At the launch of the third UNDP Discussion Paper on drug policy and development, Marcos Neto, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, highlighted the critical need to view drug policy through a development lens. He emphasized that drug issues are scarcely represented in the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, which narrowly focus on substance abuse, overlooking broader implications for health, human rights, livelihoods, security, the environment, and development. The global illicit drug economy, valued at over $600 billion, has long been addressed through punitive approaches that have often caused severe social, economic, and human rights harm.
Neto noted that emerging evidence demonstrates the far-reaching consequences of drug policies, including environmental costs, public health challenges posed by new substances, and human rights violations linked to punitive enforcement. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, UNDP has worked to expand the understanding of drug policy beyond a security perspective, integrating health, human rights, and development considerations. UNDP supports rights and service access for key populations affected by HIV, including people who use drugs, across 97 countries, and, in partnership with the Global Fund, has reached over 86,000 individuals with essential services. The organization also implements the UN System Common Position on Drugs, which calls for partnerships grounded in human rights, science, and evidence-based practices.
The newly launched paper addresses today’s increasingly complex drug landscape, including the rise of synthetic drugs, diversified drug markets, emerging regulated cannabis and psychedelics frameworks, and the environmental impacts of drug production and control on climate and biodiversity. It proposes innovative, pragmatic, and people-centered approaches that prioritize health, human rights, and sustainable development, ensuring community participation and removing barriers to prevention, treatment, care, and support services.
Neto highlighted global examples, including Brazil, demonstrating that it is possible to uphold human rights, protect minority and Indigenous populations, address the disproportionate impacts on women and youth, and achieve better health and development outcomes for people who use drugs. He concluded by introducing His Excellency Ernesto Zedillo, Commissioner of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and former President of Mexico, emphasizing that today’s conversation should inspire broader dialogue and action to integrate development principles into drug policy.a
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