This side event was organised by Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC), Slovenia, UNODC, African Civil Society Platform on Drugs, Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, American Coalition on Drug Policy (CAPD), European Union Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSFD), European Drugs Agency (EUDA) and New York NGO Committee on Drugs (NYNGOC).

It focused on how civil society can constructively contribute to the newly established multidisciplinary, independent expert panel under CND resolution 68/6. The outcome of the side event was recommendations on how the panel could conduct structured, transparent, and inclusive consultation mechanisms with civil society, including:
– Open global calls for written submissions;
– Inclusive consultation hearings, both virtual and regional, and accessible across time zones and languages;
– Engagement with youth organisations and affected communities, including people with lived and living experience, as well as Indigenous Peoples;
– Ensuring civil society organisations without ECOSOC status can contribute to these opportunities; and,
– Meaningful consideration of civil society inputs in the panel’s recommendations, and transparent reporting on how this is done.

Civil society organisations bring unique value to the work of the panel. They provide direct community connections, real-time knowledge from the ground, and practical experience in prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, access to essential medicines, development, policy implementation, and human rights. They also serve as an important institutional memory, having contributed to previous processes such as the 2016 UNGASS on the World Drug Problem and 2019 Ministerial Segment.