PAREA participates in UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna

The 69th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs took place at the Vienna International Centre in Austria from 9 to 13 March, bringing together governments, international organisations, researchers, and civil society to discuss global drug policy.

PAREA founder Tadeusz Hawrot participated in the meeting as part of the delegation of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, while also representing PAREA in discussions with policymakers and international stakeholders. 

PAREA engaged in discussions on drug policy, research, and access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. In parallel, we also participated as part of a coordination group supported by the Open Society Foundations working on drug policy issues related to Ukraine.

One focus of the discussions was a meeting with UN CND policy officers working on a programme aimed at improving access to controlled substances for medical and scientific use. Together with partners from MAPS and through PAREA, initial conversations in Vienna also explored whether UN member states might support proposing a resolution in the coming year to strengthen international support for research on controlled substances, including psychedelics.

Several side events during the Commission highlighted developments in European drug policy. These included an event organised by Ukraine on EU accession as an opportunity for human rights based and balanced drug policy reform, and a Czech Republic event discussing new legislation allowing medical access to psilocybin.