After a year of work, Cartello di Genova, a group of Italian associations fighting for the reform of drug policies, finally got a serious appointment with the Italian government.

The NGOs met on Friday, March 4, with representatives of the ministries of health, justice and foreign affairs as well as with representatives of the Italian permanent representation to the UN in Vienna, the International Narcotics Control Board, and of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC).

The meeting was conducted with a view to UNGASS 2016, a special UN assembly on drugs, which will take place in New York from April 19-21.

A louder voice for civil society

As this international event nears, Italian civil society organizations want to make sure of Italy's statement during the assembly.

The so-called War on Drugs started by the US more than 40 years ago is obviously a failure on a global scale. The criminal approach to the drug problem has led to very negative side effects.

Some countries have been overburdened by narco-trafficking, violence and bribery, and there is a high rate of incarceration for drug offense all around the world, yet drug consumption hasn't decreased.

Facing this observation, Italian civil society groups want to make UNGASS 2016 a place where the voices of NGOs will be heard. The message of the NGOs during the meeting on Friday was the same message recently delivered by Kofi Annan: “Lift the ban!”

Drugs must be legalized in order to be controlled. This is an essential point, and the NGOs of Cartello di Genova do not want UNGASS 2016 to end in the ratification of a “zero draft” paper that is prepared behind civil society's back and attempts to deal globally with a problem that should be solved in accordance with individual national and cultural backgrounds.

120,000 arrests in 7 years

On a national scale, seven years of the Fini-Giovanardi law has led to 120,000 arrests for drug offenses in Italy, and billions of euros in drug-related expenditures.

As this very restrictive policy and the criminal approach have blatantly failed, Italian civil society is fighting for the legalization of drugs and for the adoption by the state of a harm reduction approach towards drugs.

The NGOs insist on the respect of human rights in drug policy - with the key point being that people living with addictions should be treated rather than jailed.

Whatever comes from the consultative meeting, on a symbolic level it may be an open door to an eventual - and expected - national conference for the reform of the drug policy in Italy.