IKON BALI

STATEMENT AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS FORUM-PRE CONGRESS ICAAP IX
SANUR BEACH HOTEL, 8 AUGUST 2009

The People who Use Drugs Forum with all clarity is aware that global polical and economical policies are at the root of the problems that have brought social, economical, cultural and health harms towards drug users.

1. The superpower nations are dominating the Asian Pacific region through treaties and agreements at international and regional levels to put pressure upon our governments and determining our Drug Laws;

2. International agreements are made based on interests of political and economical nature, therefore distancing drug use of the Asian Pacific social and cultural context;

3. The greatest harms as results are : imprisonment, extortion and abuse of power – therefore human rights violation, all in the name of drug control

4. Hence, People who use Drugs in Asia Pacific are calling for the reform of drug policies:
a. Demanding for the correction of UN 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances so as it respects human rights and the regionals cultural context.
b. Demanding governments in the region to take serious actions of reforming the current prohibitive drug laws into laws that respects the equality of drug users rights

5. Government should take upon their responsibility as providers of drug related public services therefore ensuring sustainability, local and cultural appropriateness

6. Drug users organized groups must build alliances with other socio-political movements as  a grassroots-based united front against the “War On Drugs” black campaign