BRB, at UNGASS

7:48 Apr 14, 2016 19

Hi folks. I fly out this afternoon to cover the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on drugs: UNGASS 2016. It's the culmination of work I've been doing for the past five years, so I'm quite excited about it.

I'm opening this post to give me somewhere to add news and thoughts and for those of you interested in drug policy issues to talk about what you're seeing.

You can read more about what UNGASS is and what it will involve in my long preview for Matters of Substance magazine.

Or you can enjoy Toby and Toby's rather more witty and accessible primer on The Wireless.

I have the weekend off in Brooklyn, but I expect to be covering things from Monday morning, when Peter Dunne chairs a side event with the missions from Canada, Switzerland and Brazil.

If you don't already, you can follow me on Twitter @publicaddress – and I'd recommend @nzdrug too.

So I'll catch you next week. In the meantime, be excellent to each other.

19 responses to this post

Russell Brown, 07:55 Apr 14, 2016

Note that two days after I return I'll be on the panel at the Tuesday April 26 Table Talk with Ali Mau: Cannabis - Beyond Prohibition, part of Ika restaurant's Salon series. I expect I'll have plenty to tell.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report
Geoff Lealand, 08:23 Apr 14, 2016

Excellent! Have fun, when there is an opportunity.

Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report
Ross Bell, 09:30 Apr 14, 2016

Shit! Is UNGASS next week?

Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 175 posts Report
Ross Bell, 09:31 Apr 14, 2016

Here's an interesting/cynical piece of news: the new agenda for UNGASS has member states approving the "Outcomes Document" (ie the usual 'declaration' one gets at these hui) on the morning of day 1!! They're approving the minutes at the start of the meeting rather the end. Go figure.

Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 175 posts Report
Russell Brown, in reply to Ross Bell, 09:42 Apr 14, 2016

Shit! Is UNGASS next week?
Sorry – should have reminded you!

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report
Russell Brown, in reply to Ross Bell, 09:45 Apr 14, 2016

They’re approving the minutes at the start of the meeting rather the end. Go figure.
So the conclusions of the meeting are written before the three-day meeting and approved on the first morning? That's ... interesting.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report
Ross Bell, 10:13 Apr 14, 2016

You can imagine the diplomatic wrangling that led to that decision. Certain people fear countries showing up at NY and trying to renegotiate the weak outcomes document. Remembering that this was drafted in Vienna where most countries don't have missions.

Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 175 posts Report
Stupid, 12:08 Apr 14, 2016

That's awesome that you're attending Russell! Have fun in NY & BK

Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 75 posts Report
oga, in reply to Russell Brown, 13:40 Apr 14, 2016

Isn't it the usual thing to approve the minutes of the previous meeting before commencing the next? That's what I know from my governance experience.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 47 posts Report
ThoughtSpur, 14:29 Apr 14, 2016

Interested in your coverage.
The recent spike in interest following Helen Kelly's experience has been fascinating.
Seems NZ is oddly conflicted about drugs. We seem to both delight in out addictions and have a po-faced attitude to it - especially when it's 'other' - as in poor people vs a few too many chards at a dinner party in Remuera. Consistent with wanting change but not changing the flag and approving of 'legal highs' (especially if if comes with correspondent highs in political polls) but disapproval of medical cannabis (under the disingenuous guise of a lack of evidence to counter the orthodox view of the drug). Astonishing that Peter Dunne is chairing sessions. He barely seems able to represent his own views, let alone those of the country.
Other than abusing alcohol I've never even held a lit cigarette, so I've no vested position on drugs - other than hoping for a time when people aren't vilified and harassed for activity that is equivalent to behaviour expressed by the 'majority' - booze v. dope for e.g.
Await your reports with interest.

Auckland • Since Aug 2007 • 15 posts Report
Ian Dalziel, 15:24 Apr 14, 2016

Can we look forward to a photo of you, Peter Dunne and Helen Clark at CBGBs?

Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report
BenWilson, 15:46 Apr 14, 2016

Have a great time and keep us posted!

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report
Rich of Observationz, in reply to Ian Dalziel, 18:38 Apr 14, 2016

Sadly it closed about 10 years ago. It's some sort of clothes shop now.
I guess even the Lower East Side gets gentrified.

Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report
Hugh Wilson, in reply to Rich of Observationz, 16:00 Apr 15, 2016

That gentrification has been happening for a while*, but the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington – where the cover of Pauls Boutique was shot – is still there (and vaguely recognisable)
*The Tenement Museum is a testament of sorts to the Lower East Sides prolonged gentrification, and is well worth a visit if time permits

Melbourne • Since Feb 2013 • 168 posts Report
Alfie, 17:11 Apr 17, 2016

I'm looking forward to Russell's UNGASS coverage. I see Columbia's President Juan Manuel Santos has added his voice to those calling for a rethink on prohibition.
For those who are interested, here's the UNGASS draft outcome statement [PDF]. It's not the most readable document -- 24 pages of text with no index. I note that the word "cannabis" only appears once (3c, page 10) in the context of increased cooperation to "measurably reduce or eliminate" drug production; and while the word "health" is scattered about, the phrase "harm reduction" ain't there at all.

Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report
Russell Brown, in reply to Alfie, 14:24 Apr 19, 2016

It’s not the most readable document – 24 pages of text with no index. I note that the word “cannabis” only appears once (3c, page 10) in the context of increased cooperation to “measurably reduce or eliminate” drug production; and while the word “health” is scattered about, the phrase “harm reduction” ain’t there at all.
It was always on the cards that "harm reduction" might be absent, just out of sheer factional pissiness. But also absent: a condemnation of the death penalty for drug offences. It's a horrible document in a number of ways.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report
Alfie, in reply to Russell Brown, 14:49 Apr 19, 2016

It’s a horrible document in a number of ways.
As it's the declared "outcome document" for the session, what chance is there that large chunks might be amended or even better, discarded?

Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report
Rich of Observationz, 15:38 Apr 19, 2016

About half the countries in the UN are despotisms of some kind - while it's obviously necessary to deal with them to try and stop wars and so forth, why should they have any say in what our government lets us put in our bodies?

Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report
Russell Brown, in reply to Alfie, 16:47 Apr 19, 2016

As it’s the declared “outcome document” for the session, what chance is there that large chunks might be amended or even better, discarded?
Probably very little. But it's still interesting:
http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/the-place-where-things-happen-strangely/

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report