Since 1970s, the Transnational Radical Party (TRP) has been interested and involved in drug-related issues both at local as well as international level.

In 1995, TRP was granted Category 1 (General) Consultative Status by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Since then, TRP's activity on drugs has found another forum.

In Spring 1996, under the name of "Parliamentarians for Antiprohibitionist Action" (PAA), TRP animated a group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on possible international antiprohibitionist actions at the EP; as a result of various meetings and seminars held both in Brussels and Strasbourg, the group launched in Paris an international appeal for the freedom of treatment and therapy on drug-related cases - the so-called "Paris Appeal" - and played a crucial role in drafting the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs of the EP, the so-called d'Ancona Report. This document formally calls upon EU Member States to approach the 'drug question' from different viewpoints.

After an ad hoc high level international convention held at the European Parliament in Brussels, in December 5-7, 1996, TRP has been actively involved in the Preparatory Bodies (PrepBody) of the June 1998 Special Session on Narcotics of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS). At the Commission on Narcotic Drugs as well as at its various open-ended Working Groups, TRP representatives, Marina Sikora, Marco Cappato, took the floor and delivered written statements on the various items on the agenda. Moreover, literature on TRP as well as overviews about the organization's activity was distributed to delegates and experts present in Vienna.

TRP reps in New York, Marco Cappato and Marco Perduca, attended the press conference of Ambassador Giacomelli for the issuing of UNDCP's World Drug Report, asking questions on possible alternatives to the mainstream UN approach to the matter. Moreover, TRP reps also attended 3rd Committee's Sessions on drug-related issues distributing copies of TRP's interventions in Vienna to delegates, and arranged meetings with Ambassador Busacca, Chairman of the Committee, in order to understand procedural steps for NGO access to the UNGASS.

TRP reps also participated in two panel discussions on Drug-related issues organized by the New York branch of UNDCP: one on the New York State Rockefeller Drug Laws, and one on Harm Reduction Experiments in the City.

On December 10-12, Another international Convention on drugs was organized in Brussels; the meeting saw the participation of Heads of State, Ministers, politicians, decision-makers, experts, MEPs and TRP members.

Recently, a formal proposal for an experimental project of medical heroin was submitted to the Mayor of Rome, Italy; the document will be voted by the City Council in the next months.

TRP publishes CORANEWS a bulletin and press collection on drugs in four languages (English, French, German and Italian) that reaches over 1.000 individuals, via fax or e-mail all over the world, the subscription is free. In Italy, a weekly radio program is also aired by Radio Radicale (Radical Radio), in which experts and politicians address the 'drug question' from different angles. Last Summer, a newspaper was also published in Italian and sent to over 40.000 people.

TRP operates a website in English, from which information on the organization and its activity can be downloaded for free, the URL is http://www.agora.stm.it/pr.

On March 20, 1998, under the patronage of the Tuscany Region, Italy, TRP will organize, a conference on the result of the Swiss experiment of controlled distribution of heroin with international experts and local administrators.

For further information and documentation:

Transnational Radical Party

866 UN Plaza # 408

New York. NY 10017

USA