Despite current inertia, based on developments across the Atlantic and in Europe, discussions on drug policy reform in Britain are not a matter of 'if', but 'when' and 'how'.
Throughout the October meetings, there was little analysis of the criminal economy around drug markets, while the bigger picture of how illicit drug economies thrive was not addressed in any detail.
The move to silence a UN human rights mandate on International Human Rights Day sends a disturbing message that human rights expertise is not welcome in Vienna, and that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs prefers to turn a blind eye to human rights violations.