
Gloria Rose Marie de Achá is a Bolivian lawyer. She is a member of both the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights and the advocacy organisation Acción Andina. She has been working for over 15 years on drug policy, public security policy, human rights and the rights of children and adolescents. She has also worked in prisons and with groups of children who live and work in the streets. She has published many articles, reports and briefings. She was responsible for the Coca, Drugs and Development section of the Centre for Documentation and Information in Bolivia. She worked as a researcher at the Citizens' Ombudsman office and as a legal advisor to the Deputy Minister of Children and Youth. Currently she coordinates a Latin American program on Criminal Juvenile Justice - International Defense for Children.
The war on drugs creates massive costs, resulting from the enforcement-led approach that puts organised crime in control of the trade. It is time to count these costs and explore the alternatives.
In 2011 the 1961 UN Single Convention on drugs will be in place for 50 years. In 2012 the international drug control system will exist 100 years since the International Opium Convention was signed in 1912 in The Hague. Does it still serve its purpose or is a reform of the UN Drug Conventions needed? This site provides critical background.
