How the war on drugs impedes economic development

Repressive drug policies impede economic development and undermine the well-being of communities and families throughout the world, especially in the Global South. A panel of experts will describe the economic, environmental, and public health consequences of the criminalization of drug use, mass incarceration, and aerial spraying for eradication of coca. This panel includes participants from Africa and Latin America, who can discuss the negative effects of ill-conceived drug policies on their regions.

As the world prepares to reflect on approaches to global drug control at the UN Special Session in 2016—just as the post-2015 development agenda is finalized—drug-development connections should figure importantly in global debates.

Speakers

• Alejandro Madrazo Lajous, Professor and Researcher in the Legal Studies Division of the Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económica (CIDE) in Mexico
• Isidore Obot, Professor of Psychology University of Uyo, Nigeria
• Daniel Mejía Londono, Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Universidad de los Andes and a Director of the Research Centre on Drugs and Security, Colombia
• Nicola Palmer, Policy Adviser on Rule of Law, Justice, and Security, UNDP
• Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, Director of the Open Society Global Drug Policy Program (moderator)

Please click here for more details about the event.

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