Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy
Encyclopedia
The Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy is a framework for dialogue and cooperation that commits 114 National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent from Africa
, Asia
, the Americas
and Europe
to promote and implement humanitarian approaches to drug policy
. The Rome Consensus aims at raising the profile of drug policy to the forefront of social concerns, hinging formulation and implementation of drug control on public health
concerns.
The foundation text of the Rome Consensus reinforces the Red Cross - Red Crescent movement’s engagement in drug policy. In a nutshell, within the Rome Consensus Declaration National Societies:
The Global Media Centre
handles their media outreach.
co-chairs the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy together with the Italian Red Cross
.
in Barcelona on 5-7 March 2008. The Congress, with the participation of over sixty National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent, aimed at engaging the whole RC/RC movement in the formulation and implementation of humanitarian approaches to global drug policy.
.
presented the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug policy as a key framework to engage Red Cross societies in the Caribbean and in Central America in humanitarian solutions for regional drug challenges.
. The Meeting raised awareness on drug policy concerns, teasing out the main issues regarding substance abuse in Asia and the Pacific, opened a fruitful debate on drug policy.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to promote and implement humanitarian approaches to drug policy
Drug policy
A drug policy most often refers to a government's attempt to combat the negative effects of drug addiction and misuse in its society. Governments try to combat drug addiction with policies which address both the demand and supply of drugs, as well as policies which can mitigate the harms of drug...
. The Rome Consensus aims at raising the profile of drug policy to the forefront of social concerns, hinging formulation and implementation of drug control on public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
concerns.
The foundation text of the Rome Consensus reinforces the Red Cross - Red Crescent movement’s engagement in drug policy. In a nutshell, within the Rome Consensus Declaration National Societies:
- Recognize the need for a new humanitarian, realistic, public health and socially based drug policy;
- Establish a new commitment to a humanitarian drug policy based on reason and compassion that generates action, free from ideologyIdeologyAn ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
, force, stigmatization and discriminationDiscriminationDiscrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
; - Commit the strength of the Red Cross - Red Crescent Movement provided by its auxiliary role to national governments on humanitarian assistance, to actively encourage the formulation and implementation of a humanitarian drug policy that saves lives and alleviates human suffering.
The Global Media Centre
The Global Media Centre
The Global Media Centre is a media consulting firm providing strategic media support and guidance to the public policy and philanthropic communities.-Founding:The Global Media Centre was founded in late 2008...
handles their media outreach.
Chairs of the Rome Consensus
The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)
The International Council on Security and Development is an international think tank that focuses on Afghanistan and other conflict zones such as Iraq and Somalia. ICOS is a project of the Network of European Foundations' Mercator Fund...
co-chairs the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy together with the Italian Red Cross
Italian Red Cross
The Italian Red Cross is the Italian national Red Cross society that has its origin in the Comitato dell'Associazione Italiana per il soccorso ai feriti ed ai malati in guerra that was formed in Florence in 1863, and in Milan on June 15, 1864. Other committees were formed later...
.
Drug Prevention, Treatment and Harm Reduction: Scaling-up of Red Cross-Red Crescent Best Practices, Rome, 14-15 December 2009
As announced during the Rome Consensus Europe Conference in March this year, the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy has entered its second phase, focusing on training, concrete information exchange and scaling-up of best practices through the entire network of the Red Cross in Europe. To mark this important next phase, a first two-day Seminar entitled Drug Prevention, Treatment and Harm Reduction: Scaling-up of Red Cross-Red Crescent Best Practices was held in Rome on the 14th and 15th of December, 2009. Supported by the European Commission and the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), this Seminar brought together practitioners from all European National Societies to tackle three concrete drug policy interventions in the fields of prevention, treatment and harm reduction and discuss how these best practices could be implemented throughout the wider network of the Red Cross-Red Crescent.Rome Consensus Activities at Solferino 2009
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Red Cross – Red Crescent Movement, the Rome Consensus participated to the activities of Solferino 2009. The Consensus coordination hosted a workshop on youth and drugs on the 25th of June and a round table on a Red Cross and Red Crescent Humanitarian Response to stigma and discrimination linked to drug use, on the 27 of June. The Rome Consensus and its European initiative Rome Consensus Europe were presented as effective means to promote and implement humanitarian approaches to drug policy in the Red Cross movement - Red Crescent Movement and especially among the youth.Rome Consensus Europe Conference Rising to the Challenge of Drug Use in Europe, Madrid - 26 and 27 March 2009
The Rome Consensus Europe Conference, Rising to the Challenge of Drug Use in Europe brought together National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent in Europe, European Union (EU) institution representatives and other leading practitioners to exchange best practices in prevention, treatment and care, and explore concrete ways for National Societies to contribute to drug policy responses in Europe.Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for Eastern and Southern Africa – Entebbe, Uganda, 4-5 July 2008
The Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for Eastern and Southern Africa gathered Presidents and Secretaries General from Red Cross National Societies from the region to discuss the drug policy situation in Southern and Eastern Africa and the Red Cross – Red Crescent engagement in Humanitarian Drug Policy.Red Cross – Red Crescent World Congress on Humanitarian Drug Policy – Barcelona, Spain, 5-7 March 2008
The Red Cross- Red Crescent World Congress on Humanitarian Drug Policy was hosted by the Spanish Red Cross with the Support of The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)
The International Council on Security and Development is an international think tank that focuses on Afghanistan and other conflict zones such as Iraq and Somalia. ICOS is a project of the Network of European Foundations' Mercator Fund...
in Barcelona on 5-7 March 2008. The Congress, with the participation of over sixty National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent, aimed at engaging the whole RC/RC movement in the formulation and implementation of humanitarian approaches to global drug policy.
Rome Consensus First African Regional Meeting – Praia, Cape Verde, 13-16 December 2007
Seventeen National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent from Western Africa met in Cape Verde to discuss the opportunity the Rome Consensus represents to National Societies in the region to mobilize on drug policy issues. The meeting was hosted by the Cape Verde Red Cross and was supported by The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)
The International Council on Security and Development is an international think tank that focuses on Afghanistan and other conflict zones such as Iraq and Somalia. ICOS is a project of the Network of European Foundations' Mercator Fund...
.
Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for the Caribbean and Central America – St. George's, Grenada, 6-9 December 2007
The Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for the Caribbean and Central America, hosted in St Georges, Grenada by the Grenada Red Cross and The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)
The International Council on Security and Development is an international think tank that focuses on Afghanistan and other conflict zones such as Iraq and Somalia. ICOS is a project of the Network of European Foundations' Mercator Fund...
presented the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug policy as a key framework to engage Red Cross societies in the Caribbean and in Central America in humanitarian solutions for regional drug challenges.
The Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for Asia and the Pacific - Manila, Philippines, 27-29 September 2007
The meeting was hosted by The Philippine National Red Cross Society in partnership with The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS)
The International Council on Security and Development is an international think tank that focuses on Afghanistan and other conflict zones such as Iraq and Somalia. ICOS is a project of the Network of European Foundations' Mercator Fund...
. The Meeting raised awareness on drug policy concerns, teasing out the main issues regarding substance abuse in Asia and the Pacific, opened a fruitful debate on drug policy.
List of Signatories
The following Red Cross/ Red Crescent National Societies are signatories of the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy:IFDC Bodies
- Youth Commission
- Development Commission
- Health Commission
- Mediterranean Centre Commission
See also
- United Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeUnited Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeThe United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a United Nations agency that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations International Drug Control Program and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division in the United Nations...
(UNODC) - World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO)