The Committee issued these concluding observations in 2014, after considering Ukraine’s sixth periodic report. In paragraph 24, the Committee notes concern ‘about the punitive approach towards persons who use drugs’ and the high rate of their imprisonment, as well as about restrictions on access to opioid substitution therapy (OST) and needle and syringe exchange programmes (NSE). The Committee recommends that Ukraine ‘adopt a human rights-based approach in addressing the problem of drug use’, including by addressing discrimination against drug users, providing appropriate health care and rehabilitation services, and allocating funding for OST and NSE programmes, including in prison settings. In paragraph 22, the Committee notes concern at the prevalence of HIV and recommends, among other measures, NSE programmes.
Citation: UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 'Concluding Observations on Ukraine' (E/C.12/UKR/CO/6) 2014