🔴 CONTEXT
On 10 December 2021, on International Human Rights Day, Dr Elina Steinerte, the Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, was scheduled to present the findings of a new study on drug policies by the Working Group.

The formal oral presentation to the CND plenary was blocked at the last minute, a decision decried by multiple Member States: http://cndblog.org/2021/12/cnd-64rd-reconvened-session-10th-december-2021/

🔴 UN WGAD STUDY
The study provides urgent and critical recommendations on how Member States can align
drug responses with the universal prohibition of arbitrary deprivation of liberty and is available here: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Detention/Pages/Detention-and-drug-policies.aspx

🔴 RELEVANCE AND PURPOSE OF THE OPEN LETTER
The decision to disallow the Working Group’s presentation places the CND in discordance with the rest of the UN system and sends a worrying message that human rights expertise is not welcome in this forum.

We urge the UN Secretary General to share the study widely and express concern for this grave unprecedented move.

🔴 LETTER AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

SIGN ON LETTER:
http://files.idpc.net/misc/2021-12-SIGN-ON-Letter-UNSG-UNWAG-Exclusion-CND.pdf

IDPC / HRI PRESS RELEASE:
https://idpc.net/media/press-releases/2021/12/on-international-human-rights-day-un-drugs-body-silences-un-human-rights-expert-on-ground-breaking-report

🔴 DEADLINE FOR SIGNATURES
The deadline to sign this letter is Monday, 20 December - Noon / 12:01 / GMT - London time