TNI co-signed a letter that was sent to the Dutch Prime Minister and relevant parliamentary commissions, stressing the need for an active Dutch involvement in the UNGASS review process and specifically to use the moment to open the discussion about the UN conventions that are an obstacle to further developments in Dutch cannabis policy.
Tensions in US-UNODC relations should be resolved by more sustainable funding mechanisms, not by bowing to Republican flat-earthism. It is time to be guided by the light of science, not by the darkness of ignorance and fear.
On 21-23 February we organised our now seventh ‘informal drug policy dialogue’, this time in collaboration with the Ecuadorian government and with WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America). Government officials were present from seven Latin American countries, in total some 45 persons participated in the meeting. Much of the agenda was focussed on the preparations for the upcoming UNGASS review process in Vienna. One of the most inspiring themes was Ecuador's proposal to pardon drug couriers.
The Transnational Institute (TNI) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) co-hosted the First Southeast Asian Informal Drug Policy Dialogue, 12-14 February 2009 in Bangkok. The dialogue – similar to TNI efforts in Europe and Latin America – brought together government officials, experts, NGOs and representatives of international agencies, to discuss dilemmas and possible improvements in drug policy making in the region. Participants in the Bangkok meeting were from Burma, Thailand, Laos, Yunnan (China) and Northeast India.
Entre el 21 y el 23 de febrero organizamos el que ya es nuestro séptimo ‘diálogo informal sobre políticas de drogas’, esta vez en colaboración con el Gobierno ecuatoriano y la Oficina en Washington para Asuntos Latinoamericanos (WOLA). La reunión contó con la participación de unas 45 personas y con funcionarios gubernamentales de siete países latinoamericanos. Gran parte de la agenda se centró en los preparativos del próximo proceso de revisión de la UNGASS que tendrá lugar en Viena, aunque uno de los temas más inspiradores del encuentro fue la propuesta ecuatoriana de indultar a los mensajeros.
