A/HRC/31/45 21. The Deputy Executive Director of UNODC emphasized that attention had to be paid to the particular vulnerability of female drug offenders. Women in prison for drug-related offenses were often recruited or coerced to perform low-level and high-risk tasks. Alternatives to imprisonment were particularly appropriate for women charged with minor drug-related offences. Explicit measures were also required to protect children from the illicit use of drugs and to prevent the use of children in illicit drug production and trafficking. More protection by health, child protection and justice systems was required to promote the rights of children with substance abuse problems. UNODC also promoted the provision of free legal advice to those who had no means to afford their criminal defence and the rational use of controlled medicines that was essential to the relief of pain related to health conditions. Finally, it opposed the death penalty in all circumstances and encouraged every country to establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The Deputy Executive Director added that UNODC strongly advises States that retain capital punishment not to impose it for drug-related offences, as they are not considered to fall under the category of “most serious crimes”. 22. Mr. Srisamoot said that full compliance with human rights law and with the international drug control framework went hand-in-hand. At its session in March 2015, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs emphasized the importance of human rights in a number of resolutions on various topics, such as evidence-based treatment and care for children and young people with substance use disorders, the quality and the reliability of drug analysis results, and alternative development. Respect for human rights was identified as one of the cross-cutting issues in preparations for the special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem, which included drugs and human rights, young people, women, children and communities. 23. The health and welfare of humankind should be protected against risks associated with drug use through the implementation of science-based and health-oriented prevention, treatment, social rehabilitation and reintegration programmes. It was necessary to ensure access to treatment for people who used drugs, including those in prisons. Children were to be protected from the illicit use of drugs and psychotic substances and should not be used in the illicit production and trafficking of drugs. It was also the responsibility of the international community to address the situation in which three quarters of the world’s population lived in countries where access to controlled medicines for pain relief was low or non-existent. Drug-related organized criminal activities and violence undermined legitimate economies, stability and security of people, he concluded. IV. Summary of the discussion 24. During the discussion, contributions were made by the representatives of Switzerland (on behalf of 16 States), Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Arab Group), the European Union, Ecuador (on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), Uruguay (on behalf of the Union of South American Nations), Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation), Algeria (on behalf of the African Group), Colombia (on behalf of the core group of 10 countries that sponsored Human Rights Council resolution 28/28), Albania, Australia, Austria, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, China, El Salvador, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sweden and Tunisia. From intergovernmental organizations, contributions were made by the Council of Europe and UNAIDS. 25. Contributions were also made by representatives of non-governmental organizations, including the International Lesbian and Gay Association, in a joint statement with the International Service for Human Rights; Harm Reduction International, in a joint statement with Human Rights Watch; Centro Regional de Derechos Humanos y Justicia de Genero, in 6