At their 95th meeting in Strasbourg (5-6 November 2024), the Permanent Correspondents of the Pompidou Group adopted a Guidance document providing “Guidance for aligning drug and addiction policies with human rights”. The Guidance document aims to ensure that drug and addiction policies, when developed or re-enforced by national authorities, integrate and prioritise human rights by aligning their frameworks with human rights standards. It provides for national authorities a set of guidelines to a comprehensive approach in integrating human rights into drug policies, safeguarding health, safety, and dignity in addressing and countering all aspects related to drug use and addictions. Furthermore, it urges policymakers, public institutions and professionals to integrate human and social rights considerations into their decision-making and policy development processes.

As a follow up to the request of the Permanent Correspondents when adopting the Policy Paper, Terms of Reference of the Drafting Committee on Human Rights and Drug Policies (DH-PDA) were examined by the Rapporteur Group on Social and Health Questions (GR-SOC) on 4 February 2025.  At that meeting it was agreed that the examined text of Terms of Reference be transmitted to the Committee of Ministers (Deputies) for adoption without further debate at their 1519th meeting (12-13 February 2025). 

Consequently, at its 1519th meeting, 12-13 February 2025, the deputies approved the Terms of Reference of the DH-PDA as submitted by GR-SOC. This committee shall operate under the authority of the CDDH from 1 May 2025 until 31 December 2026.

Composition and working methods of the Drafting Committee

Members

The Drafting Committee shall be composed of 13 members, comprising:

  • three Pompidou Group representatives from member States;
  • three experts designated by the CDDH;
  • one expert designated by the Governmental Committee of the European Social Charter and the European Code of Social Security;
  • one expert designated by Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI);
  • one expert designated by the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO);
  • one expert designated by the Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO);
  • one expert designated by the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF); and
  • two independent experts designated by the Secretary General.

They shall have established expertise in either:

  • the human rights law and case law of the European Court of Human Rights;
  • drug control, prevention and harm reduction;
  • substance and behavioural addictions;
  • assistance and protection of people who use drugs and those with substance use disorder or with addictive behaviours;
  • social rights.

The chairperson of the Committee shall be designated by the CDDH. The Committee shall be composed in accordance with Article 6 of Resolution CM/Res(2021)3 on intergovernmental committees and subordinate bodies, their terms of reference and working methods. Other member States of the Council of Europe and of the Pompidou Group may send a representative to the meetings of the Drafting Committee. Each member of the Committee shall have one vote. Where a government designates more than one member, only one of them is entitled to take part in the voting.

Participants

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and at the charge of their corresponding administrative budgets:

  • Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;
  • Congress of Local and Regional Authorities;
  • European Court of Human Rights;
  • Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights;
  • Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe;
  • Committees or other bodies of the Council of Europe engaged in related work, as appropriate.

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and without defrayal of expenses:

  • European Union (one or more representatives, including, as appropriate, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Union Drug Agency (EUDA);
  • Observer States to the Council of Europe: Canada, Holy See, Japan, United States of America;
  • Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE);
  • Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD/OAS);
  • United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC);
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR);
  • World Health Organisation (WHO).

Observers

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and without defrayal of expenses:

  • Non-member States with which the Council of Europe has a Neighbourhood Partnership including relevant co-operation activities;
  • Amnesty International;
  • International Commission of Jurists (ICJ);
  • International Organisation of Employers (IOE);
  • International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH);
  • European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI);
  • International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC);
  • Correlation Network (C-EHRN);
  • Harm Reduction International;
  • Global Commission on Drug Policies.

Observer status may be requested in accordance with Article 8 of Resolution CM/Res(2021)3 on intergovernmental committees and subordinate bodies, their terms of reference and working methods.

Working methods

The rules of procedure of the Committee are governed by Resolution CM/Res(2021)3 on intergovernmental committees and subordinate bodies, their terms of reference and working methods.

The DH-PDA will appoint from amongst its members one Gender Equality Rapporteur. The Chair of the DH-PDA will be invited to attend meetings of the CDDH and/or its Bureau to inform them on progress with its work.

The Committee shall have two meetings (2 days each) in 2025 and two meetings (2 days each) in 2026.

Reference documents and materials