Drugs and human rights

Rick Lines, a Galway alumnus who is senior policz advisor at the International Harm REduction Assocaition, reports on activities at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. At the 51st session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, the head of the ODC, Antonio Maria Costa, spoke out against the death penalty in his opening address: http://www.ihrablog.net/2008/03/cnd-day-1-unodc-chief-calls-for-end-to.html
Rick's organisation was very active in pressing the first ever human rights resolution through the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Rick says unfortunately much of the decent language in the original draft (including a death penalty reference) was eventually stripped out or watered down before it was approved: http://www.ihrablog.net/. Rick addressed the full plenary session and discussed human rights issues: http://www.ihrablog.net/2008/03/cnd-day-2-ihra-speaks-on-human-rights.html.