From May 13th to May 17th, the 25th Harm Reduction International Conference took place in Montreal, Canada. The meeting was attended by the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD), which included representatives of drug users' organizations in eight regions around the world, including ANPUD (Asian Network of People who Use Drugs) and VNPUD (Vietnam Network of People who Use Drugs). Ms. Nguyen Minh Trang, VNPUD Coordinator and Ms. Pham Thi Minh, Head of VNPUD Executive Board, representative of ANPUD Executive Board, attended the conference.
Photo: Speaker at the HRI Conference
The HRI Conference is an opportunity to share experiences regarding drug policy and harm reduction, from the perspective of the community itself. This year's theme covers a number of important issues and concerns in the international community: Harm reduction in a volatile political climate; Harm reduction in detention facilities and a closed environment; Enforcement of progressive service models such as supervised injection facilities, and many other issues.
Photo: Ms. Pham Thi Minh, ANPUD representative and Head of VNPUD Executive Board at the conference
The Conference reviewed the work of the INPUD over the past two years (2015-2016) and kicked off the strategy for the next three years, in which ANPUD takes an active role in developing strategic plan in the region of Asia. Over the past two years, the INPUD and its regional networks have marked significant progress and achievements. The INPUD has been striving to consolidate and develop its activities by focusing on advocacy and action to promote health and protect the rights of drug users around the world.
During the forthcoming sessions of the conference, the representatives from organizations all around the world presented prominent topics such as promoting non-criminalization of people who use drugs; Implementing comprehensive HIV/HCV prevention program for people who use drugs through injecting; The involvement of sex workers in harm reduction; Overcoming legal challenges for policy activists in civil society organizations...
Photograph of the plenary session of the Conference
Over the past 10 years, the INPUD has enhanced the organization's capacity to mobilize drug users around the world and bring their voices to the fore in local, regional and national debates, for human rights and drugs policies. In Vietnam, VNPUD is also active in representing the voice of the community in the development of humanitarian and effective policies for people who use drugs in Vietnam.
Vân Anh
Information on the 25th International Harm Reduction Conference on the website of the INPUD: http://inpud.net/en/inpud-25th-harm-reduction-international-conference-2017
