Global Drug Policy - Future Directions

The first Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme seminar was held at the House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, London, on 25 October 2004. This was also the first Beckley Foundation seminar with an international focus, concentrating specifically on global drug policy, with a targeted audience of esteemed policymakers, academics and NGO representatives from around the world.

This seminar focused on the development of methods for the independent and objective review of the effectiveness of policies and programmes aimed at tackling drug problems. The Beckley Foundation brought together this select group of drug policy experts to consider the latest evidence in this field, and in particular the evaluation framework for the next European Union Drug Strategy due to be launched at the end of the year.

This seminar was also used as an opportunity to launch an International Drug Policy Consortium of non-governmental organisations and professional networks, and International Society for the Study of Drug Policy that will facilitate and disseminate future reports and seminars.

Biographies of the speakers and summaries of their talks can be downloaded here:

Preface
Executive Summary by Amanda, Lady Neidpath - Director of the Beckley Foundation

Synopses of Presentations

Morning Session - Chairman Jan Wiarda

Mike Trace - Introduction & Overview
Prof. Peter Reuter - How Can Evidence Inform Drug Policy?
Prof. Colin Blakemore - Assessing the Harm of All Social Drugs
Prof. Mark Kleiman - Drug Policies to Minimise Aggregate Harm

National Perspectives

Prof. Margaret Hamilton - Responding to Drugs - How? Experience from Australia
Chairman Viktor Cherkesov - Prospective Drug Policies - Experience from Russia

Afternoon Session - Chairman Michael Portillo M.P.

Jan Wiarda - The Truth has Sometimes to be Suspended
Franz Trautmann - How to Create a Meaningful European Policy Framework
Josef Radimecky - No Reason to Make the Same Mistake Twice
Mike Trace - Summing Up

Appendices