Across Southeast Asia, momentum is growing for drug policies grounded in health, rights and community leadership. In this context, and on the eve of #SupportDontPunish Day, we join partners interrogating progress towards decriminalisation More info & registration: https://bit.ly/4xFGltn

Criminalising the use of drugs is already a failed, costly policy that violates #humanrights. Escalating penalties for repeat offences makes it so much worse. @idpc.net legal fellow in #Malaysia gives an analysis on its impacts in her country: www.malaymail.com/news/what-yo...

Why Section 39C is failing Malaysia’s drug policy — Simraatraj Kaur Dhillon

JUNE 21 — Malaysia’s drug laws are often defended as necessary to protect society and deter repeat offending. But when examined closely, Section 39C of the Dangerous Drugs Act...

malaymail.com

After years of working together advocating for #harmreduction and #drugdecrim, it is so good to formally welcome APCOM into the @idpc.net network! www.apcom.org/centering-re...

Centering Realities on Criminalisation and Chemsex: APCOM Joins the International Drug Policy Consortium to Strengthen and Improve HIV Prevention for MSM Engaging in Chemsex - APCOM

APCOM announces its membership in the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), a global network of civil society organisations advocating for drug policies grounded in human rights, public health,...

apcom.org

The #deathpenalty is not the correct response to a person carrying a substance that could harm others, for which there are proven measures to prevent harm. International law also says this is not correct. #AbolishtheDeathPenalty www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nat...

Singapore executes Malaysian R Lingkesvaran

The 33-year-old was sentenced to death on Oct 15, 2018 for smuggling 52.77g of diamorphine into the city-state.

freemalaysiatoday.com

Over the past decade in Asia, positive measures are outweighed by the brutal violence exacted by drug policies in the region. Reforms are overdue and a timely opportunity to do so lies with #ASEAN as they craft a new work plan on drug issues in 2026: thediplomat.com/2026/02/will...

Facing new political challenges, grassroots campaigners championed creative & local solutions during the #SupportDontPunish 2025 Global Day of Action. Learn more👉

At the start of 2026, international drug policy stands at a crossroads. Human rights and health are gaining ground at the UN — yet repression and securitisation are resurging worldwide. Reform is fragile and urgently needed. @annfordham.bsky.social for the #IDPCblog.

What to expect from 2026: Defending drug policy reform through dark times

As drug policy reform faces renewed repression and securitisation worldwide, 2026 will test whether evidence, human rights and community leadership can still reshape a system under strain — and where the next openings for change may emerge.

f.mtr.cool

If the U.S. is serious about ending the housing crisis, it will dismantle the revolving door between incarceration and homelessness. It's time to put housing first instead of criminalizing vulnerable people for not having access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.

"Nothing is inevitable, the future is not written, and we are not powerless." @annfordham.bsky.social @idpc.net on the outlook for #drugpolicy #humanrights and #harmreduction in 2026, despite the darker times we live in. idpc.net/blog/2026/01...

What to expect from 2026: Defending drug policy reform through dark times

As drug policy reform faces renewed repression and securitisation worldwide, 2026 will test whether evidence, human rights and community leadership can still reshape a system under strain — and where ...

idpc.net

Demolishing illegal jetties and building a border wall to stop drug smuggling is a classic example of prohibition that damages local livelihoods and culture, w little chance of success 😞 #Malaysia #Thailand www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysi...

‘Dead’ town: At Kelantan-Thailand border, Malaysia’s drug war unsettles residents, businesses

Malaysia is building both walls and bridges along its porous northern border with Thailand, determined to deter rampant smuggling while boosting economic ties. In the first of a two-part series, CNA e...

channelnewsasia.com

The justice system fails to recognise the exploitation faced by many people sentenced to death for drug offences, esp. women in vulnerable situations. LBHM provides legal assistance and calls for reform of the Narcotics Bill in #Indonesia. Learn more: lbhmasyarakat.org

Criminalising drug use doesn’t make communities safer. It pushes people into unsafe conditions and limits access to healthcare. CPHI #Nigeria documents the harms of punitive drug laws and shows how health-based approaches can save lives. Learn more: bit.ly/4pr2Oph

Quiet exit, loud problems. Ghada Waly leaves @UNODC facing urgent operational and political challenges. New leadership must restore the agency's relevance and commit to a rights-based approach. Our analysis, for #HumanRightsDay: https://f.mtr.cool/qhbyoadhgu

Drug issues are not just about the substance. There is always a human story and many dimensions of human rights impacted by drug policy. 📣 This #HumanRightsDay, join us in calling for drug policies that look #BeyondTheSubstance and that advance #IntersectionalJustice!

#ASEAN needs a shared commitment towards safeguarding and expanding #harmreduction services, supporting people who use drugs, and ultimately fostering healthier and safer communities in the region. @rjnaguit.bsky.social in @rappler.bsky.social www.rappler.com/voices/thoug...

[OPINION] As ASEAN drug policy transitions, where will the Philippines stand?

The current punitive, prohibitionist drug policies implemented in ASEAN countries have not achieved their ‘drug-free’ goals nor achieved any substantial progress in reducing supply and preventing drug...

rappler.com

Ex #Philippines President Duterte is charged with crimes against humanity by the ICC for state-sponsored killings during his "war on drugs." Good to see an end to impunity for the murders, that still happen regularly around the world. www.bbc.com/news/article...

ICC charges ex-Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte with murder

The former president of the Philippines is accused of being involved in the deaths of dozens of people.

bbc.com

ASEAN ministers are meeting this week to discuss the future of the region's drug policies. As #Singapore announced plans to execute more people, the region must change the course of its drug policies. See the civil society submission with recommendations: idpc.net/publications...

It has been a harrowing decade for #drugpolicy in #ASEAN: 30,000 people killed in the #Philippines, overcrowded prisons, abusive #drugrehab and executions. As ministers gather next week, we hope they agree to improving the health and human rights of all. www.bangkokpost.com/.../an-asean....

#ASEAN has pledged to make the region drug-free since 1998. But the supply and demand for drugs have only increased since then. It's time for #drugpolicy reform not more of the same that is wasting so much resources and causing #humanrights violations www.straitstimes.com/singapore/si...

Singapore proposes Asean joint statement to reaffirm commitment towards a drug-free region

The statement will also express “concern about increasingly permissive attitudes towards drugs”, says Shanmugam. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

straitstimes.com

#SriLanka should learn from countries such as Thailand (idpc.net/publications...) that imprisoning people for using drugs, and detaining them in so-called drug rehabilitation programmes, leads to only negative outcomes www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-new...

#Thailand imposes a prescription-only model of sale for #cannabis, with the threat of recriminalisation still in the air, due more to politics than any thorough assessment of the impacts of legalisation in the past 3 years. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Thailand's 'weed wild west' faces new rules as smuggling to UK rises

A number of British travellers have been arrested and prices have collapsed due to overproduction.

bbc.com

#Thailand: former PM Thaksin's increasing intervention in #drugpolicy bring back haunting memories of a drug war that killed over 2,400 people during his govt in 2003. May we never forget, never repeat. www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/gen...

Police laud Thaksin's anti-drugs plan

The government and Royal Thai Police (RTP) have welcomed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's proposed strategy to combat drug problems, which includes regional diplomacy and a reallocation of t...

bangkokpost.com

#CND68 shook the foundations of intn'l drug policy: 🗳️ Unprecedented voting & dissensus. 🌐 New global alliances. 🔄 Mandate for independent review. Join an amazing panel unpacking it all: 🗓️ Tuesday, 22 April 2025 🕐 13:00–14:30 (London) REGISTER: idpc.net/events/2025/...

CND68 and drug policy reform: Unpacking key implications

Join us for a debrief session on the 68th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) to discuss progress, gridlocks and potential ways forward for the UN drug control regime.

idpc.net

After Duterte's arrest, one of the major next steps needed is to revise the drug law (RA 9165) that helped make the killings and other violations possible, which continue today: verafiles.org/articles/dut...

Duterte arrest inspires continuing drive for humane approach to anti-drug campaign

The Global Commission on Drug Policy: We urge governments worldwide to reflect on the lessons from the Philippines and reject policies that prioritize punishment over progress.

verafiles.org

"The death penalty remains a cruel and barbaric punishment on offenders and their families for no societal gain." - Lex Lasry on Singapore's ongoing defence of executing people convicted of drug trafficking. #AbolishtheDeathPenalty www.cpjp.org.au/news/opinion...

Response to Anil Nayar, Singapore’s High Commissioner to Australia — Capital Punishment Justice Project

CPJP Ambassador Hon. Lex Lasry AM KC responds to an opinion piece by Anil Nayar, Singapore’s High Commissioner to Australia.

cpjp.org.au

It's not possible to put a dollar value on being held on death row for 47 years, for a crime you did not commit. The US$1.45M compensation will hopefully help Iwao live out the rest of his days in peace and comfort. #AbolishtheDeathPenalty www.bbc.com/news/article...

Japan: 'Record' payout for world's longest-serving death row inmate

Nearly 50 years on death row had inflicted "extremely severe" mental and physical pain on Iwao Hakamata, a judge said.

bbc.com

#CND68 #CND2025 makes a turning point in history by deciding to create a panel of independent experts to review the global drug policy 'machinery'. Read our analysis of what this truly means!

CND68: Historic vote initiates overdue review of UN drug control “machinery”

Against a backdrop of global turmoil and multilateral rupture, the 68th session of the CND marked a turning point in the history of global drug policy by deciding to create a panel of independent expe...

idpc.net

🚨 🇺🇳 🌱🗳️ A #CND68 like no other ended a week ago. New political alliances are reshaping global #DrugPolicy and, for the 1st time, an independent review of the drug control machinery was agreed. What does this mean? What comes next? Our key takeaways: idpc.net/blog/2025/03...

“Trying drugs, and pursuing pleasure... is a feminist act." Judy Chang has led @inpud.bsky.social since 2017, and been at the forefront of the narcofeminist movement. As she prepares for a new role, she discusses achievements and challenges ahead with @carrielouhamilton.bsky.social:

Activist Judy Chang Talks Narcofeminism and Drug-User Rights

For years, Judy Chang has been a leader in the movement for drug-user rights. Since 2017, she’s served as executive ...

filtermag.org