Myanmar Opium Farmer’s Forum, Upper Myanmar 10-12 September, Ernestien Jensema and Tom Kramer travelled to Myanmar to attend the Forum. This was the third opium poppy farmers’ forum in the region bringing together farmers and community workers from several regions in Myanmar. The aim of these forums is to contribute to farmer rights, rural development and decriminalization. The forum produced a Myanmar Farmers Forum Declaration.
In the media
BBC article, China’s drug habit fuels return of the Golden Triangle, quotes Tom Kramer on poverty and opium cultivation in Myanmar. 17 September
The Nation op-ed, Consequences of the Kokang crisis for peace, democracy in Myanmar - literally reproduces the texts of our last briefing on Burma: “The Current State of Counternarcotics Policy and Drug Reform Debates in Myanmar”. July 2015.
Capacity4dev.eu, the European Commission international cooperation and development website, Voices & Views, The Lands Drugs Nexus, an interview with Tom Kramer published on, 10 July.
Publications
Myanmar Policy Briefings Series No 16, Ethnic Politics and the 2015 Elections in Myanmar. September 2015 – Full Briefing (PDF)
The Chemical War on Drugs in Colombia (Interactive Timeline), Amira Armenta, September 2015. After 37 years, Colombian government has announced an end to controversial aerial sprayings with glyphosate.
Preparations on UNGASS 2016
First session of Human Rights Council on the subject of drug control, 27-30 September. Geneva, Switzerland. Pien Metaal attended a Panel discussion on the impact of the world drug problem on the enjoyment of human rights, including the rights of farmers and producers. The session was historic as it was the first time the Human Rights Council talked about the relation between Human Rights and Drug Control and also been involved in preparations for UNGASS. The meeting was attended by policymakers, and NGO representatives.
Drug policy in Latin America. The discussion process towards UNGASS 2016: Possible Convergences, 28 and 29 July, Quito (Ecuador). Martin Jelsma and Tom Blickman participated in a seminar organized by the Unión de Naciones Suramericanas UNASUR and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung FES. The event took place at the headquarters of UNASUR in Quito, Ecuador. It was a closed meeting with the goal to examine South American positions for UNGASS. The 40 participants included many high-level drug policy officials from South America. Uruguay, Ecuador and Argentina actively supported the proposal of an expert advisory group. We are pleased to that UNASUR governments are exploring the potential of the inter-se mechanism (an agreement between like-minded countries) and its possibilities to promote a reform of the conventions.