Assessment of National Drug Policy of Belarus

The study is a result of institutional cooperation of the two UN agencies supported by the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Belarus and the national team of professionals from multiple institutions. International expertise was represented by a medical expert and an international lawyer, with a focus on drug-related medical issues and law-enforcement aspects respectively.   

The purpose of the comprehensive study was to examine the criminological and socio-medical factors that influence the national drug-related context, and suggest efficient, human rights-based measures of drug enforcement.   

The evaluation team reviewed national and international drug laws and practices, national criminal justice statistics, open sources, and other literature concerning drug control, crime investigation, crime prevention, and human rights. For empirical purposes, the team analyzed the results of the survey among 2,522 inmates convicted of drug law offences and the survey of 129 law enforcement officers. The international standards for the purpose of the assessment were defined in line with the International Drug Control Conventions that Belarus is a party to.