“Protecting public health by ensuring adequate services for drug  abusers regardless of limited resources”

Greece, draft resolution.

Protecting public health by striving to ensure provision of adequate services for individuals affected by substance abuse disorders based on the existing limited resources.   Change the title…not the limited resources that is the main point, but violent changes in economic situation.  Instead of

New title: Greece.  Protecting public health by striving to ensure provision of adequate services for individuals affected by substance use disorders in times of societal disequilibrium due to intense economic downturns. 

Egypt.  Leave the title.  Go to Ops.

Portugal.  One very vulnerable area is drug policy.  Idea of OP is to draw attention of all relevant stakeholders to the fact that even under difficult budgetary constraints and under economic challenges, countries should ensure provision of essential health services…Noting etc.
 Pakistan.  Appears to identify that there are certain countries where there is a lack of attention to the public health sector, but that is probably not the case.  Even countries facing difficult economic services.  No harm in emphasizing the need to keep providing.  When we link up with economic crisis, whole new conversation that it is the current phase of economic crisis, or economic base is being alluded to.  Also has certain elements that allude to fundamental rights of citizens and obligations of states enshrined in constitutions.  This resolution hits to the core of.  Difficult for our delegation to go along with .. linking resources to public health.  Can go along with first sentence, but the rest very difficult.

Greece. Noting the need to continue providing adequate resources for the public health sector to ensure health provision even at times of sudden economic downturn and resulting impact on resources which may serve to exacerbate challenges related to the health of the individual citizen and of the population as a whole.
Pakistan – “adequate” a problem. Whole para doesn’t make much sense to us.  Doesn’t reflect what is going on in many parts of the world.  Maybe in some.  Element of sudden economic downturn very difficult for us to comprehend.  We have fixed amounts even in economic downturn.

ALT –  Conscious that the existing patterns of drug abuse remain a challenge  and many new ones have emerged which require an inclusive approach that promotes inter alia public health and safety.

PP10.  Concerned that the negative effects of changing economic conditions may result in a rise in marginalization of negative and even discriminatory societal attitudes towards people who use drugs, which undermines efforts aimed at promoting health risk and harm reduction treatment, social reintegration and the potential for recovery.

1 bis. “Calls upon MS to collaborate in the provision of all kinds of assistance upon request in order to improve their ability to address drug abuse and the related health and social consequences on the individual and the society through bilateral regional and international cooperation, where appropriate. (Pakistan)

Egypt – “public health disorder services.”

All kinds of assistance – financial, technical, as well as through bilateral, regional and international cooperation.

“All kinds of assistance, including but not limited to technical assistance” – Egyptpreference.
US – “Provision of assistance upon request.”  Some MS may have restrictions on what they can receive.

Other MS want to delete or move further down in the text.  Most important paras come after, not consistent with aim pursued.

US – Invites MS to assist each other in meeting economic challenges, including in the provision of ……trying to come up with wording tying to theme of resolution

Chair, bracket the para.

OP2.  Reiterates the importance of effective cooperation of relevant stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels as essential elements for addressing the world drug problem.
Pakistan – “Effective cooperation of relevant stakeholders” – with whom?  Should be “among”.  (agreed)

OP3.  Recognizes the importance played by CS, in particular NGOs, in addressing the WDP including reaching out to and engaging with vulnerable populations.
Pakistan – bracket.  There will be questions regarding who are vulnerable populations.

OP4.   Encourages MS, in cooperation, in accordance with national legislation, as appropriate, with relevant stakeholders, to endeavor to ensure that measures taken at the national and local levels, in response to economic and financial constraints do not disproportionately impact on the implementation of comprehensive and balanced drug demand and supply reduction policies including adequate health measures as well as sufficient efforts for supply reduction.
Egypt – some changes.
Portugal.  JMS 29th para.  Outcome of very complex negotiations.  Our ministers have approved that.
Pakistan.  There are certain issues that add to the vagueness.  Refers to economic and financial constraints.  Meant to highlight sudden downturns.  Many have economic and social constraints.  Reorder it  a bit.
Pakistan — Encourages MS in cooperation, as appropriate with relevant stakeholders, to endeavor to ensure that measures taken at the national level … can work on this and sit with Portugal.. bracket (insufficient economic resources) the continued implementation of comprehensive and balanced national drug demand and supply reduction policies, including adequate provision of health measures in accordance with national legislation and despite sudden economic depression in such states.
Cameroon.  The word cooperation seems inappropriate here.  Can’t put MS on same footing as relevant stakeholders – say “in collaboration with” – -and last section of the proposal does not restore the main idea.  It is not despite the sudden economic depression – it is in order to tackle the economic situation.

Portugal.  Requests distinguished delegation to revert to agreed para 29 of JMS last Friday in order to avoid legitimate interpretations.  Discussion exhausted in last few months.  Carefully crafted compromise in the informals.

Pakistan.  Fully respect and appreciate Portugal comments…requires a careful approach and doing our best to have it formulated in as appropriate a way as can be.  Not a way to tackle economic crisis.  Other way around.  Because of this we are attempting to tackle.  Then bracket the third line. ..