The Cannabis Embassy coordinated written contributions with
the South African non-governmental organisation in
consultative status with the UN,
Fields of Green for ALL, NPC
, for the UN Civil Society Conference #UNCSC (NGO
Conference) of Nairobi (9-10 May 2024) preparing for the
upcoming “Summit of and Pact for the Future” later on in
2024 in New-York.
“The 2024 UN Civil Society Conference in Support of
the Summit of the Future to be held at the United
Nations Office in Nairobi on 9-10 May under the
title “Shaping a Future of Global and Sustainable
Progress”, is the premier event in the civil society
calendar at the United Nations ahead of the Summit
of the Future later in 2024. Drawing on the history
of the civil society’s presence in San Francisco at
the founding of the United Nations, the Civil
Society Conference in Nairobi is an opportunity to
showcase civil society as an essential partner in
this global endeavor to deliver a better present and
safeguard the future of people and planet.”
Representative Myrtle Clarke attended the NGO Conference in
May 2024.
Our input to the NGO Conference
Chapeau: Human Rights & Gender Equality
Drug Policy Reform is a cross-cutting issue affecting
vulnerable populations and the environment, in particular
women and youth. We have worked with Human Rights treaty
bodies and UN Drug Control institutions and submitted
contributions whenever possible. This is in order to raise
awareness of the issues arising from drug control and
prohibition, particularly as relates to plant based drugs,
traditional knowledge, biological heritage, and genetic
resources.
Key UN system reforms
The outcomes of the Summit of, and Pact for, the Future
should contain a concise outline of the areas of work as
articulate at the conference. This would be in order to move
from the general to the specific so that adequate reporting
and data sharing can be enabled. International drug policy,
as it relates to traditional plants and fungi should be one
area of work contained within this outline.
Chapter 1: Sustainable Development and Financing for
Development
Since UNGASS 2016, we have led an international working
group on Cannabis, Hemp and Sustainable Development. The
attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals is only
possible if policy reform evolves to accommodate the
aspirations of these goals. […] We put forward to the
conference agenda that our “Sustainable Cannabis Policy
Toolkit” would be a valuable contribution as an example of
Civil Society work in a specific area that nonetheless
applies to many cross-cutting issues with its simple,
translatable format (Already available in English, Spanish,
Czech and, soon, Portuguese).
Download the Toolkit
–
More information
Key UN system reforms
The impact of Drug Prohibition on Sustainable Development
should be part of clearly defined goals for the future as
vulnerable groups, particularly rural farmers in countries
that produce traditional plant based drugs While
institutions across the UN are mindful of representation
across geographical areas, genders and age groups, the
representation of small-scale communities associated with
illicit crops cultivation, trade, and use, encounters
several barriers to entry – notably, education and funding.
Chapter 2: International peace and security
The prohibition of drugs has led to the creation of
transnational organised crime groups that are often more
powerful than states. Drug prohibition constitutes one of
the main threats to international peace and security.
Punitive international prohibition has led to the violation
of Human Rights and significant environmental destruction,
which further destabilises vulnerable populations &
states. Lack of resources for grass roots activism has led
to a disconnect between the very real threat of organised
crime and affected populations on the ground.
Key UN system reforms
We submit that the UNODC, as constituted to deal with issues
related to drugs AND crime, would be more effective as an
agency for international peace and security if these two
functions were split. Although it is evident that part of
drug-related issues is also crime-related, most of the
concept of “crime” falls out of the scope of any matter
linked to drugs. From robbery, terrorism, human or organ tra
cking, tax evasion, child pornography, to copyright
violations, nothing rational or systematic links these
crimes to drugs. The drugs & crime issue only arises as
a nuclear topic when the system has failed to put “health
and welfare” at its core. The primary work to be undertaken
at international level regarding drugs must fundamentally
articulate around health, care, and prevention.
Chapter 3: Science, Technology and Innovation and Digital
Cooperation
Biopiracy designates the illegitimate and/or illegal
appropriation of genetic resources and/or associated
traditional knowledge. Hemp (Cannabis L.), along with
numerous other crop plants, is deeply ingrained in
traditional knowledge systems and represents genetic
resources possibly associated with the intellectual property
rights of small-scale farmers. The economic potential of
cannabis genetic resources makes it susceptible to
biopiracy.
Key UN system reforms
In the context of the
upcoming Diplomatic Conference to conclude a treaty on
this topic
, and taking into account our right to science, the Summit
should consider biopiracy and explore how international
legal controls impact conservation efforts for cannabis and
all genetic resources and traditional knowledge. It is
through 21st century science and innovation that threats
such as Biopiracy and exploitation of genetic resources can
be overcome.
ImPACT coalition
We have suggested the creation of a NGO ImPACT Coalition on
Sustainable Development & Human Rights in Drug
Policy.
