Thursday, November 11, 2021, (Geneva, Switzerland; Warsaw, Poland)— A group of distinguished personalities from the Eastern European and Central Asian region will launch the Eastern and Central European and Central Asian Commission on Drug Policy(ECECACD), a new regional commission set up to inspire better drug policy in the region inspired by the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
The Regional Commission is an independent body chaired by Aleksander Kwaśniewski, former President of Poland and member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
The ECECACD will feature the following Commissioners:
- Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Former President of Poland (Chair)
- Michel Kazatchkine, Former Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Switzerland
- Pavel Bém, Ex-Mayor of Prague, Czechia
- Vytenis Andriukaitis, WHO Special Envoy for Europe, Lithuania
- Elvira Surabaldiyeva, former Deputy Prime Minister Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan
- Andris Piebalgs, Adviser to the President of Latvia and former European Commissioner for Energy (Barroso I) and former European Commissioner for Development (Barroso II), Latvia
- Elena Pinchuk, Founder, Elena Pinchuk AIDS Foundation, Ukraine
In recent years, independent Regional Commissions have been set up in Latin America, under the leadership of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (Brazil), and in West Africa – West Africa Commission on Drugs, under the leadership of Kofi Annan.
The ECECA region continues to have a mixed record on drug policy. More moderate public health approaches in countries like Czechia and Estonia contrast with a more oppressive policy in countries such as Russia and Belarus. HIV incidence continues to increase in Eastern Europe accompanied by high rates of drug resistant tuberculosis (TB).
ENDS
What: Launch the Eastern and Central European and Central Asian Commission on Drug Policy (ECECACD)
When: 10:00-11:00 CET, (GMT +1)Thursday, November 18, 2021
Where: This media launch will be a live Zoom event. Media can register here:
Who:
- Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Former President of Poland (Chair)
- Michel Kazatchkine, Former Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Switzerland
- Pavel Bém, Ex-Mayor of Prague, Czech Republic
- Vytenis Andriukaitis, WHO Special Envoy for Europe, Lithuania
- Elvira Surabaldiyeva, former Deputy Prime Minister Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan
- Andris Piebalgs, Adviser to the President of Latvia and former European Commissioner for Energy (Barroso I) and former European Commissioner for Development (Barroso II), Latvia
Further Information:
Michael Kessler
Michael Kessler Media
Mob: +34 655 792 699