The UN review of the international status of the coca leaf

Aymara yatiri (shaman) performing a coca leaf reading on the summit of Mount Uchumachi near Coroico (Bolivia) during celebrations related to the winter solstice (Aymara New Year).

Ali Margeaux Pfenninger

The coca leaf has been at the centre of a longstanding tension between the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the punitive global drug control regime. In July 2023, Bolivia officially requested that the World Health Organization (WHO) initiate a critical review of the coca leaf’s status under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The review is a pivotal opportunity to address decades of colonial and racist policies that sought to eradicate the plant and its traditional uses; denying the cultural, medicinal and spiritual significance of the coca leaf for so many Andean-Amazonian communities.

IDPC developed this page to help you understand the review process and its implications. The resources below explore the historical context, the human rights case for descheduling the coca leaf, and the potential paths that the review could take.

We will keep this website updated with the latest developments and insights to support advocacy efforts and platform the asks of those most affected by the prohibition of the coca leaf. If you have any ideas to improve it, please do not hesitate to drop us a line.

Timeline of the review process as of 1 November 2024.

Resources

Official documentation

WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD)

The WHO's Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) is tasked with evaluating substances for their potential harm and benefits. Its critical review of the coca leaf scheduling must challenge colonial drug policies, affirm Indigenous rights, and open pathways for regulated markets.

47th Expert Committee on Drug Dependence - Including informal update on preparations for the coca review (in English)
IDPC statement on the occasion of the 47th WHO ECDD

Bolivia's leading role in the review

Bolivia officially requested a review of the coca leaf and its international scheduling from UN Secretary-General António Guterres in June 2023. The request includes an informative 'supporting dossier'. Member States, including Colombia, have expressed support for the review. WHO's Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) acknowledged the request and is tasked with preparations for the review.

Civil society contributions

Righting a historical wrong: The UN review of the international status of the coca leaf

This IDPC advocacy note provides background information on the scheduling of the coca leaf in the international drug control treaties, outlines the coca review process, and makes the human rights case for the removal of the leaf from the treaty schedules.

Statements at the UN

The IDPC network supports a fair review, addressing the harms of punitive responses on Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous expertise and knowledge, and ensuring respect for their rights and ancestral relationship with the coca leaf.

IDPC statement at the Human Rights Council panel discussion on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (Sep. 2024)
IDPC statement at the 47th WHO ECDD (Oct. 2024)
IDPC statement at the CND thematic discussions (Nov. 2024)

The WHO critical review process of the coca leaf

Dejusticia and Alianza Coca Para la Paz organised this dialogue on the coca review process during the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Colombia. IDPC co-sponsored the event and our colleague Marie Nougier delivered a statement outlining the process and its importance.

IDPC statement in English (with Spanish subtitles)
Event page in Spanish

Coca leaf descheduling, protection of biodiversity and ancestral knowledge in peacebuilding in Colombia

With support from Corporación Viso Mutop, the Colombian Peace Council organised a discussion at COP16 on the importance of overcoming prohibitionism in order to embed environmental conservation and ancestral knowledge in peacebuilding.

Event recording in Spanish

Anđela Janković, for TNI

Coca Chronicles: Monitoring the UN coca review

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and the Transnational Institute (TNI) present The Coca Chronicles, tracking the critical review, exploring its implications for the enjoyment of rights — particularly for Indigenous Peoples — and shining a light on the need to modernise the outdated drug control regime.

The future in a leaf

In an interview with Vist Projects, Zara Snapp, Instituto RIA, explores the impact of prohibition on drug markets and shines a light on coca and cocaine markets in particular, and the potential in regulated drug markets.

Interview in Spanish

The critical review is an excellent opportunity to engage in dialogue with Indigenous Peoples and forge bridges between experts in the academy and natural medicine.

David Choquehuanca Céspedes - Vice President of Bolivia - #CND67 - March 2024

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