Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy
The Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy is a framework for dialogue and cooperation that commits 114 National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe to promote and implement humanitarian approaches to drug policy. The Rome Consensus aims at raising the profile of drug policy to the forefront of social concerns, hinging formulation and implementation of drug control on public health concerns. The foundation text of the Rome Consensus reinforces the Red Cross - Red Crescent movement's engagement in drug policy. In a nutshell, within the Rome Consensus Declaration National Societies:
- Recognize the need for a new humanitarian, realistic, public health and socially based drug policy;
- Establish a new commitment to a humanitarian drug policy based on reason and compassion that generates action, free from ideology, force, stigmatization and discrimination;
- Commit the strength of the Red Cross - Red Crescent Movement provided by its auxiliary role to national governments on humanitarian assistance, to actively encourage the formulation and implementation of a humanitarian drug policy that saves lives and alleviates human suffering.
The Global Media Centre handles their media outreach.
Chairs of the Rome Consensus
The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) co-chairs the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy together with the Italian Red Cross.
Recent events
Drug Prevention, Treatment and Harm Reduction: Scaling-up of Red Cross-Red Crescent Best Practices, Rome, 14–15 December 2009
As announced during the Rome Consensus Europe Conference in March this year, the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy has entered its second phase, focusing on training, concrete information exchange and scaling-up of best practices through the entire network of the Red Cross in Europe. To mark this important next phase, a first two-day Seminar entitled Drug Prevention, Treatment and Harm Reduction: Scaling-up of Red Cross-Red Crescent Best Practices was held in Rome on 14 and 15 December 2009. Supported by the European Commission and the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), this Seminar brought together practitioners from all European National Societies to tackle three concrete drug policy interventions in the fields of prevention, treatment and harm reduction and discuss how these best practices could be implemented throughout the wider network of the Red Cross-Red Crescent.
Rome Consensus Activities at Solferino 2009
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Red Cross – Red Crescent Movement, the Rome Consensus participated to the activities of Solferino 2009. The Consensus coordination hosted a workshop on youth and drugs on the 25th of June and a round table on a Red Cross and Red Crescent Humanitarian Response to stigma and discrimination linked to drug use, on the 27 of June. The Rome Consensus and its European initiative Rome Consensus Europe were presented as effective means to promote and implement humanitarian approaches to drug policy in the Red Cross movement - Red Crescent Movement and especially among the youth.
Rome Consensus Europe Conference Rising to the Challenge of Drug Use in Europe, Madrid - 26 and 27 March 2009
The Rome Consensus Europe Conference, Rising to the Challenge of Drug Use in Europe brought together National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent in Europe, European Union (EU) institution representatives and other leading practitioners to exchange best practices in prevention, treatment and care, and explore concrete ways for National Societies to contribute to drug policy responses in Europe.
Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for Eastern and Southern Africa – Entebbe, Uganda, 4–5 July 2008
The Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for Eastern and Southern Africa gathered Presidents and Secretaries General from Red Cross National Societies from the region to discuss the drug policy situation in Southern and Eastern Africa and the Red Cross – Red Crescent engagement in Humanitarian Drug Policy.
Red Cross – Red Crescent World Congress on Humanitarian Drug Policy – Barcelona, Spain, 5–7 March 2008
The Red Cross- Red Crescent World Congress on Humanitarian Drug Policy was hosted by the Spanish Red Cross with the Support of The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) in Barcelona on 5–7 March 2008. The Congress, with the participation of over sixty National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent, aimed at engaging the whole RC/RC movement in the formulation and implementation of humanitarian approaches to global drug policy.
Rome Consensus First African Regional Meeting – Praia, Cape Verde, 13–16 December 2007
Seventeen National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent from Western Africa met in Cape Verde to discuss the opportunity the Rome Consensus represents to National Societies in the region to mobilize on drug policy issues. The meeting was hosted by the Cape Verde Red Cross and was supported by The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS).
Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for the Caribbean and Central America – St. George's, Grenada, 6–9 December 2007
The Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for the Caribbean and Central America, hosted in St Georges, Grenada by the Grenada Red Cross and The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) presented the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug policy as a key framework to engage Red Cross societies in the Caribbean and in Central America in humanitarian solutions for regional drug challenges.[1]
The Rome Consensus Regional Meeting for Asia and the Pacific - Manila, Philippines, 27–29 September 2007
The meeting was hosted by The Philippine National Red Cross Society in partnership with The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS). The Meeting raised awareness on drug policy concerns, teasing out the main issues regarding substance abuse in Asia and the Pacific, opened a fruitful debate on drug policy.[2][3]
List of Signatories
The following Red Cross/ Red Crescent National Societies are signatories of the Rome Consensus for a Humanitarian Drug Policy:
Europe
- File:Flag of Albania.svg Albania
- File:Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia
- File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan
- File:Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus
- File:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina
- File:Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
- File:Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia
- File:Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia
- File:Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia
- File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy
- File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan
- File:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan
- File:Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia
- File:Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania
- File:Flag of Malta.svg Malta
- File:Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro
- File:Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal
- File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania
- File:Flag of Russia.svg Russia
- File:Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino
- File:Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
- File:Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
- File:Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia
- File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain
- File:Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan
- File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
- File:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan
- File:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine
- File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan
Middle East
- File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
- File:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq
- File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran
- File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
- File:Flag of Libya.svg Libya
- File:Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine
- File:Flag of Syria.svg Syria
- File:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia
- File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates
- File:Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen
Americas
- File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda
- File:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina
- File:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas
- File:Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados
- File:Flag of Belize.svg Belize
- File:Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg Bolivia
- File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil
- File:Flag of Chile.svg Chile
- File:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia
- File:Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica
- File:Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba
- File:Flag of Dominica.svg Dominica
- File:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic
- File:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador
- File:Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador
- File:Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada
- File:Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala
- File:Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana
- File:Flag of Honduras.svg Honduras
- File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica
- File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico
- File:Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua
- File:Flag of Panama.svg Panama
- File:Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay
- File:Flag of Peru.svg Peru
- File:Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia
- File:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago
- File:Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay
- File:Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela
Africa
- File:Flag of Benin.svg Benin
- File:Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana
- File:Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso
- File:Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde
- File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Côte d'Ivoire
- File:Flag of Ethiopia.svg Ethiopia
- File:Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia
- File:Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau
- File:Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea
- File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya
- File:Flag of Mali.svg Mali
- File:Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania
- File:Flag of Mozambique.svg Mozambique
- File:Flag of Niger.svg Niger
- File:Flag of Rwanda.svg Rwanda
- File:Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe.svg Sao Tome and Principe
- File:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal
- File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa
- File:Flag of Eswatini.svg Swaziland
- File:Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania
- File:Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo
- File:Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia
- File:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda
Asia - Pacific
- File:Flag of the Taliban.svg Afghanistan
- File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
- File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh
- File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
- File:Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands
- File:Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
- File:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia
- File:Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg Federated States of Micronesia
- File:Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal
- File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan
- File:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines
- File:Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea
- File:Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
- File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka
- File:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands
- File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand
- File:Flag of East Timor.svg Timor Leste
- File:Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga
- File:Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu
- File:Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu
- File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam
IFDC Bodies
- Youth Commission
- Development Commission
- Health Commission
- Mediterranean Centre Commission