Tag: webinar

Webinar on decriminalisation

Posted on by DPNSEE

Policy Webinar under the BOOST Project

4 December 2025 | 14:30–16:00 CET

Registration link | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89055986872

Languages: English and Russian

 

Background and Rationale

Decriminalisation is defined as the removal of criminal sanctions for certain activities related to drug use and possession for personal use. Several actors in the field of drug policy have indicated that a punitive approach is counterproductive to achieving the health and welfare of humankind. There is no evidence that criminalisation of use, possession for personal use, and other related behaviours has positive impacts in terms of reducing both drug demand and supply.

Purpose and Objectives

  • Introduce the BOOST policy brief on decriminalisation to stakeholders across Europe: policymakers, community-led organisations, practitioners, funders
  • Present the evidence and recommendations on what works and where challenges remain when discussing about and adopting decriminalisation
  • Discuss why we need decriminalisation and what arguments can help and how to achieve this goal?
  • Enable dialogue among stakeholders decriminalisation: barriers, enablers, local contexts
  • Mobilise institutions, experts, communities and civil society networks to use the brief as an advocacy tool

Programme

Time Segment
14:30 – 15:37 Opening & overview – Milutin Milošević, DPNSEE Executive Director, Moderator
14:38 – 14:45 The BOOST project: General information and advocacy interventions – Igor Gordon, Program Team Lead, EHRA
14:45 – 14:55 The BOOST policy paper “Decriminalize! drug use and possession for personal use” – Marios Atzemis, DPNSEE Board member
14:55 – 14:05 Presentation of the new documents related to decriminalisation and human rights violations – Ganna Dovbakh, Executive Director and Maria Plotko, Senior Program Officer, EHRA

·      Updated Criminalisation Cost country profiles and regional comparison for CEECA

·      Regional CEECA report on CESCR rights violations of people who use drugs
15:05 – 15:15 Experts from countries implementing decriminalisation – John-Peter Kools, Trimbos institute, The Netherlands
15:15 – 15:22 Experts from countries implementing decriminalisation – Sanja Mikulić, Institute for Public Health, Croatia
15:23 – 15:30 Experts from countries implementing decriminalisation – Joana Canêdo, Portugal
15:30 – 15:38 Experts from countries implementing decriminalisation – Dr. Jana Michailidu, Czechia
15:40 – 15:55 Questions and answers
15:55 – 16:00 Closing – Ganna Dovbakh, EHRA Executive Director and EU Civil Society Forum on Drugs Chairperson

 

Webinar on data

Posted on by Milutin

The Drug Policy Network South Wast Europe hosted a webinar to present the recently published data related to harm reduction and HIV/AIDS in South East Europe on 26 November 2024. Besides presenting the data, it was an opportunity to discuss ways in which data should be more reliable and how to integrate data collected by civil society organisations in govrenmental reporting.

Following the welcome address by Nebojša Đurasović, DPNSEE President, we had excellent presentations:

  • Global State of Harm Reduction report – presented by Colleen Daniels, Deputy Director and Public Health Lead, Harm Reduction International (2024 available here>>>)
  • Harm Reduction in South East Europe – Marios Atzemis, DPNSEE Board member (available here>>>)
  • Civil Society Monitoring of Harm Reduction in Europe – Iga Jeziorska, Senior Research Officer, Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network (available here>>>)
  • HIV/AIDS surveillance data for South East Europe (data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control – ECDC) – Milutin Milošević, Executive Director, DPNSEE (available here>>>)

In addition, DPNSEE had sent data by countries and territories to its member organisations and governmental institutions. You can also download them here:

Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Greece Kosovo*

Montenegro North Macedonia Romania Serbia Slovenia Turkey

DPNSEE informed that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control – ECDC will publish the HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2024 (2023 data) report on 28 November at https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/. DPNSEE will process the new data and prepare new visuals in early 2025.

BOOST’s Peer-to-Peer Capacity-Building Webinar Series

Posted on by Milutin

As part of the BOOST Project, a series of webinars will be held in November for harm reduction organisations that are currently providing or planning to offer services in the fields of HIV and viral hepatitis.

The webinars aim to enhance the knowledge and skills of community-based and community-led organisations, helping them apply good practice models, tools, and methods to scale up integrated screening, testing, treatment and care for communicable diseases across Europe. Below are the sessions, dates and registration links.

Community-led approaches to HIV/VH/STIs screening, testing, treatment and care for people who use drugs

November 6th, 2024 | 16:00h CET

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsd-iqrTwjE9z9iIbtFYOyuWbBspWo6qF-

Optimising data collection: a guide to COBATEST standardised data collection tools

November 13th, 2024 | 16:00h CET

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvc-6srT0qE9B6Qb0cjTND6fW9C8s-nROi

Current best practices on community-based HIV/VH/STIs services

November 20th, 2024 | 16:00h CET

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrd–sqTkjHNPfQAKCa40Eediiygpyhi-h

Improving linkage to care in harm reduction settings

November 27th, 2024 | 16:00h CET

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtf-uhrjIqE9QiGDx6GveFV66wzWfmiQ3m

 

Harm reduction services for people who use drugs recreationally

Posted on by Milutin

The Alliance for Public Health organises webinar “Introducing harm reduction services for people who use drugs recreationally in EECA and the Balkans”, with the support from ReGeneration and DPNSEE.

Recreational drug use is on the rise, but at the same time young people who engage in it are not properly targeted by harm reduction services and don’t receive the necessary support, information and commodities they need to prevent them from turning to problematic use and all the relevant consequences.

On this webinar international experience on planning and implementing harm reduction programs specifically for this target population will be shared. Also, the draft guide that on this topic will be presented.

The Agenda includes topics:

  • Introducing the key principles and the justification behind the need to advocate for, develop and offer HR services for people who use recreationally.
  • Promoting Safety, Health, and Well-being: The need for Systematic implementation of Harm Reduction Strategies in Southeastern European Festivals.
  • Ukrainian experience on harm reduction services for people who use drugs recreationally.
  • #SafeParty – good practice example of multi-sectoral approach in nightlife harm reduction and recreation settings.
  • Q&A and Discussion.

This webinar will be useful for program managers, advocates, policy makers and communities from across the region to help them inform their decisions and actions.

The webinar will be held via Zoom platform on Tuesday 25 July, from 11:00 to 12:30 CET. Translations will be available in English, Russian, BHCS and Albanian.

Please register to participate following this link>>>.

 

An interesting discussion about the harm reduction crisis in SEE

Posted on by Milutin

On the 20th of April 2022, the three Networks organized a Webinar on Harm reduction crisis in South East Europe. During this event, national decision-makers from the region, researchers, harm reduction service providers, community and civil society representatives came together to present and discuss the key findings of the research activities.

Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network, the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association and the Drug Policy Network of South-Eastern Europe have been working together to advocate for addressing the harm reduction crisis in South East Europe since 2019.

Countries of South-Eastern Europe and the Balkans, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia, are experiencing relatively high levels of HIV and HVC infection among people who inject drugs. However, due to limited domestic resources and the gradual withdrawal of the Global Fund from the region, the governments of these countries are facing a lack of resources to continue the long-term funding of comprehensive harm reduction programmes.

During this webinar, C-EHRN, EHRA and DPNSE present the research Crisis in harm reduction funding: The impact of transition from Global Fund to Government support and opportunities to achieve sustainable harm reduction services for people who inject drugs in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia they have conducted in the area and discuss its key findings, which include among others:

  • Common challenges of scaling-up harm reduction programmes in the countries of South-Eastern Europe.
  • Consequences of the limited funding of the harm reduction services for public health and national healthcare systems.
  • Opportunities available for the governments of the region to act and invest funds and efforts in effective and proven models of harm reduction in their respective countries.

Building upon this research, this publication, and also policy briefing and factsheet, highlight opportunities available for the governments of the region to act and invest funds and efforts in effective and proven models of harm reduction in their respective countries.

Recording of the Webinar is available below.

Webinar on the brain development in adolescence and substance use

Posted on by Milutin

The Slovenian NCD Alliance invites you to a free webinar “The brain development in adolescence and substance use in the context of prevention science, policy & practice“, which will host three of the most important international experts in this field.

The webinar is organized as part of the celebration of World Drug Day (26 June) and the 15th anniversary of the UTRIP Institute (23 June). Priority for registration and participation will be given to the participants from the South Eastern European countries, especially those from Balkan region.

The seminar will be conducted in the form of a Webinar via ZOOM on Wednesday, 23 June 2021 from 15.00 to 18.00 (CEST time zone), and will be held in English.

The deadline for registrations is Tuesdaz 22 June 2021 via the form following this link˃˃˃. After registration, you will receive an email confirming registration and a ZOOM link for the Webinar.

The seminar is organized within the project “Because alcohol is not milk – advocacy in the field of alcohol policy”, which is supported by the “Active Citizens Fund” in Slovenia 2014 – 2021.

A great insight into the new EU Drugs Strategy

Posted on by Milutin

DPNSEE hosted the Webinar on EU Drugs Strategy 2021 – 2025 on Wednesday 24 March 2021. The Webinar was supported by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

The webinar was supposed to serve as a source of inspiration to support all those involved process of design, implementation and evaluation of drug strategies.

The EU Drugs Strategy 2021 – 2025 was presented by Danilo Ballotta, Coordinator – Institutional relations at the EMCDDA (link to Danilo’s presentation>>>).

Iga Jeziorska, from Youth Organisations for Drug Action, Chair of the Working Group on the EU Action Plan at the EU Civil Society Forum on Drugs (link to Iga’s presentation>>>) and Adrià Cots Fernández, Research and Advocacy Officer, International Drug Policy Consortium spoke about the civil society involvement in the process of designing the Strategy.

A more critical view on the Strategy was offered by Péter Sárosi from the Rights Reporter Foundation (link to Péter’s presentation>>>).

Discussions in three separate discussion rooms followed on three main pillars of the Strategy: Reducing supply (facilitated by Željko Petković, Assistant Director, Service for Combatting Drug Abuse at the Croatian Institute of Public Health), Reducing demand (facilitated by Matej Košir, Deputy Chairperson, Vienna NGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs, UTRIP Institute, Slovenia) and Harm reduction (facilitated by Marios Atzemis, DPNSEE Board member, European AIDS Treatment Group Greece).

More than 70 representatives of governmental organisations, both on national and local level, academia, civil society organisations, international organisations and donor community participated.

The Webinar offered a comprehensive and interesting insight into the Strategy and caused an interesting discussion and exchange of views.

The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs: Sixty Years of an Epic Fail?

Posted on by Milutin

In 1961, the Member States of the United Nations set themselves a goal to eliminate illegal opium production by 1979 and that of cannabis and coca by 1989. In 1998, they proclaimed to be ready to achieve a world without drugs within 10 years.

Meanwhile, the use of illicit substances has increased at twice the rate of the world population, and today production and trafficking of drugs are completely out of control.

Sixty years of prohibitionist policies and the War on Drugs have caused more damages than those caused by the substances themselves in sanitary, social, criminal, environmental and economic terms.

Science for Democracy organises a webinar on 30 March, from 6 to 8 pm CET to mark the 60th Anniversary of the adoption of the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

The webinar will address the historical background of the UN Conventions on narcotics and will look at the future of drug policy with experts and activists from around the world.

To register, please follow this link>>>.

 

Webinar on EU Drugs Strategy 2021 – 2025

Posted on by Milutin

The Drug Policy Network South East Europe and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) invite you to participate in the webinar that will provide information on the new European Union drug strategy.

The EU Council approved the EU Drugs Strategy on 18 December 2020 setting out the political framework and priorities for the EU’s drug policy in the period 2021-2025. The strategy aims to ensure a high level of health promotion, social stability and security and contribute to awareness raising. On the basis of this strategy, the Council will prepare an action plan which will set out concrete measures to achieve these priorities.

With this strategy, the EU and its member states reaffirm their commitment to an approach which is based on evidence, comprehensive and balanced between demand and supply reduction of drugs, with the preservation of human rights at its core. At the same time, this strategy uses the lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis in the drugs area and takes a future-oriented approach, promoting research, innovation and foresight to respond more effectively to increasing challenges and to anticipate them.

The webinar may serve as a source of inspiration to support all those involved process of design, implementation and evaluation of drug strategies. It is especially suitable for regional drug strategy makers, regional civil society groups, European and other interested participants.

The EU Drugs Strategy 2021 – 2025 will be presented by Danilo Ballotta, Coordinator – Institutional relations at the EMCDDA.

We also expect inputs from the civil society activists. The full list of speakers will be published before the webinar.

The Webinar will be held via Zoom on Wednesday 24 March 2021 starting at 13:00 CET. The Webinar will last for 90 minutes.

The Webinar will be delivered in English, with translation into Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian. We are exploring opportunities for translation into other languages of South East Europe.

As the number of participants is limited, please register by Tuesday 23 March using the following link>>>.

 

Drug policy evaluation models presented

Posted on by Milutin

DPNSEE and Trimbos Institute hosted the Webinar “Drug Policy evaluations: opportunities to support inclusive, effective and evidence-based public policy” on Wednesday 10 February 2021. The aim of the Webinar was to provide information on drug policy evaluation as an effective instrument to guide, manage and support effective policies and services.

The Webinar included an introduction on drug policy evaluations and presentations on approach and methods and experiences from the evaluations performed in Croatia and Cyprus. Discussions in three separate discussion rooms followed on different segments of a policy/strategy cycle.

More than 90 representatives of governmental organisations, both on national and local level, academia, civil society organisations, coming from 31 countries, and international organisations participated.

The presentations from the Conference are ready to download:

  • Introduction to drug policy evaluation: Liesbeth Vandam, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction following this link>>>
  • Drug Policy evaluations: approach and methods: John-Peter Kools, Trimbos Institute following this link>>>
  • Drugs policy evaluation – experience and benefits: Sanja Mikulić, Head, Service for combating drugs abuse, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Croatia following this link>>>
  • Online opportunities: Daan van der Gouwe, Trimbos Institute following this link>>>
  • Experiences from online/hybrid evaluation: Chrysantos Georgiou, Cyprus following this link>>>.