IDPC and Support. Don't Punish. on Tour! Events in the coming months

The conference calendar never seems to take a break, but the next few months are particularly busy, with key drug policy, HIV and harm reduction events taking place around the world. Fresh from promoting the Support Don’t Punish campaign at the 2013 International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Denver, USA, upcoming events include:

• the Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA) 2nd Regional Conference on Harm Reduction, in Beirut (Lebanon)
• the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Bangkok, Thailand
• the 17th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) in Cape Town, South Africa

At the MENAHRA conference in Beirut, IDPC will be delivering two presentations – one on the Support Don’t Punish campaign (2pm, Wednesday 13th November), and one on why local stakeholders need to engage in the UN drug policy debates in 2014 and 2016 (11.30am, Thursday 14th November). The full programme can be viewed here.

At the ICAAP event, IDPC has organised a satellite session entitled “Support Don’t Punish: Rights-Based and Evidence-Informed Policies on Drug Use and HIV Risks” (2pm, Thursday 21st November). The session will discuss drug policies in Asia, and the stigma and discrimination experienced by people who use drugs. It will also showcase the successes from the Community Action on Harm Reduction (CAHR) project, of which IDPC is a proud partner. IDPC will also be launching a new report on drug policy in Asia, supported by the Austalian Government. IDPC will also have sessions and presentations in the “IDU Networking Zone” within the Asia-Pacific Community Village, with this whole area being branded “Support Don’t Punish”!

Finally, IDPC has worked alongside Médecins du Monde (MdM) to put together a side event entitled “Support Don’t Punish: The Need for Better Responses to Drug Use in Africa” (6.30pm, Tuesday 10th December). This session aims to inform participants about recent developments with regards to drug policy and harm reduction in Africa. It will showcase positive experiences in Tanzania and Senegal, as well as discussing the Africa Union Plan of Action on Drug Control (2013-2017).

These events are part of our broader work to outreach and promote drug policy debate around the world. Each of these events is an opportunity for us to reach new audiences, to update our allies and supporters, and to showcase the developments that are taking place around the world. We look forward to seeing you at one of these conferences in the coming months!

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