TNI’s Drugs & Democracy programme has been analysing trends in the illegal drugs market and global drug policies. It has gained an international reputation as one of the leading drug policy research institutes and as a serious critical watchdog of UN drug control institutions. Read more about this project
Articles
Who is winning "the war on drugs"?
Tom Blickman and Martin Jelsma from TNI are speaking at the debate Who is winning "the war on drugs"? about the global context of drug policy. The debate was organized by Krytyka Polityczna in Warsaw on 13 February 2013.
Objections to Bolivia's reservation to allow coca chewing in the UN conventions
Sweden joined the United States and the United Kingdom in objecting to the re-accession of Bolivia to the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Italy and Canada also objected, but the objection of Sweden is particularly disturbing.
Drugs on the agenda of Colombian peace talks
Inclusion of the drug issue on the agenda of the peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC, which are being held in Havana, Cuba, is a smart move.
Publications
De wankelende ‘Weense consensus’ over drugsbeleid
Nederland is met zijn drugsbeleid in de achterhoede terecht gekomen. Zo zijn Uruguay en de Amerikaanse staten Washington en Colorado, met hun besluit de cannabismarkt van teelt tot gebruik te legaliseren, Nederland voorbijgestreefd.
Bogotá’s medical care centres for drug addicts
The opening in September 2012 of the first centre for drug addicts in Bogota is a welcome first step towards more humane and effective drug policies in Colombia’s capital city, but to be effective needs to be integrated into proper overall drugs strategy.
A breakthrough in the making?
There is an undeniable regional trend of moving away from the ‘war on drugs’ in Latin America. This briefing explains the background, summarises the state of ongoing drug law reforms, and makes recommendations to move the debate forward.
Events
April 2011
International Seminar “La lucha contra el crimen organizado: hacia una estrategia integral”
On 4 and 5 April 2011, Tom Blickman participated in the International
Seminar "La lucha contra el crimen organizado: hacia una estrategia integral” in Mexico City.
September 2010
Conference: Potent Substances: on the Boundaries of Food and Medicine
Potent Substances will engage historians, anthropologists, scientists and policy‐makers in conversation about the boundaries of food and pharmacy. Three days will be devoted to the following sub‐themes: Old Food and Drugs for New; Boundaries and Expertise; and Arts and the Environment. The long‐term aims are to offer policy and practice recommendations on the boundaries of food and pharmacy relevant to high priority current and likely future challenges, drawing on the interdisciplinary knowledge of the conference participants.
May 2010
The Art of the Possible
The event, organised by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the Transnational Institute (TNI), and George Washington University (GWU)’s Latin American & Hemispheric Studies Program, featured government officials and legislators from South America discussing national-level reforms, as well as experts addressing cross-cutting themes such as harm reduction strategies.
News
What Is the Future of British Heroin Addiction?
6 May 2013
However, Martin Jelsma – a political scientist who specialises in international drug trade at the Transnational Institute – is not so sure there's such a cut-and-dry, supply-and-demand explanation.
Obstacles Ahead in Burma’s Opium War
20 March 2013
“There is no silver bullet,” Tom Kramer, a political scientist for the think tank Transnational Institute (TNI) told TIME. “The root cause is poverty. Access to health, education — if this is not addressed, you will not solve the problem.”
Towards a ceasefire
7 March 2013
Experiments in legalisation are showing what a post-war approach to drug control could look like
Upcoming events
