Presentación conjunta al Comité DESC de la ONU sobre la terapia agonista opioide (TAO) y los derechos humanos en Polonia

El IDPC, EHRA, HRI y HFHR destacan los desafíos que enfrenta la reducción de daños y el tratamiento de la dependencia de drogas en Polonia, así como recomendaciones para la reforma. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

Introduction

HFHR, HRI, IDPC and EHRA submit this briefing to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (hereinafter, “the Committee”), in relation to the 7th periodic report of Poland.

We welcome the fact that the Committee included under the Right to Physical and Mental Health (art. 12) of the List of Issues prepared ahead of the country review a request (no. 23) to: provide information on any follow-up measures taken, and their impact, with regard to the National Programme on Countering Drug Addiction 2016–2020. Please also provide information on any follow-up measures taken, and their impact, to increase access to opioid-substitution treatment for drug dependence.

We note challenges in the field of harm reduction and opioid-substitution treatment as is now more commonly referred to as opioid agonist therapy (OAT) as well as the human rights consequences of drug policy in Poland. The content of this submission comes from the long-lasting monitoring of in-country situation but is also heavily influenced by information and insights provided by local organizations during the civil society consultations conducted jointly by the EHRA and the HFHR for Human Rights between June 2023 and January 2024 with the aim of supporting the upcoming CESCR’s General Comment on Drug Policy.

Recommendations

HFHR, HRI, IDPC and EHRA recommend that the Committee considers including the following in its concluding report to the Polish government:

• ground drug policy in human rights, scientific evidence and reliable data
• decriminalize drug use and possession for personal use (which should include the removal of all sanctions, both criminal and administrative), and consider transformative change to the country’s punitive drug policy, as recommended by the OHCHR
• increase the coverage of, funding for, and diversify the range of harm reduction measures, including access to naloxone, both in the community and prison settings and ensure that such services are tailored to the specific needs of women, LGBTQI+, youth, migrants and other particularly vulnerable groups of people who use drugs
• ensure equal access to evidence-based prevention, harm reduction and treatment services on a non-discriminatory basis, taking into account the specific needs of particularly vulnerable groups
• actively combat stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs, including by developing a campaign in consultation with people who use drugs to counter stereotypes and raise awareness of the rights of people who use drugs.