Opium poppy field in Myanmar. Volker Türk: War on drugs has suffered a “complete and final collapse” Human Rights
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on world leaders and all stakeholders to radically rethink global drug policy. Volker Türk said the decades-long “war on drugs” had ruined countless lives and damaged entire communities.
Speaking at the “Coping with Drugs II” conference in Warsaw on Thursday, the High Commissioner stressed the urgent need for a human rights-based approach to drug regulation, citing record deaths and rising rates of illness related to drug use.
The conference, a follow-up to January’s “Coping with Drugs I” meeting hosted by the Mayor of Amsterdam, brought together policymakers and experts from across Europe.
“Criminalization and prohibition have not reduced drug use or curbed drug-related crime,” stressed Volker Türk. “These policies simply do not work, and we are letting down some of the most vulnerable groups in our societies.”
The Global Drug Crisis
The Warsaw forum was organized against the backdrop of a sharp increase in the production and distribution of illicit drugs.
In Afghanistan, despite a ban imposed by the Taliban in 2022 that initially reduced opium cultivation by 95 percent, its production has increased by 19 percent this year, driven by economic hardship and rising prices.
North America is facing an unprecedented fentanyl crisis. Synthetic drugs are taking lives in large numbers in the United States, as well as in parts of Asia and Africa.
From Punishment to Support
The UN High Commissioner has stressed the need for a radical change in the approach to the drug problem. “Instead of punitive measures, we need gender-sensitive, evidence-based drug policies that are grounded in public health,” said Volker Türk.
The High Commissioner called for universal access to voluntary health care and other social services, stressing that harm reduction measures are essential to prevent overdose deaths.
A key element of reform, according to Türk, should be decriminalization. “We need to treat the person, not punish them for their drug use disorder,” he said.
People are the priority
Volker Türk stressed the importance of paying close attention to those affected by the current drug policy.
“Historically, people who use drugs have been marginalized, criminalized, discriminated against and abandoned,” he noted. “We will fail if we do not ensure their genuine participation in the development and implementation of drug policy.”
The so-called war on drugs has been a “complete and utter failure,” concluded Volker Türk, adding that people must always remain the priority.