The two strategic pillars of the ‘war on drugs’ – that is the eradication of illicit crops and the militarisation of the fight against drug gangs – have both been a disaster. The fragile consensus surrounding the ‘war on drugs’ is falling apart.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an opportunity to develop new, contextually attuned approaches to counter-narcotics and peacebuilding – based on solid research and applying a gender lens.
This policy paper provides recommendations for a new approach to transforming illicit drug economies, in order to support sustainable transitions that achieve the targets and ambition of the SDGs.
This paper was published by Christian Aid, a partner in the Drugs and (dis)order research project funded by the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund.