eeca ehrc

Meaningful partnership, meaningful achievements: law enforcement and cso cooperation for a better hiv and public health response.

7-13 November 2021 - Prague - This year 5th European Harm Reduction Conference (EHRC) took place in Prague from 10-12 November. The conference targets professionals from the community, professionals working in the broader area of harm reduction, policymakers and politicians, advocacy representatives, researchers, and media representatives. It intends to discuss different perspectives on harm reduction, social inclusion and related topics.

In order to engage with and enable proper representation of the experienced law enforcement (LE) representatives at this conference, UNODC supported the participation of LE officials from Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine and facilitated several events before and during the conference in order to ensure meaningful involvement and collaboration with LE sector in discussing current trends and challenges related to drug use and harm reduction.

The purpose of these events and presence at the conference is to build the capacity of LE officials to improve law enforcement role in HIV response in countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, by way of meaningful human rights-based and public health-focused dialogue with key populations and CSOs. UNODC, in collaboration with Czech NGO SANANIM, organized study visits on 8^th November for LE officials to learn the Czech experience on the proportional/balanced approached in drug policy, alternative measures, harm reduction and have meetings with representatives from Ministry of Interior and Prague police, OST/NPS centres.

On the 9^thof November,theEastern Europe and Central Asia regional pre-conference consultation of law enforcement (LE) and civil society organizations (CSOs) was organized to discuss the role of Law Enforcement Agencies in the response to the HIV epidemic in general, and particularly in HIV prevention among people who use drugs and other key populations. The one-day dialogue also included the discussion on the challenges and opportunities for enhancing the role of law enforcement in HIV response and establishing and sustaining the partnership between LE and CSO sectors.

On the sidelines of the conference, UNODC also organized a side event on 11^th November, to highlight the importance of partnership and collaboration between CSO and LE agencies in the HIV response and showcased the successful practices of establishing and sustaining the partnership of Law Enforcement Agencies and Civil Society Organizations on the examples from Ukraine (Poltava), Belarus and Moldova. It was argued that, among other things, finding access points and common partnership goals is essential to this partnership. Formation of local policy to include services for people who use drugs and receiving financial support from the local city budget have proved indispensable for the sustainability of such collaboration.

These events correspond to the long-standing UNODC commitment to actively foster and sustain a meaningful partnership with all relevant national stakeholders, especially LE agencies and officials at all levels who represent essential partners in national and global HIV response. It is critical that their role in national and global HIV-response is adequately understood, enhanced, and tailored to respond to specific needs and challenges, and to ensure that everyone has the right to enjoy the highest attainable physical and mental health. The Conference served as an excellent and successful occasion to showcase this partnership and discuss future plans and collaboration opportunities.

[Russian version]

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime

Meaningful partnership, meaningful achievements: law enforcement and cso cooperation for a better hiv and public health response.