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WHO Critical Review of Coca Leaf A Comprehensive Overview

Nearly 75 years after the United Nations called for the abolition of coca leaf chewing, a real opportunity to correct this is now underway.  The World Health Organization (WHO), at Bolivia’s initiative  and supported by Colombia, is currently conducting a ‘critical review’, a procedure designed to reassess if coca is appropiately scheduled in the 1961 UN Single Convention, and its findings may result in changing the coca leaf’s classification. The WHO recommendations will be submitted for approval to the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), with voting likely taking place in March 2026. Here you can find all relevant information and documentation related to this review.

Dossier by

Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP

Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP

Coca Chronicles: Monitoring the UN Coca Review

Publications

  • Coca Myths

    • UN Drug Control
    • Coca Leaf
    • Drugs and Conflict
    • War on Drugs
    Policy briefing by
    • Pien Metaal
    • Anthony Henman

  • Coca, Cocaine and the International Conventions

    • UN Drug Control
    • Drug Law Reform
    • Coca Leaf
    Policy briefing by
    Pien Metaal

  • Lifting the ban on coca chewing Bolivia’s proposal to amend the 1961 Single Convention

    • UN Drug Control
    • Drug Law Reform
    • Mild Stimulants
    • Coca Leaf
    Publication by
    Martin Jelsma
    cover

  • Coca Yes, Cocaine No? Legal options for the coca leaf

    • UN Drug Control
    • Drug Law Reform
    • Coca Leaf
    Report by
    • Pien Metaal
    • Martin Jelsma
    • Ricardo Soberon
    • Mario Argandoña
    • Anthony Henman
    • Ximena Echeverría

  • Change of Course An Agenda for Vienna

    UN Drug Control
    Publication by
    • Martin Jelsma
    • Tom Blickman
    • Virgina Montañés

WHO Cocaine Project

Martin Jelsma: Descheduling Coca: Challenges and Outcome Scenarios of the WHO review

Documents for download

External links

The UN review of the international status of the coca leaf (IDPC)

Credits

 

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    • Anthony Henman

  • Lifting the ban on coca chewing Bolivia’s proposal to amend the 1961 Single Convention

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