The EHRC 2024 Sessions: 11. Dealing with drugs - Cities and the international pursuit of sensible regulation

1. Part one
The mayor of the City of Amsterdam invites cities, European and international stakeholders to join her in the pursuit of a more just and humane drug policy.
The satellite event delves into how controlled regulation can provide solutions and how initial experiments can be wisely designed and sensibly executed. The event builds on the outcomes of the Dealing with Drugs Conference in January 2024.
Highlights of the program, that will be moderated by Steve Rolles (Transform Drugs):
The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, and the High Commissioner for the Human Rights Volker Türk (by video message) will set the scene for the event, stressing the importance of searching for alternative approaches to drug policy. Ambassador of Colombia Laura Gil will speak about her experiences in the complex world of international cooperation. Keynote speaker Neil Woods will dive into the mechanisms that explain why the war on drugs is not effective.
Host: Steve Rolles
Speakers:
Femke Halsema, Mayor of the City of Amsterdam
Volker Türk
Neil Woods
Laura Gil
Philippe Close
2. Part two
How to regulate substances: detailed blueprints for local level experiments
By zooming in to the practical aspects of regulation, the debate can move from the why, to the how of regulation. As author of several ‘how to’ books, Steve Rolles has become one of the most knowledgeable advisors for governments and cities. Pieter Walinga will present a practical canvas that can be used to design experiments with regulation of different substances.
Speakers:
Pieter Walinga, City of Amsterdam , Program manager
Steve Rolles
3. Part three
People who use drugs and other marginalised groups, such as people experiencing homelessness, sex workers or migrants, are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis epidemics. With stigma, discrimination, and criminalisation aggravating health disparities, these communities experience limited access to health services and higher prevalenceof infectious diseases compared to the general population.
In light of these considerations and recognising the urgent need to address these multiple epidemics to improve the health of affected communities and public health in Europe, the BOOST project was launched by CEHRN to strengthen and support community-based and community-led harm reduction organisations4 in providing high-quality communicable disease services to people who use drugs. These include the scaling-up of good practices in communicable disease awareness, prevention, screening/testing and linkage to care, delivered as an integrated part of people-centred harm reduction interventions.
The session will provide exemples on what challenges organisations face to tackle HIV/HCV in Portugal and Slovenia and then highlight practical interventions and experiences in the field of data collection, digital skills, community involvement and advocacy for better HIV/HCV policy and practice, based on the experiences of the BOOST project.
Moderator: Ruth Zimmermann
Subsessions
Analysis of Provision of the HCV Treatment to People Who Use Drugs In Bratislava and Reccomendations for Future Practice
December 04, 2024 9:00 AM – 9:10 AM
Decentralized Consultation: showcasing the benefits of public-private partnership in the community
December 04, 2024 9:10 AM – 9:20 AM
Strengthening community-based harm reduction – Experiences of the BOOST project in the field of capacity building and advocacy
December 04, 2024 9:20 AM – 10:30 AM


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