A/HRC/31/45 Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) had taken similar positions. That was because the criminalization of the possession and use of drugs had been shown to cause significant obstacles to the right to health. Concerning the death penalty for drug-related offences, it was estimated that 33 countries or territories continued to impose the death penalty for such offences, resulting in approximately 1,000 executions annually. In some States, drugrelated offences accounted for the majority of executions carried out. However, according to the findings of the Human Rights Committee, the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, drug-related offences did not meet the threshold of the “most serious crimes”. 7. The Deputy High Commissioner noted that, in some States, persons suspected of having committed drug-related offences were particularly at risk of arbitrary detention and that drug users may be subjected to torture or ill-treatment in custody to obtain a confession or other information. Convictions for drug-related offences also often resulted in disproportionately harsh sentences for relatively minor offences and adversely affects a range of rights or entitlement to benefits, including custody of children or visitation rights, access to public housing, food assistance, student financial aid or eligibility for certain types of employment. Consideration should be given to alternatives to prosecution and imprisonment of persons for minor, non-violent, drug-related offences. She observed that ethnic minorities and women could be particularly subject to discrimination in law enforcement efforts, particularly for the use or possession of drugs or for their role as “micro-distributors”. 8. Concerning the rights of children, the Deputy High Commissioner stated that the focus should be on prevention and children should receive accurate and objective information about drugs. Children should not be subject to criminal prosecution. Instead, responses should focus on health and education, treatment, including harm-reduction measures, and social reintegration. As for indigenous peoples, she noted that they had the right to follow their traditional, cultural and religious practices and, where drug use was part of these practices, it should in principle be permitted. 9. The Deputy High Commissioner expressed hope that human rights would be addressed in a constructive and specific manner in the outcome documents of the special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem, in order to ensure the protection of human rights in State law and practice in the future. III. Statements by the panellists 10. The panel moderator said that it was important to develop far-reaching cooperation within the United Nations family and to analyse the complexity of drug use. The aim of the panel was to understand whether relevant international conventions were being implemented and the role of policies adopted in this area. The contribution of the Human Rights Council and OHCHR would allow the setting-up of a general framework to provide consistency and show the path towards greater consistency and effectiveness of those policies. This was important because some countries had adopted measures that had fallen short of respect for human rights, including the right to health for drug users. Also, by now, it was obvious that national and international drug policies could have unintended consequences. She added that the High Commissioner’s report had drawn attention to the consequences of drug use on the most vulnerable, including women and children. 11. Mr. Florez welcomed the study by OHCHR, which referred to some of the undesirable consequences of drug control policies. In the name of the fight against drugs, 3