From March 10–14, 2025, the Rome Consensus 2.0 (RC2.0) participated actively in the 68th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, engaging in high-level dialogues, technical exchanges, and strategic partnerships. The RC2.0 presented a coherent and inclusive vision: drug policies must prioritize health, dignity, and human rights.
Far from being just a declaration, the RC2.0 is a living international alliance, composed of organizations across sectors and continents, united by a common goal—to advance humanitarian, non-punitive responses to the global drug challenge.
🤝 The signatory members represented RC 2.0 at CND 68:
- IFRC – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
- Argentinian Red Cross
- Villa Maraini Foundation – Italian Red Cross
- Knowmad Institut
- C4 Recovery Foundation (USA)
- TASC – Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (USA)
- PTACC – Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (USA & UK)
- Asociación Proyecto Hombre (Spain)
- DPNSEE – Drug Policy Network South East Europe
- Elternkreis Wien (Austria)
- CHJ – Center for Health and Justice (USA)
- REDUC – Rede Brasileira de Redução de Danos (Brazil)
- Universidad del Rosario (Colombia)
- IAHPC – International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care
- CRANSTOUN (United Kingdom)
- ARTM – Association for the Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers of Macau (China)
- Ares do Pinhal (Portugal)
These organizations reflect a wide range of cultural, professional, and regional perspectives, reinforcing the RC2.0’s commitment to collaborative, evidence-based, and context-specific solutions.
🌍 Parallel Events with Global Support
In 2025, the RC2.0 alliance organized and co-hosted six official side events at the CND 68, each addressing key humanitarian aspects of drug policy. Notably, these sessions were supported by representatives from governments and intergovernmental organizations across all five continents, showcasing a growing international endorsement for a human-centered approach.
🗓 RC2.0 Side Events Highlights:
- Improving Access to Essential Medicines in Africa
- Organizer: IAHPC
- Focus: Removing regulatory barriers to palliative care and pain relief.
- Innovations in Continuity of Care
- Organizer: ARTM (Macau)
- Focus: Integrated, ideology-free models for treatment and support.
- Advocacy in Action
- Organizer: DPNSEE
- Focus: Translating harm reduction into public policy.
- A Humanitarian Approach to Synthetic Drugs
- Organizer: Elternkreis Wien
- Focus: Avoiding punitive responses and adopting open science to emerging threats.
- Clarifying Harm Reduction
- Organizer: IFRC
- Featuring: Officials from Mexico, Kenya, WHO, UNODC…
- Focus: Reinforcing the ethical and scientific foundations of harm reduction.
- Can It Work in Low-Resource Settings? Yes!
- Organizer: TASC (USA)
- Focus: Implementing diversion and treatment alternatives in challenging contexts.
Each event generated practical discussions, exchanged best practices, and opened channels for future cooperation in policy development and technical assistance.
🤝 Dialogue with Government Representatives
The RC2.0 delegation engaged in bilateral meetings with several government delegations that expressed interest in exploring or strengthening public health–based and rights-oriented drug policies.
🇨🇴 Colombia
The Minister of Justice, Ángela María Buitrago, and Director Alexander R. Álvarez shared perspectives on the limits of punitive models and discussed opportunities for technical collaboration, including training initiatives on harm reduction in partnership with the Colombian Red Cross.
🇰🇪 Kenya
Members of Parliament and senior officials acknowledged the longstanding presence of humanitarian programs in the country and expressed interest in enhancing community-based initiatives, particularly in Lamu, as part of a broader strategy to promote best practices in East Africa.
These bilateral exchanges were held in a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration, highlighting shared goals in health, dignity, and sustainable development.
🗣️ A Voice in the Plenary: From Compassion to Implementation
In the plenary session of the CND, Dr. Massimo Barra, founder of Villa Maraini and representative of the IFRC, delivered a strong yet balanced message to the international community:
“Humanitarian drug policies are not a utopia. They are a necessity rooted in evidence and compassion.”
His statement captured the essence of the RC2.0’s mission—moving from rhetoric to results, and from punitive policies to people-first solutions.
🧭 Strategic Priorities Post-CND 68
Building on the momentum from Vienna, the RC2.0 network is focusing on:
- Expanding endorsement of the RC2.0 Manifesto
– Engaging more governments, academic institutions, and civil society actors. - Strengthening South–South and North–South technical cooperation
– Through trainings, policy dialogue, and field projects. - Offering practical, localized capacity-building
– On harm reduction, deflection, and integrated care models. - Developing early warning systems and traceability tools
– Leveraging open-source intelligence, data science, and community monitoring. - Promoting transparency and civic participation
– Through inclusive platforms and social dialogue. - Fostering trust between security forces and communities
– Via joint trainings and structured dialogue within deflection programs.
✨ Final Thoughts
The participation of the Rome Consensus 2.0 in CND 68 reflects a global readiness to evolve. What was once considered a fringe approach is now gaining recognition as a viable and necessary path forward. Together, we are building a future where drug policies heal rather than harm, include rather than exclude, and restore rather than punish.
The shift is not only possible—it’s already happening.
