns remain that it remains unbalanced, with a strong focus on supply reduction, security, and crime prevention, which risks sidelining health- and human-rights-based approaches. We also raised our concerns about the Strategy placing harm reduction under the heading of preparedness, health, security, harm, international cooperation, and EU coordination and partnerships, rather than recognising it as a core public health intervention.

DPNSEE signed a joint letter coordinated by the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), published on 10 December 2025, together with 83 other civil society organisations. The statement urges EU Member States to:

  • Reprioritise harm reduction, restoring it as a strategic priority under the Health pillar of the Strategy.
  • Adopt a comprehensive Action Plan covering all aspects of drug policy, instead of focusing solely on combating ‘drug trafficking’.
  • Integrate human rights guidance across all pillars of the Strategy, drawing on international frameworks such as the UN System Common Position on Drugs, the International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy, and OHCHR recommendations.
  • Include a strategic priority on policy innovation, allowing Member States to explore alternatives to criminalisation and punishment.

For DPNSEE, a very important session was the one on Co-Operation in the Field of Drugs with the Candidate Countries and Challenges in EU Accession Process. DG ENEST presented their work, which, when we talk about Western Balkans, was exclusively on drug supply reduction. DPNSEE presented positions of the CSFD, indicating again the nees for balanced approach and the need to re-define the accession acquis in the area of drugs.

Several other important issues were at the agenda:

  • DG JUST presented the EU Civil Society Strategy. We discussed its relevance in times of shrinking civic space.
  • The EU Drugs Agency (EUDA) again presented only ideas about a civil society engagement plan. We provided feedback that meaningful participation should go beyond the development of a digital platform (CONNECT) for exchange and that it takes too long time to define the way that EUDA and civil society will frame out co-working actions.
  • CSFD member organisations discussed and agreed on priorities for upcoming activities

On the second day, CSFD members met with the Horizontal Working Party on Drugs, representing all EU Member States. Discussions with Member States and the European Commission included the EU Drugs Strategy, drug services in prisons, shrinking civic space in Europe, upcoming dialogues with third countries, and international drug policy. The Danish Presidency and the incoming Cypriot Presidency also delivered specific inputs.

The meeting was important for continuing civil society engagement and contributing our perspectives on health-, harm reduction-, and human-rights-based approaches in EU drug policy discussions.

CSFD strongly indicated that:

  • The new EU Drugs Strategy raises concerns regarding the prioritisation of supply reduction, security, and crime prevention over health, harm reduction, and human rights.
  • Civil society participation needs to remain an important avenue for providing feedback on EU drug policy.
  • Ensuring meaningful involvement of civil society is crucial both within the EU and in cooperation with candidate countries.