By: Priscila Néri, Posted: Mar 16 09

Regions: Global, Hungary

Issues: Drugs & human rights

Tags: drug policy, harm reduction, HIV/AIDS, needle exchange, UN, war on drugs

Last week we featured Dare to Question - an online video advocacy campaign led by the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) with the goal of influencing the United Nations' policies on drugs. 

Today's pick - a follow-up video from HCLU - takes us to Vienna as UN member states gathered on March 11-12 to discuss drug policies for the years to come:

While the meeting unfolded behind closed doors, protestors outside asked participants to stop criminalizing users, end the "global war on drugs," and focus instead on "harm reduction" programs like needle exchange and HIV prevention.  

But the political declaration that resulted from the meeting didn't even mention "harm reduction," and many groups - including Human Rights Watch, International AIDS Society, and the International Harm Reduction Association - called on nations to reject it.  Learn more: watch these videos, visit Dare to Know, and leave a comment to tell us what you think.