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Friday, 16 March 2012 14:30 |
ECAD took part in the 55th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs this week, March 12-16 in Vienna as an observer for Drug Free America. This year´s session was a special one, marking one hundredth anniversary of the Opium Convention signed in 1912 in Hague.
There was a number of important resolutions prepared by the member states: promoting treatment alternatives to imprisonment as a strategy for drug demand reduction (Mexico), promoting female oriented strategies and interventions for women at risk of drug abuse and drug dependence (Denmark), reintegration of persons released from prison who have renounced drug abuse (Ukraine) and others.
As a board member of Vienna NGO Committe on Drugs ECAD was involved in organizing the first Informal Civil Society Hearing, capitalizing on establishing relationships between governments and civil society at the CND. Three informal dialogues with the head of INCB, Prof. Hamid Ghodse, Executive Director of UNDC, Yury Fedotov, and the Chair of CND, Carmen Bujan Feire, were organized by the Committee and the key persons of the drug policy stressed their efforts to establish a sustainable cooperation with NGOs on the regular basis.
The overwhelming amount of seminars and side events left very little room for reflection but the key message of the CND was probably delievered already at the opening session by UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov:
"Crucially, the international community must protect children. Young people need to live a rewarding life that offers numerous ways of obtaning enjoyment without the need for drugs.
UNODC`s own work on behalf of children exposed to drugs has started in Afghanistan and will extend soon to West Africa and East Asia. (...)
UNODC also stands ready to work with governments to improve access to drugs for medical purposes - particularly pain medications - while also countering diversion and drug abuse. Overall, our work on treatment side must be considered as part of the normal clinical work undertaken when responding to any other desease in the health system.
Our commitment is founded on the drug conventions. They form a part of a continuum based on human rights and the rule of law that flows directly from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international standards and norms to our delivery of practical actions. (...)"
Complete speech can be downloaded here (PDF-file)
33th and the 6th articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, upholding the right of children to live and develop in the drug-free communities have thus been underscored.
Youth Initiative, launched by the UNODC at the CND, alternative development and promoting of health-oriented approach with respect to human rights were important issues stressed at the multiple side-events and general sessions.
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Friday, 09 March 2012 17:04 |
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Call for nominations for ECAD Award 2012 is now open!
ECAD has instituted a yearly award for the member cities to honour outstanding achievements in the work against illicit drugs.
Thereby we encourage engagement and commitment in anti-drug fieldwork and policy making.
Nominations are accepted until March 31st, 2012.
Read more at www.ecad.net/award
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Friday, 09 March 2012 16:58 |
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Tuesday, 21 February 2012 15:39 |
Therap eutical use of marijuana is a highly debated topic not only in the US but also in Europe.
A new book written by Italian journalist Fabio Bernabei will definitely give you some food for thought on this:
"Cannabis medica: 100 risposte sull`uso terapeutico della marijuana" published by Sugarco Edizioni (2012) is available in Italian.
Please contact ECAD office at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
if you would like to know more about this book or its author.
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Tuesday, 21 February 2012 14:43 |
 
We would like to inform our members and interested NGOs about the possibility to get to know more about the activities at the 55th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna.
The CND will take place during week 11, March 12-16, 2012.
As a member of Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, ECAD is pleased to offer a guide to the 55th Session of CND to brief NGOs about the participation in one of the major drug policy events of the year.
All the documents for the CND, including draft resolutions, can be found on the website of the United Nations On Drugs and Crime.
Commission on Narcotic Drugs (2012): A briefing for NGOs and CSOs (PDF)
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Monday, 13 February 2012 11:47 |
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ECAD Advisory Board met in Staffanstorp, Sweden on February 10 and had a strategic planning of the coming Mayors´ conference to be held May 9-12, that preceded the meeting.
Staffanstorp Municipality is a part of Öresund region and a Southern part of Sweden called Skania, the region that is closer to Europe than to the north of Sweden. Staffanstorp is a young and enterprising municipality with 23 000 inhabitants that has been a member of ECAD since 2004.
City-twinning or cooperating internationally are important success factors in the community development, and are also taken seriously by Staffanstorp`s counterparts in Killarney, Ireland. Mikael Sandin, Mayor of Staffanstorp and Sean Counihan, Mayor of Killarney, demonstrated genuine interest as they both engaged in conference planning during these days along with ECAD staff and Advisory Board members.
ECAD Advisory Board had a short dynamic meeting with a lot of development- and policy suggestions.
A delegation of city councellors led by Sean Counihan, Mayor of Killarney talked inter alia about different ways of involving the public and youth into discussions on drugs at the coming conference, which is included in the planing by now.
 
 
Smaller cities have a lot of incommon, as well as bigger cities do, and that implies that an up-to-date comparison of drug abuse trends and municipal solutions to the problems can be of enormous value both on the local scale and internationally.
However, we cannot focus on illicit drugs only, there is an acute need to involve other aspects, alcohol abuse, parents` role, NGOs, thus sharing opinions, not excluding.
"We need to focus on how to operate together and accept each others`points of view, thus broadening the perspective. That is why we chose to talk about cooperation and a broader perspective at ECAD Mayors` conference this year", said Patrik Runesson, Strategical Analyst at Staffanstorp City Council.
ECAD thanks Staffanstorp City Council and its Mayor, Mikael Sandin, for heartily welcome and generosity towards ECAD.
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Friday, 03 February 2012 14:40 |
While ECAD prepares your programme for the XIX-th Mayors Conference "Cooperation in Practice - A Broader perspective", have a look at the conference venue and book your room early!
Conference Venue: The Malton Hotel (www.themalton.com)
First Announcement (PDF)
 
To book your rooms at the Malton Hotel (Conference Venue), download the Hotel Accomodation Booking Form below and send it before April 9 to the Malton Hotel, or email, phone / fax it quoting that yours is an ECAD booking.
Hotel Accomodation Booking Form (PDF)
WELCOME!
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Friday, 13 January 2012 12:41 |
 A fresh issue of ECAD Newsletter is available for download in the menu under Newsletters.
Danish cannabis decriminalisation
Lancet Addiction Series, the first paper estimates how many people use illicit drugs worldwide
First European quality standards to improve drug prevention in the EU
and much more!
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Tuesday, 10 January 2012 16:22 |
 
ECAD member cities, Killarney in Ireland and Staffanstorp in Sweden will co-host XIX Mayors Conference this year. The two cities met through ECAD and we regard this fact as an exellent example of cooperation for the same cause.
ECAD XIX Mayors Conference topic is Cooperation in practice - a broader perspective. Two city Chancellors invite you to the Town of Killarney on May 9 - 12, 2012 where you can find out how international cooperation in practice makes a difference on community level.
Download invitation letter and ECAD annual Mayors Conference announcement below:
First Announcement (PDF)
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Tuesday, 10 January 2012 15:10 |
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The City of Kristiansand, Norway, hosted annual conference for Norwegian network of cities in ECAD on January 5, 2012. ECAD Director Jörgen Svidén was one of the participants.
Representatives of Norwegian cities in ECAD meet once a year in January to focus on actual drug issues and discuss activities in their respective cities, to strengthen established contacts and to create new ones. Besides this, there are lectures on different topics to broaden perspectives and to give inspiration and new knowledge. The participants have various professional skills and roles, from leading politicians to practitioners and scientists.
Among great speakers was Else Kristin Utne Berg from Bergen, who presented a survey on trends of drug use and, based on that, ideas on how to react on these figures. The audience also got an interesting and engaged presentation from Kristiansand’s City medical practitioner, Dagfinn Harr, on success factors in the fight to help people overcome drug problems.
Norwegian initiative for ECAD member cities is most welcome in ECAD and is something that should be a role model for cities in other countries, as an important social factor and a professionally useful meeting. Gatherings like this are very inspiring and help set focus on the issue we all work on: how to create a better environment so that as few as possible get in contact with drugs and as many as possible stop taking them.
“Ut av tåka 2012”, a Norwegian annual seminar on cannabis, will be organized on February 22, and "Erfaringsdag", a seminar for drug coordinators from all over Norway, in connection to "Ut av tåka 2012" event will take place on February 21, 2012. Download seminar programme below.
"ERFARINGSDAG" PROGRAMME (PDF)
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