Download Annual Report 2012 (pdf, 3.08 MB) - Transnational Institute

drugs + DemocracyTNI’s Drugs and Democracy programmehas been working since 1995 to push forevidence-based reform of drug policy.Working simultaneously at nationallevels and in relation to the global legalframework, TNI starts by looking at thehuman rights of all actors in the illegaldrugs market, and advocates an approachbased on harm reduction. In 2012, years ofpainstaking work saw real breakthroughsin the Americas, which may herald a widershift in policy. The government of Uruguaysought to regulate the cannabis market,two US states voted to legalise cannabis,and the inter-governmental Summit of theAmericas called for alternatives to currentdrugs policy..A breakthrough in the..making in Latin America.This year saw remarkable developments in drug policy inLatin America, decisively breaking open the debate. Thiswas expressed at the Organization of American States(OAS) Summit of the Americas in Colombia, whererecognition of the failure of the global ‘war on drugs’reached critical mass, resulting in a call for alternatives tocurrent models of drug control. This was the first time thishas been recognised at such a high political level. It formspart of an overall more assertive and independent attitudefrom Latin American states towards the US.TNI produced a briefing, A Breakthrough in the Making?,exploring the regional trend of moving away from theUS-led ‘war on drugs’ strategy and making a set ofproposals for the further widening of the discussion.The briefing recognised the importance of thedevelopments while cautioning that there are still manybarriers ahead. Although the situation is not simple,it is clear that Latin America is taking a global lead onreforming drug policy, and TNI has committed moreresources to the region accordingly.32 tni Annual Report 2012 Drugs + Democracy