2. Pompidou Group for Human rights and drug policies in Europe: A self-assessment tool

This presentation introduces a new tool developed by the Pompidou Group for a self-assessment of human rights compliance in drug policies at national level.

The tool is grounded in European and International human rights norms. Unlike the Global Drug Policy Index (presentation 3) it is non-comparative, and does not use standardised indicators. Instead, the model aims to address the gap between human rights standards and the practical challenge of where to start in understanding compliance. It therefore adopts a series of guiding questions, with the intention of initiating discussions across ministries/departments, engaging civil society in a meaningful dialogue, and improving the overall understanding of the human rights situation with regard to drug policies in local context. The tool is yet to be piloted. The presentation will include an overview of the process of developing the Tool, including challenges encountered along the way.

This presentation aims to invite the audience to consider the role of standardised indicators, and if the process itself can be as powerful as the outcome.