We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Catherine Cook as the Executive Director of Harm Reduction International.

In Singapore, drug-related executions reached the highest number ever recorded since we started monitoring this in 2007. Using the death penalty for drug offences raises serious human rights concerns and it devastates communities.

Vulnerable individuals and communities are disproportionately affected by punitive drug laws.  @drmaisato.bsky.social, UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, shares concerns on the extended negative effects of the death penalty.   #DeathPenalty #DrugPolicy #AbolishTheDeathPenalty

At least 1,212 people were executed for drug-related offences worldwide. This represents a 97% increase from 2024. Drug offences were responsible for over 46% of all executions confirmed globally.

36 countries still retain the death penalty even though it does not deter drug trafficking. Instead, it disproportionately affects vulnerable individuals & communities. Read the full report: https://hri.global/flagship-research/death-penalty/the-death-penalty-for-drug-offences-global-overview-2025/

Our report “The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2025” is out and the findings are catastrophic. Drug-related executions nearly doubled in 2025.

The alarming increase in executions, death sentences and death row populations confirms that drug control drives capital punishment in many countries.  🔗Read our latest report here: https://hri.global/flagship-research/death-penalty/the-death-penalty-for-drug-offences-global-overview-2025/

🚨 Record spike in drug-related executions Executions for drug offences surged 97% in 2025, with 1,212+ people executed worldwide - the highest figure recorded since we began monitoring in 2007. Punitive drug control is now driving nearly half of confirmed executions globally.

Don't miss the side events where we will be participating at the #CND69 in Vienna.  If you're not attending in-person, you can still join online.  Full schedule and online access links here: https://www.unodc.org/documents/commissions/CND/CND_Sessions/CND_69/Events/2026_CND_Side_Events_Programme.pdf

Join our side event at the #CN69 to discuss progress and challenges in the efforts to end the death penalty for drug offences.  Meet us at the Vienna International Centre, room M2, or join online here: https://bit.ly/DPCND69

Join us at our side event at the CND to examine how to centre human rights in harm reduction; from meaningful participation and legal reform to sustainable, rights-based responses in a changing political and funding context. Room M6 or online at https://bit.ly/HRCND69

Join us at #CND69 to examine how to centre human rights in harm reduction, from meaningful participation and legal reform to sustainable, rights-based responses in a changing political and funding context. Meet us at Room M6, or join online here: https://bit.ly/HRCND69

HRl's new briefing on The Global Fund's Grant Cycle 8 highlights priorities and recommendations when integrating harm reduction programmes into health systems. 🔗 Click to find the full messages. 

Today it's #ZeroDiscriminationDay Everyone has the right to live with dignity, health and peace, including people who use drugs. Harm reduction is healthcare, and healthcare is a human right.  Criminalisation, discrimination and stigma deny people life saving services.

On the World Day of Social Justice, we acknowledge the role of harm reduction in promoting equity, dignity, and human rights. At the same time, we highlight the structural barriers, inequities, and unmet needs that must still be addressed.

Claudia Cardona from Mujeres Libres Colombia discusses how women facing disadvantages are disproportionately impacted by punitive drug policies.  Watch Claudia's complete presentation on the webinar "Drug Policy and People Deprived of Liberty". https://youtu.be/gAoNtw2W8Bs

In case you missed our most recent webinar "Drug Policy and People Deprived of Liberty", watch a panel of international experts discuss the impact of punitive drug policies and the need to guarantee high standards of human rights in prisons. Link here: 🔗https://youtu.be/gAoNtw2W8Bs

Join the in-person event by the Permanent Mission of Switzerland and the International Drug Policy Consortium to dicuss a decade of drug policy and human rights. It's time reflect on our challenges and draw different paths for the future. Tuesday 3rd February | 09:00 am |

💥From encouraging positive changes in people’s lives and avoiding stigma, to reducing the harms of current drug laws and committing to social justice, harm reduction has deep meanings for everyone. What does it mean to you? Tell us in the comments.  #HarmReduction #drugpolicy  #humanrights

Every day, we witness the negative effects of punitive drug policies around the world. We must divest from this unjust drug war and invest in communities, health and justice. 📺 ‘Keeping Harm Reduction Alive: Strategies amid a global funding collapse‘: https://youtu.be/ZsSEdYEuEoM

The Harm Reduction International Conference is finally on Instagram!👋  Follow us and stay tuned for exciting news on the road to HR27!  https://www.instagram.com/hriconf  #HRIConference #HarmReduction #DrugPolicyReform #HRIconf

Don't miss our webinar, where we will explore the main human rights standards on access to health and harm reduction in prisons, and share lessons learned from advocacy experience at a regional and international level.  Register here: 🔗https://bit.ly/ConnectingMovements

Join our webinar, where we will explore the main human rights standards on access to health and harm reduction in prisons and share lessons learned from advocacy experience at a regional and international level.  Register here: 🔗https://bit.ly/ConnectingMovements

Along with our colleagues in Latin America and around the world, we condemn the actions of the United States government towards the people of Venezuela.

If you want to listen to international voices while you travel for the holidays, our #HR25Bogotá podcast list is the one! Here's a set of episodes by digital creators who captured stories of the harm reduction community.

This year, the harm reduction community faced unprecedented challenges. In the face of multiple crises, loss, and grave violence around the world, communities showed remarkable resilience. May 2026 bring justice and care for people who use drugs, as we continue to build brighter futures together.

It is resistance, community-led projects, and human-centered approaches that keep harm reduction programmes going; however, funding is key to maintain these services operating.

Fiji is facing one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the world. This Lancet article shows why expanding harm reduction, same-day testing, and treatment is needed to save lives and curb transmission. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02430-4/fulltext?rss=yes

Member States and partners came together at the side event “Commitment Event: Investing in Life-Saving Harm Reduction” during the CND Intersessional Meeting to confront urgent challenges and drive stronger political and financial commitments to harm reduction.

Harm reduction services can make the difference between life and death. How can we continue to provide life-saving services in the middle of a funding crisis?  🔴 Watch the recording of our webinar to learn more. Subtitles available in English and Spanish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsSEdYEuEoM

This #HumanRightsDay, we demand harm reduction. Punitive drug laws violate rights, enable racist policing, fuel mass incarceration & block access to health. We centre human rights in our harm reduction advocacy because punitive policies undermine dignity, health & rights.

Understanding the different barriers people face when trying to access harm reduction services is key to improving these services. #EVAWUD25 #StopTheDrugWar #DrugPolicyIsAFeministIssue #harmreduction

While Indonesia's primary healthcare services include harm reducion, U.S. funding cuts still impact their effectiveness. We need to reinforce collaboration to ensure access to services. Read the report: https://hri.global/publications/the-impact-of-us-funding-cuts-on-harm-reduction-in-indonesia/

The harm reduction funding crisis needs to be addressed as a human rights crisis. It is lives that are at stake when harm reduction services are paused or stopped.  🔴 Watch the recording of our webinar: https://youtu.be/ZsSEdYEuEoM

U.S. funding cuts for foreign aid have triggered public health crises in countries like South Africa. Immediate action is needed to ensure harm reduction services. Read the full report: https://hri.global/publications/breaking-point-the-impact-of-us-funding-cuts-on-harm-reduction-in-south-africa/

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we affirm that there is no place for gender-based violence of any type in harm reduction spaces.  #25N #NoExcuse #ACTtoEndViolence

President @emmanuelmacron.bsky.social  Macron hosted the Global Fund in 2019 & committed to increase funds in 2022. We need him to step up again. People living with HIV, TB and Malaria can't afford to have empty chairs at the Pledging Summit. @gfadvocates.bsky.social  @gfanap.bsky.social

NEW DATA: This briefing provides updates to key data from our flagship report, The Global State of Harm Reduction. The update also summarises funding and policy developments since the 2024 report.

Not to miss! 🧡👌💜

Join us for our webinar 'Keeping Harm Reduction Alive: Strategies Amid a Global Funding Collapse'  Register at http://tinyurl.com/GSHR25  We'll be sharing the latest data on harm reduction services worldwide and highlighting case studies from Indonesia and South Africa.

As #COP30 gets underway in Brasil - we urge activists, advocates and governments to take seriously the link between drug policy and environmental collapse.  #climate #indigenouslands #cocaleaf #SOSAmazônia #investinjustice

Recorded live at #HR25Bogotá, these podcasts capture the voices, stories and ideas shaping the global harm reduction movement; from health and human rights to policy and practice.

Calling all harm reduction practitioners & peer workers: Our friends at Coact are hosting one-day safer injecting trainings which covers the latest in low-dead-space syringes, circulation systems, safer preparation & disposal.

Everyone has a right to good health, regardless of their race, colour, sex, national origin or their choice to use drugs. Everyone has a right to harm reduction, dignity, and care.

LAST CHANCE TO APPLY! We're seeking consultants for evaluation and development of HRI’s Strategic Plan. https://hri.global/vacancies/consultant-strategic-plan/ Deadline: Please send a letter of interest + CV to [email protected] by 5 November 2025.

Join us at the Virtual Side Event at the second World Summit For Social Development to discuss how harm reduction contributes to develop a stronger, healthier world. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/HR-SocialDevelopment Learn more about the #SocialSummit2025: https://teamup.com/ksjku4mxgkkv1dvbab

We’re excited to share that Harm Reduction International (HRI) is seeking consultants for evaluation and development of HRI’s Strategic Plan. hri.global/vacancies/consultant-strategic-plan/

The global war on drugs entrenches racial & colonial power. New paper co-authored by our Acting ED Catherine Cook exposes how global systems sustain this inequality. harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-025-01243-7

Los servicios de reducción de daños surgieron en la década de los 80 como respuesta a la crisis de VIH. Desde entonces, se ha desarrollado un amplio rango de estrategias para minimizar los impactos negativos asociados al uso de drogas.

Harm reduction services first emerged in the 1980s as a response to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Since then, a whole range of strategies have been developed to minimise the negative impacts associated with drugs.