Conference details
HR19 - 26th Harm Reduction International Conference
Harm Reduction International
61 Mansell Street
Aldgate
London
E1 8AN
Conference enquiries: +44 (0) 151 702 0635
Email for conference-related enquiries: conference@hri.global
HR19 will be 2019’s largest international harm reduction event, bringing together over 1,000 people from around the world working at the heart of harm reduction and drug policy. Over four days of presentations, workshops, films, networking events and more, the conference will continue its history of providing a dynamic forum to share the latest research and discussions on best practice in drug use, harm reduction and human rights.
Twenty-nine years after the first Harm Reduction International conference, HR19’s timing and location takes on a special importance. The global debate on drugs and harm reduction has drastically changed since 1990. Many governments now openly acknowledge the shortcomings of punitive drug laws and some are moving toward reform, including the implementation of cost-effective, lifesaving harm reduction measures. Portugal stands at the forefront of this - the country’s decriminalisation mode, implemented in 2001, is often celebrated as an example of how to protect the health and human rights of people who use drugs.
Despite progress in the global debate, reform in many places remains far off. HR19 will be a unique opportunity to learn first-hand about the public health and rights advances made under Portugal’s model. The conference theme, ‘People before Politics,’ will underpin all HR19 activities and highlight the importance of putting public health and people’s lives before political ideology.
