We would like to bring to your attention about the humanitarian initiative launched by the RCRC at the United Nations to respond to the increasing substance abuse problem worldwide: the Rome Consensus 2.0 – towards a humanitarian drug policy.
Addressing substance abuse disorders with a humanitarian approach in this time of international crisis for the COVID-19 is vital for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people’s lives.
Health access for people with drug disorders is generally limited or denied in ordinary life, now with the Covid-19 crisis we are all concerned about the provision of treatment and psychosocial support to those who are sick for drugs and substances and their families too.
Our mission is to ensure protection and facilitating health access especially to the most vulnerable and hard to reach groups. We are facing an unprecedented pandemic worldwide because of Corona Virus, but at the same time there is a humanitarian permanent crisis related to the substance abuse. Every year almost 500.000 people die because of substance abuse. This is a permanent outbreak that we can’t avoid to watch out in our daily work.
We call upon National Governments to take firm and urgent moves to respond to the substance abuse problem in their societies, protecting the drug users’ health and rights. The Rome Consensus Manifesto proposes pragmatic, replicable and evidence-based solutions, to give a more humane and effective answer to repressive and inhumane treatment of people who use drugs, and to decrease the high loss of life caused by drug abuse.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) fully supported and endorsed our Red Cross/Red Crescent humanitarian initiative the last 4th of March in Vienna. This means that we have a responsibility to put in practice what is requested in this Manifesto and raise awareness at our local and national level.
We ask you to share and spread this Manifesto to make it a stronger tool so we can address it to Governments worldwide.
To Sign On and share: https://romeconsensus.com/sign-on-preference/
To read and download the Manifesto in different languages: https://romeconsensus.com/documents/
To get more insights of this initiative: https://romeconsensus.com/2020/03/30/rome-consensus-2-0-the-humanitarian-manifesto-for-drug-policy-launched-at-the-united-nations/