Colombia Challenges the Global Drug Control System

Like the Conferences of the Parties (COP), the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) negotiates resolutions—documents that outline the commitments countries agree to uphold under international treaties. In this session, for the first time ever, Colombia was leading a resolution. And it wasn’t just any resolution: it called for an independent, external review of the implementation of drug treaties. In other words, it put prohibition itself under scrutiny to assess its real effectiveness.

Colombia’s proposal was a direct challenge to the traditional structure of the CND. Every March, negotiations in these halls focus on maintaining the status quo. Resolutions passed year after year reaffirm commitment to international drug treaties while avoiding any mention of human rights or the harmful consequences of the system at both national and global levels. Additionally, these resolutions are adopted by consensus, following the so-called “Vienna spirit,” which has historically avoided voting altogether.

This tradition was dangerous: consensus always reduced progress to the lowest possible level, as it sought to reconcile extreme and opposing views on drug policy. In this context, Colombia’s resolution was not only a shake-up of the usual process but also set the stage for something unusual—an actual vote, with an uncertain outcome.

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