Reducing harm, protecting life - IDPC joins 3 civil society reports to inform the UN CESCR's review of Kenya and the UK

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is a monitoring body assessing the implementation by Member States of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

As part of its monitoring functions, the Committee receives reports from Member States on the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights.

IDPC is proud to join three submissions by members of our network and allies that raise critical questions about Kenya and the United Kingdom's implementation of the Convenant, particularly in relation to drug policy and related norms and practices. Both countries are under review by the UN CESCR during its 77th Session (10 - 28 Feb 2025).

Below, we briefly outline the conclusions of each submission, which are also available for downloading.

• Joint submission on Kenya by NextGen Lawyers
  Supported by Community Advocacy Initiative of Kenya (CAIK), the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), the Kenya Network of People Who Use Drugs (KENPUD), the Kisumu Network of People Who Use Drugs (KINPUD), the Kwale Network of People Who Use Drugs (KWANPUD), the Muslim Education Welfare Association (MEWA), Nairobi Outreach Services Trust (NOSET), Reachout Centre Trust (RCT), Teens Watch Centre (TWC), the Omari Project, and Women in Response to HIV and Drug Addiction (WRADA).
  With a focus on the need to end the criminalisation of people who use drugs and ensure their access to harm reduction services, this submission highlights existing barriers, including in the country's drug laws, and the need for reform and invest in health and harm reduction services.
• Joint submission on the United Kingdom led by Release
  Supported by Harm Reduction International (HRI), the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) and RATS - 'radical acts to survive'.
  Shining a light on the health catastrophe that is the country's escalating drug-related mortality, and its socio-structural determinants, this submission rebukes the UK's intensification of punitive responses in detriment of evidence-based approaches, including decriminalisation, the expansion of the harm reduction toolbox, addressing systemic inequalities. and the inclusion of affected communities and civil society in policy design and implementation.
• Joint submission on the United Kingdom led by RATS - 'radical acts to survive'
  Supported by the Benzo Research Project, Drug Science, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), Release, Safe Only CIC and The Love Tank CIC
  This submission focuses on the UK's escalating drug deaths crisis, highlighting its disproportionate effects on marginalised communities, and the crucial role that safer consumptions sites should play in tackling this crisis. The submission calls for the implementation of safer consumption sites and other harm reduction services, including through public funding for community-led interventions, as well as the decriminalisation of drug possession and the enhancement of data collection and reporting processes to ensure impacts on minoritised communities are not duly addressed.