At their 95^th meeting in Strasbourg (5-6 November 2024), the Permanent Correspondents of the Pompidou Group adopted a Policy document providing “Guidance for aligning drug and addiction policies with human rights”. The Guidance document aims to ensure that drug and addiction policies, when developed or re-enforced by national authorities, integrate and prioritise human rights by aligning their frameworks with human rights standards. It provides for national authorities a set of guidelines to a comprehensive approach in integrating human rights into drug policies, safeguarding health, safety, and dignity in addressing and countering all aspects related to drug use and addictions. Furthermore, it urges policymakers, public institutions and professionals to integrate human and social rights considerations into their decision-making and policy development processes.

As a follow up to the request of the Permanent Correspondents when adopting the Policy Paper, Terms of Reference of the Drafting Committee on Human Rights and Drug Policies (DH-PDA) were examined by the Rapporteur Group on Social and Health Questions (GR-SOC) on 4 February 2025.  At that meeting it was agreed that the examined text of Terms of Reference be transmitted to the Committee of Ministers (Deputies) for adoption without further debate at their 1519^th meeting (12-13 February 2025). 

Consequently, at its 1519^th meeting, 12-13 February 2025, the deputies approved the Terms of Reference of the DH-PDA as submitted by GR-SOC. This committee shall operate under the authority of the CDDH from 1 May 2025 until 31 December 2026.