A/HRC/39/39 group in the so-called “war on drugs”. The Working Group called for an end to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, Afrophobia and related intolerance, including their manifestations in the adoption and implementation of international and national drug policies.102 73. The new drug strategy of Ireland is aimed at improving the capacity of services to accommodate the needs of people from specific minority communities who use drugs, including the Traveller community.103 2. Persons with disabilities 74. In many States, punitive drug policies do not recognize the unique vulnerability of persons with psychosocial disabilities who use drugs. Such policies affect them negatively by not providing appropriate drug dependence treatment and harm reduction prevention services. 75. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has addressed this issue in its reviewing of the State party reports of Peru and the Russian Federation. The Committee expressed concern regarding the Peruvian law that permits involuntary detention of persons with a “perceived disability”, that is, “persons with a drug or alcohol dependence”, and recommended the repeal of the related legal provision (see CRPD/C/PER/CO/1). The Committee recommended that the Russian Federation revise its current legislation and practices regarding drug policy and preventive measures, which had a negative impact on persons with disabilities (see CRPD/C/RUS/CO/1). 3. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons 76. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons who use drugs are disproportionately impacted by drug policies in many countries, and experience a range of harms flowing from drug use and drug-induced mental trauma. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons who use drugs may not seek support or treatment from health-care providers because of previous or anticipated experiences of discrimination. 104 The new drug strategy of Ireland proposes targeted interventions for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. 105 VI. Joint commitments on alternative development, international cooperation, measuring drug policies and human rights A. Alternative development 77. In the outcome document of the thirtieth special session, all States reiterated their commitment to “alternative development”. 106 Alternative development is “a process to prevent and eliminate the illicit cultivation of plants containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through specifically designed rural development measures in the context of sustained national economic growth and sustainable development efforts in countries taking action against drugs, recognizing the particular sociocultural characteristics of the target communities and groups, within the framework of a comprehensive and permanent solution to the problem of illicit drugs” (see General Assembly resolution S20/4). 102 103 104 105 106 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=19852&LangID=E, A/HRC/33/61/Add.2, and the submission from For Alternative Approaches to Addiction — Think and Do Tank. See https://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Reducing-Harm-Supporting-Recovery-20172025.pdf. Joint submission from the Global Forum on MSM and HIV, and the Federatie van Nederlandse Verenigingen tot Integratie van Homoseksualiteit. Strategy of Ireland, p. 47; and see http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp/182. Recommendation 7 (a)–(g). 15

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