In this submission Amnesty International provides comments in response to a call for input issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 54/22 in preparation for the upcoming report on “the human rights challenges in addressing and countering all aspects of the world drug problem”. It highlights five key areas that have been relegated from international drug policy debates that must be urgently addressed to align drug control efforts with international human rights law. A sustained paradigm shift towards drug policies grounded in the protection of public health and human rights is essential. Shifting away from punitive models is critical to address the widespread human rights violations that arise from or are facilitated by the implementation of drug control policies. The submission is largely based on research conducted by Amnesty International, although it should not be considered as an exhaustive list of all concerns the organization has regarding human rights and drug policies.
