2018 CND On mother-to-child transmission among women who use drugs

Com­mis­sion on Nar­cotic Drugs
March 2018

Res­o­lu­tion num­ber 61/4

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Analysis of precedential value

The UN Com­mis­sion on Nar­cotic Drugs (CND) sets poli­cies for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which in turn is respon­si­ble for mon­i­tor­ing inter­na­tional drug treaties. CND is also over­seen by and works closely with the Eco­nomic and Social Coun­cil and the Gen­eral Assem­bly. It is com­posed of rep­re­sen­ta­tives from 53 geo­graph­i­cally diverse Mem­ber States elected by the Eco­nomic and Social Coun­cil.

Rep­re­sen­ta­tives from 11 UN Mem­ber States had co-drafted it, but nego­ti­a­tions behind this CND Res­o­lu­tion were report­edly slowed by debates around the use of the terms “drug use” and “drug abuse.”

Used as precedent

harm reduction

• “Encour­ages Mem­ber States, as appro­pri­ate, within their national and regional con­texts, to pro­mote, among rel­e­vant agen­cies and social ser­vices sec­tors, non-stig­ma­tiz­ing atti­tudes in the devel­op­ment and imple­men­ta­tion of sci­en­tific evi­dence-based poli­cies related to the avail­abil­ity of, access to and deliv­ery of health, care and social ser­vices for drug users, includ­ing women and girls who use drugs or who are exposed to risk fac­tors asso­ci­ated with drug use, and to reduce any pos­si­ble dis­crim­i­na­tion, exclu­sion or prej­u­dice that these peo­ple may encounter.” (para­graph 2)

• “Requests Mem­ber States, as appro­pri­ate, within their national and regional con­texts, to con­tinue to enhance inclu­sive­ness in devel­op­ing rel­e­vant pro­grammes and strate­gies, to seek opin­ions and con­tri­bu­tions from women and girls who use drugs and from orga­ni­za­tions and fam­i­lies and com­mu­nity mem­bers who work with them and sup­port them, and to facil­i­tate devel­op­ment of sci­en­tific evi­dence-based poli­cies regard­ing the avail­abil­ity of, access to and deliv­ery of ser­vices to women and girls who use drugs.” (para­graph 3)

harm reduction, key and vulnerable populations

• “Fur­ther calls upon Mem­ber States to offer women who use drugs, espe­cially those who have recently shared inject­ing equip­ment, and/or have been sex­u­ally assaulted, access to health clin­ics and, where pos­si­ble, assisted refer­ral, and access to post-expo­sure pro­phy­laxis, in accor­dance with national leg­is­la­tion and tak­ing into account the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime guide­lines in the pub­li­ca­tion Address­ing the Spe­cific Needs of Women who Inject Drugs: Prac­ti­cal Guide for Ser­vice Providers on Gen­der-Respon­sive HIV Ser­vices.” (para­graph 8)

key and vulnerable populations

• “Calls upon Mem­ber States to develop and imple­ment strate­gies to help iden­tify and respond to gen­der-based vio­lence by pro­vid­ing direct sup­port to women who use drugs or are exposed to risk fac­tors asso­ci­ated with drug use and who expe­ri­ence sex­ual vio­lence, includ­ing appro­pri­ate mea­sures and pro­tec­tions as may be required to enable women who use drugs to report abuse.” (para­graph 9)