2008 Annual Report: The State of the Drugs Problem in Europe (2008)
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
The EMCDDA annual publication compiles information from individual country reports on drug use, policies and laws, response to drug demand and supply, and new and emerging trends.

Beyond 2008 Final Declaration and Resolutions (2008)
Participants in the "Beyond 2008" International Non-governmental Organizations Forum
Adopted by consensus by all of the NGO participants in the forum, the declaration and resolutions emphasize human rights and harm reduction principles, specifically recommending to the CND, Member States, the INCB, the UNODC, and NGOs: decriminalization of drug use, acknowledgement of the “unintended consequences” of drug control policy, alternatives to incarceration, protection of the rights of those in closed custody settings, and prioritization of evidence-based policy.

Building Consensus: A Reference Guide to Human Rights and Drug Policy (2009)
International Harm Reduction Association and Human Rights Watch
UN legal and policy statements on harm reduction including UN endorsement of harm reduction measures, statements on the legality of harm reduction services and the human rights-based obligation of states to provide harm reduction services as well as international reviews of evidence and list of countries supporting harm reduction in policy and/or practice.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Policies, Legislation and Programs for Treatment and Rehabilitation (1999)
World Health Organization
This document reviews national drug and alcohol policies and programs for treatment and rehabilitation, and analyzes relevant legislation including developments relating to HIV/AIDS, discrimination, and human rights.

International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies Statement at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (2008)
Christopher Lamb, Special Adviser, IFRC
The statement highlights IFRC efforts to promote harm reduction, including establishing legal, policy, and institutional frameworks, and working with governments to ensure that affected groups, including drug users and people living with HIV, participate in national health system programming and implementation.

Investing in Drug Abuse Treatment: A Discussion Paper for Policy Makers (2003)
UNODC
This document makes the case for government investment in drug treatment and argues that effective treatment modalities are always more successful than non-treatment or criminal justice approaches in reducing social costs and improving public health.

Legislating for Health and Human Rights: Model Law on Drug Use and HIV/AIDS (2006)
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
This resource provides legal provisions, human rights guidelines and commentary designed to inform and assist policy makers reforming or enacting laws to meet the challenges posed by the HIV epidemic among people who use drugs.

Letter from Special Rapporteur on Prevention of Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health to Chair and Vice-Chairs of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (2008)
Special Rapporteur on the prevention of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
This letter, in anticipation of the High Level meeting of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March 2009, asserts that failure to provide harm reduction in prison may constitute cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment (CID), calls on the commission to ban punitive drug treatment practices, and notes that returning those accused of drug-related crimes to countries where they face the death penalty or other rights abuses (potentially including drug treatment) violates the prohibition on non-refoulement.

Making Drug Control “Fit for Purpose”: Building on the UNGASS Decade (2008)
Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director, UNODC
The discussion paper appeals to UN members to reform international drug control strategy; emphasizing crime prevention, harm reduction and human rights.

Reducing the Adverse Health and Social Consequences of Drug Abuse: A Comprehensive Approach (2008)
UNODC in consultation with INCB
UNODC and the INCB stress the need for a comprehensive, non-discriminatory approach in policy and services for drug users that includes harm reduction measures such as needle and syringe exchange, and evidence-based prevention and treatment efforts.

Report of the Special Rapporteur on Prevention of Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to the Human Rights Council (2009)
Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on the prevention of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment
The Special Rapporteur’s report calls for a human rights-based approach to drug policy and contains a series of conclusions on drug policy, including the treatment of drug users in prison, forced testing, and palliative care. Notably, the report stresses States obligations to provide access to drug treatment (including opioid substitution treatment) free of discrimination and in all places of detention; the importance of needle and syringe exchange in detention to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS; and denounces the use of capital punishment for drug-related offenses or discriminatory treatment of drug users in detention.

Statement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for focus on human rights and harm reduction in international drug policy (2009)
Nevanathem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
This statement, issued on March 10 during the Commission on Narcotic Drugs High Level Meeting in Vienna, strongly asserts that harm reduction is the most effective way to protect the human rights of drug users, limit suffering and reduce HIV. The High Commissioner stresses protection of the right of drug users to the highest attainable standard of health, the right not to be tortured or arbitrarily detained and the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of life.

The Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy (2007)
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
A consensus statement signed by Red Cross and Red Crescent Society representatives aimed at promoting health-based measures to address drug use and fight the social stigma attached to drug users.