With the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem approaching in 2016, there
was hopeful expectation that the mid-term review of the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on drugs1
would help to set the scene for a transparent, inclusive and wide ranging debate. It was hoped that the UNGASS
would take into account the new realities confronting drug control systems – which are evolving at the political
level and on the ground. Three processes are occurring which challenge the international community to find new
agreements and strategies for responding to drugs: