To: (Candidate) Member Organisations of the International Coalition of

NGOs

for a Just and Effective Policy on Drugs

Antwerpen, 6 August 1998

Dear friends,

Hoping you are all fine, I send you herewith an update on ENCOD's plans

to

organise a meeting in Barcelona, on 21 and 22 November 1998, in order to

take forward the initiative which began with the formation of the

Coalition

in response to the UNGASS Session on Drugs in New York last June.

I would like to remind you that all those organisations that either have

subscribed or will subscribe to the Manifesto for a Just and Effective

Policy on Drugs (see hereafter) are considered members of this

Coalition.

The main objective of the meeting in Barcelona is to deepen our

understanding of the issues put forward in the Manifesto and try to

identify

concrete ways to bring them to the attention of policy makers, the

general

public etc.

As you probably know, several other coalitions or networks have been set

up

to denounce current drugs control policies and propose alternatives.

Whereas

our ICN-Coalition puts an emphasis on the need for a global approach

linking

the concerns of those affected by both the production and consumption of

drugs in the 'South' as well as in the 'North', other coalitions may

have

come further in the analysis of other aspects of the drugs trade. It

has

been suggested that the various coalitions working towards drugs policy

reform should seek to cooperate more in order to maximise their efforts.

On the 4th of August, Ken Bluestone (CIIR), Mike Jay (Drugs Policy

Review

Group), Danny Kushlick (Transform), Andria Mordaunt (John Mordaunt

Trust)

and Joep Oomen (ENCOD) met in London in an informal meeting to discuss

the

possibility of greater collaboration between networks and coalitions.

An obvious, yet fundamental conclusion of the meeting was that it is

both

necessary and positive to try to combine the efforts of drug activists,

policy reformers, harm reduction experts, peasants growing drugs-linked

crops, human rights activists, development workers, researchers,

scientists,

legal experts, politicians and other concerned citizens who wish to

obtain

significant changes in the way drugs are managed in our society.

It was also considered that in attempting to bring together such

disparate

groups;, we should concentrate on co-operation rather than reaching

consensus in the short term. Therefore, it would be useful, if, in the

coming months, we could improve communications between coalitions and

networks in order to work towards this goal.

The meeting in Barcelona is intended to be a first step in this

direction.

We do not expect that all of the organisations who have signed the

Manifesto

will be able to attend, but hope that many will make an effort. We

invite

those that wish to come but lack the ressources to contact us before

September 1st, in order to explore ways of supporting you, if possible.

We are also in the process of developing an electronic 'conference' on

ENCOD's website in order to discuss policy

proposals which could follow from the Manifesto. This discussion will be

organised in English and Spanish, the result of which will be used in

the

preparations for the Barcelona meeting. In this way, those who cannot

attend

the meeting in person can still contribute to the proceedings.

As soon as this electronic conference is available, we will let you

know.

Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain, on behalf of ENCOD,

Joep Oomen (thanks to Ken Bluestone)

Secretary

PS. Please find attached in DOC (WORD 6.0) or Text Format the latest

newsletter of ENCOD.

The International Coalition of NGOs working for a just and effective

policy

on drugs would like to present the following Manifesto. The members of

this

coalition collectively endorse the principles stated in the Manifesto.

However, in supporting this document, each of the subscribing

organisations

is indicating its formal agreement only in those areas where it has

specific

competence. At the same time, each acknowledges the expertise and

authority

of the other member organisations in their respective fields.

FOR A JUST AND EFFECTIVE POLICY ON DRUGS

As NGOs* concerned with the growing impact of the illicit drugs trade,

and

those policies intended to control it, on global development, we wish to

present the following considerations and proposals to the United Nations

General Assembly Special Session on Drugs to be held in New York on 8-10

June, 1998.

We state the fact that in most countries, drugs control policies

currently

intend to comply fully with International Conventions on Drugs (1961,

1971

and 1988); that these policies have proven unsuccessful in countering

the

illicit drugs trade, and, to the contrary, have contributed to its

increase;

that these policies have had damaging and counter-productive effects;

that

the weakest links of the illicit drugs chain (drugs consumers, couriers,

and

rural populations involved in the cultivation of illicit drugs-linked

crops)

have suffered a disproportionate amount of the negative consequences of

drugs control policies. Among these consequences are:

a) Violation of basic human rights (political, economic, cultural,

health

etc.) of the weakest links in the illicit drugs chain;

b) Criminalisation and discrimination which provoke the marginalisation

of

drugs consumers and those farmers involved in the illicit cultivation of

drugs-linked crops, as well as other poor sectors of society who are

involved in the production and trade of illicit drugs as actors with

little

or no responsibility;

c) Expenditure of funds destined for law enforcement which would be

better

spent establishing adequate prevention, harm reduction and treatment

programmes;

d) Damage caused to the environment through unsustainable eradication

and

substitution methods;

e) Violation of the national sovereignty of those nations who have

signed

the International Conventions on Drugs, and in particular of the

so-called

drugs-producing countries.

f) Erosion of the Rule of Law through the creation of national and

international drugs control bodies that escape democratic control, as

well

as through the extension of arbitrariness and corruption;

Therefore, we consider these drugs control policies to be inefficient,

ineffective, and a major impediment to the introduction of innovative

strategies for addressing the issue of illicit drugs both globally and

locally. We fear that the reinforcement of current policy will lead to a

worsening of the drugs situation, and to an increased lack of

credibility of

these policies in the opinion of the general public.

Furthermore, we note that current drugs control policy has taken place

in

the context of economic globalization and trade liberalisation, and that

such processes may have created conditions in which the effective

implementation of most drugs control policy would be impeded.

We believe that drugs control policies should be subordinated to guiding

principles of sound governance, such as those laid out in the the

Universal

Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on Biodiversity, among

other

international agreements. We refer in particular to those principles

which

guarantee respect for social, economic and political rights, and the

cultural diversity of all human beings, and those which take into

account

the sustainability of the planet. We believe that such policies should

be

dedicated primarily to supporting the creation of structures which would

allow for the reduction of eventual harm that the production, trade and

consumption of illicit drugs can cause.

Therefore, we propose that the governments of the world take the

following

measures to improve current drugs control policies, thereby increasing

their

effectiveness, viability and credibility:

a) Non-prosecution of the cultivation of drugs-linked crops by

small-scale

farmers, and implementation of economic, political and social

structural measures with the consensual agreement of all sectors

concerned

in order to offer real alternatives to dependence on the cultivation of

such

plants;

b) Suspension of forcible eradication operations and those eradication

measures which have negative impacts on the environment and on human

health,

such as the devastating practice of aerial fumigation with herbicides

and

defoliants;

c) De-link military involvement from counter-narcotic efforts,

including

the demilitarisation of areas of illicit cultivation;

d) Non-prosecution of drugs consumption while looking for means of

regulation which are socially and culturally acceptable to those local

populations involved, and the implementation of broad measures,

including

harm reduction, to prevent and treat the problematic consumption of

drugs;

e) Abolish any exceptional drugs control legislation which violates

universally agreed legal and processual guarantees;

f) Guarantee all rights pertaining to pluralistic democratic societies

characterised by tolerance and an openness of spirit, referring in

particular to freedom of speech and expression on drugs-related matters

for

all individuals;

g) Guarantee the sovereignty of nations and peoples over their own legal

systems, and avoid, in particular, possible impositions on so-called

drugs-producing countries;

h) Guarantee transparency in the use of money and goods confiscated

from

drugs trafficking, and ensure that such goods and money are used for

socially beneficial purposes.

Likewise, we propose the establishment of a new method of classifying

psychoactive substances, whether currently licit or illicit, which would

be

based on scientific data and would evaluate these substances according

to

the harm they cause to human health.

According to the considerations and proposals put forward in the present

text, we also call upon the governments of the world to allow for a

broader

margin for signatory states of the International Conventions on drugs

(1961,

1971, 1988) to experiment locally with alternative policies (which may

include steps for the legalisation of certain substances), from which

the

international community might draw useful lessons in its search for a

more

just and effective drugs policy.

Vienna, 15 March 1998

* The term NGO is used here in its broadest sense, to include all

popular

associations, institutions and organisations.

THE MANIFESTO FOR A JUST AND EFFECTIVE POLICY ON DRUGS HAS BEEN SIGNED

BY

(6.8.98)

ACCION ANDINA - Bolivia

AFP (AKTION FINANZPLATZ SCHWEIZ-DRITTE WELT) - Switzerland

AG-DROGEN - Germany

AIDS HILFE FRANKFURT E.V LA STRADA - Germany

AMEC (ASOCIACIANDEAN COUNCIL OF COCA PRODUCERS - Bolivia, Colombia and Peru

ANDEAN INFORMATION NETWORK - Bolivia

APDHC (ASAMBLEA PERMANENTE DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DE COCHABAMBA) - Bolivia

ARBEITSGRUPPE SCHWEIZ KOLUMBIEN - Switzerland (member of ENCOD)

ASKAGINTZA - Spain

ASOCIACION DE PRODUCTORES AGRARIOS DE SAN MARTIN - Peru

BISDRO (BREMER INSTITUT FGermany

BIZITZEKO - PLATAFORMA PARA LA LIBERALIZACION DE LAS DROGAS - Spain

BLUE POINT DRUG COUNSELING CENTER - Hungary

BOLIVIACENTRUM ANTWERPEN - Belgium (member of ENCOD)

CEDIB (CENTRO DE INFORMACION BOLIVIA) - Bolivia

CEPES (CENTRO PERUANO DE ESTUDIOS SOCIALES) - Peru

CEPROMI, A.V.E. (AUDIOVISUALES EDUCATIVOS) - Bolivia

CIIR (CATHOLIC INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS) - United Kingdom

(member of ENCOD)

CINEP (CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION Y EDUCACION POPULAR) - Colombia

COMISION CIUDADANA ANTI-SIDA DE BIZKAIA - Spain

CONAPA (COORDINADORA NACIONAL DE PRODUCTORES AGROPECUARIOS) - Peru

COORDINADORA POR LA NORMALIZACION DEL CANNABIS - Spain

CORPORACIDEA (DROGEN- UND ENTWICKLUNGSPOLITISCHER ARBEITSKREIS) - Switzerland

DGDS (DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FUR DROGEN UND SUCHTMEDIZIN) - Germany

DNI (DEFENSA DE LOS NIDRIS (DESARROLLO RURAL INTEGRAL SUSTENTABLE) - Peru

DROLEG - Switzerland

DRUGS PEACE INSTITUTE - Netherlands (member of ENCOD)

DUTCH DRUGS POLICY FOUNDATION - Netherlands

DRUG USERS RIGHTS FORUM - United Kingdom

DRUG POLICY REVIEW GROUP - United Kingdom

EHNE (ASOCIACION DE AGRICULTORES Y GANADEROS VASCOS) - Spain

EL COGOLLO - Spain

FORUM DROGHE - Italy

FUNDACION DEL MOVIMIENTO CIUDADANO ANTI-SIDA - Spain

GRUNE HILFE - Germany

GRUPO ANTIMILITARISTA KAKITZAT - Spain

GRUPO ECOLOGISTA EKI - Spain

GRUPPO ABELE - Italy (member of ENCOD)

GRUPPO VOLONTARIATO CIVILE - Italy (member of ENCOD)

HANFLIGA VOGELSBERG - Germany

HIGHZUNG - Germany

IDIC (INSTITUTO DE DOCUMENTACION E INVESTIGACION DEL CANNABIS) - Spain

IDPA ( INSTITUTO PARA EL DESARROLLO Y LA PAZ AMAZONICA) - Peru

IFAA (INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN ALTERNATIVES) - United Kingdom

INDRO e.V (INSTITUTE FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF QUALITATIVE DRUG RESEARCH,

ACCEPTING DRUG WORK AND RATIONAL DRUG POLICY) - Germany

INFOSTELLE PERU - Germany

INSUFO (INSTITUT FINTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION ON DRUG POLICY AND HUMAN RIGHTS - The

Netherlands

INTERNATIONAL HARM REDUCTION ASSOCIATION - United Kingdom

JES - KIEL (DROGENSELBSTHILFE) - Germany

JOHN MORDAUNT TRUST - United Kingdom

JUECES PARA LA DEMOCRACIA - Spain

JUSTICIA Y PAZ DE LOS HERMANOS FRANCISCANOS - Bolivia

KALAMUDIA - ASOCIACION DE ESTUDIO DEL CANNABIS DE EUSKADI - Spain

KALEIDOSCOPE PROJECT - United Kingdom

KOLOMBIENGRUPPE - Germany

KOMITE INTERNAZIONALISTAK - Spain

LEGALIZE - Germany

MDHG (BELANGENVERENIGING DRUGGEBRUIKERS) - The Netherlands

MOVIMIENTO DE OBJECION DE CONCIENCIA (KEM/MOC) - Spain

NIGERIAN INDEPENDENT DRUG OBSERVATORY (NIDO) - Nigeria

OFICINA JURIDICA DE LA MUJER - Bolivia

OPE (ORGANIZACION DE DEFENSA DE LA SANIDAD PUBLICA) - Spain

PAOLO FREIRE GESELLSCHAFT - Germany

PLATAFORMA JUVENIL MUGITZEN - Spain

PRIVATE CHARITABLE ANTI-AIDS FUND - Ukraine

QHANA (CENTRO DE EDUCACION POPULAR) - Bolivia

SALHAKETA BIZKAIA - ASOCIACION DE APOYO A PRESOS - Spain

SCHWEIZERISCHER DACHVERBAND FUR DROGENLEGALISIERUNG - Switzerland

SEAMP - CD - RDI (SOUTH EAST ASIAN MOUNTAIN PEOPLES' CULTURE AND

DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH, DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION PROGRAMMES) -

Thailand

SHAN DEMOCRATIC UNION - Thailand

SHARAN - India

SOCIETY FOR THREATENED PEOPLES - Austria (member of ENCOD)

STICHTING ADVIESBURO DRUGS - The Netherlands

STICHTING VOOR KSA/PAULUSKERK - The Netherlands

SWEDISH NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE RIGHTS OF DRUG USERS - Sweden

TRANSFORM - United Kingdom

TRANSNATIONAL INSTITUTE - The Netherlands (member of ENCOD)

VERBAND SUCHT- UND DROGENFACHLEUTE DEUTSCHSCHWEIZ (VSD) - Switzerland

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS:

Pere Negre Rigol, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona - Spain

Jaime NuJosef Racz, Blue Point Drug Counseling Center, Budapest - Hungary

Gary Sutton, John Mordaunt Trust, London - United Kingdom

POLITICAL PARTIES:

Izquierda Unida del PaPartido Comunista de Aragon, Zaragoza - Spain

Zutik - Spain