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Martin Jelsma
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Email: mjelsma [at] tni.org
Telephone: +31 20 662 6608

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Martin Jelsma longbio.pdf
Drugs and Democracy
Peace & Security
Location: 
Netherlands
52° 22' 25.6836" N, 4° 53' 27.366" E
See map: Google Maps
Martin Jelsma

TNI Drugs and Democracy Programme Coordinator

Martin Jelsma is a political scientist who has specialised in Latin America and international drugs policy.  In 2005, he received the Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship, which stated that Jelsma "is increasingly recognized as one of, if not the, outstanding strategists in terms of how international institutions deal with drugs and drug policy."

In 1995 he initiated and has since co-oordinated TNI's Drugs & Democracy Programme which focuses on drugs and conflict studies with a focus on the Andean/Amazon region, Burma/Myanmar and Afghanistan, and on the analysis and dialogues around international drug policy making processes (with a special focus on the UN drug control system). Martin is a regular speaker at international policy conferences and advises various NGOs and government officials on developments in the drugs field. He is co-editor of the TNI Drugs & Conflict debate papers and the Drug Policy Briefing series.

Illicit Drugs Trafficking & the War on Drugs in Latin America; Drugs and Conflict; Democratisation & Demilitarisation in Latin America; Chemical and Biological War on Drugs; Alternative Harm Reduction Policies; Afghanistan, Burma, Andes

Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship

English, Dutch, Spanish

Martin is an
experienced interviewee and publishes in several Dutch newspapers
including Vrij Nederland and NRC Handelsblad.

 

Selected publications: 
Trouble in the Triangle
Democracias baja fuego

Recent content by Martin Jelsma

Redefining Targets (7 Dec 2009)

Afghanistan remains the world’s largest producer of opium and has an under-reported but growing heroin-use problem. Current drug control policies in Afghanistan are unrealistic, reflecting a need for immediate signs of hope rather than a serious analysis of the underlying causes and an effort to achieve long-term solutions.

Corruption: a ‘friend’ you can’t do without in Afghanistan (30 Nov 2009)

Corruption is a part of life in Afghanistan

Poppies and poverty in Afghanistan (30 Nov 2009)

The opium ban in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province has forced some farmers to move to alternative crops, but many poor farmers have difficulties finding alternative sources of income.

Afghanistan's hidden drug problem (23 Nov 2009)

Afghanistan's drug problem is not simply one of opium production - there is a growing number of heroin addicts that the country is ill prepared to deal with.

Corruption in Afghanistan - Blame and shame (19 Nov 2009)

If the international community is serious about dealing with corruption in Afghanistan, they need to revise their own dubious practices.

Security in Afghanistan - Business as usual? (18 Nov 2009)

The security threat has made the operations of international agencies in Afghanistan more costly, but it is also one of the few booming sectors providing much needed jobs to some and lucrative profits to others. TNI staff report from Afghanistan.

Legislative Innovation in Drug Policy (12 Nov 2009)

This briefing summarizes good practices in legislative reforms around the world, representing steps away from a repressive zero-tolerance model towards a more evidence-based and humane drug policy.

Stepping away from the darkness (6 Sep 2009)

The experiences of countries that have decriminalised drugs show that fears of explosions in drugs use are unfounded.

Drug Policy Reform in Practice (1 Jul 2009)
The academic journal Nueva Sociedad recently released an issue to promote the debate in Latin America on drug policy reform. TNI contributed with the article "Drug policy reform in practice: Experiences with alternatives in Europe and the US".
INCB elections (20 May 2009)

This month's elections to the International Narcotics Control Board have proven to be more about horse trading at the UN than the real issues at stake for global drug policy

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