|
The first ever World Forum Against
Drugs was held in Stockholm,
Sweden, from September 8th through the 10th.
This global forum is the first of its kind at which NGOs, self-help
groups, treatment centers, academics, municipal and regional
authorities, politicians and other decision-makers, private
individuals, the business community and others from around the world
have got the opportunity meet to express ideas and share experiences
about how to work successfully against illicit drugs.
Eleven Swedish national organisations and co-partners have taken the
initiative to organise this forum. Their first goal was to reach out
around the globe, especially the grass-roots NGOs that are working
hard to reduce drug abuse and illicit drugs trafficking. As a result
of their efforts, more than 80 countries from 5 continents were
represented at the 1st World Forum Against Drugs.
One of the explanations for this overwhelmingly positive response is
the great need for an active community of people committed to
effective drug abuse prevention.
Another important goal of the World Forum Against Drug was to send a
message to the upcoming UNGASS (March 2009) on narcotic drugs that
there is strong popular support from around the world for the UN
Conventions on Narcotic Drugs.
As the participants of the Forum have expressed it, the central issue
of drug policy today is either the world accepts growing illegal drug
use or the world continues to work to stop illegal drug use and
trafficking. The Forum declared that 'the proper goal of drug
prevention is to stop illegal drug use; not to tolerate it.'
The first World Forum Against Drugs ended in the closing session by
launching a global, active and ongoing network of organisations united
behind the UN Conventions on Narcotic Drugs. One of the tasks for this
new global network will be to organise a series of future world
conferences against drug use and trafficking. Sven-Olov Carlsson,
representative of the Swedish umbrella organization 'NGOs against
drugs', said at the closing session, "Human rights are incompatible
with drug abuse. All individuals have the right to a life that is not
harmed by drugs. Policy-makers need to defend and protect this right.
The rights and interests of drug users are not served by supporting
the continuation of drug abuse."
World Forum Against Drugs is a non-political movement; its only aim is
to work for the vision of a drug free world, and to protect the human
rights of drug prevention.
DECLARATION of World Forum Against Drugs
September 10, 2008 the Declaration of World Forum Against Drugs was
signed by eleven organisations and will be sent to UNGASS 2009.
Continuously individuals and organisations are signing the declaration
which supports and is guided by the UN Conventions on Narcotics (1961,
1971 and 1988), the UN Convention on The Rights of the Child and the
resolution resulting from the 1998 UNGASS-meeting.
The signing of the declaration also marked the start of a global
network of organisations united behind the UN Conventions on Narcotics.
Read the Declaration at www.wfad08.org
|
