 This C&D doesn't seem to be the most evenful C&D, but if you look at the member states there are a lot of things happening in the country level. We had yesterday here a side event from the Norwegian government where they presented the outcome of, you know, a year-long study by a special committee set up to look into the possibility of decriminalization and how it might work in Norway. The Norwegian proposal Of course, it's still just a proposal. It's being subject to public consultation. It will not come for decision to the parliament until early next year, but you know, it's a very progressive recommendation of decriminalization. Can you please explain us why do you think it's the reform of drug law is needed in Norway? Because the punishment for use or prohibition of illegal drugs is is one of the reason that the people with drug dependence are stigmatized in the society and stigmatization is hindering us in giving people good health care and We really need to give people more help. We don't need to punish people. The committee proposed a model where use, acquisition and possession of a limited quantity of drugs for personal use with the ill-constituted illegal acts and trigger a response. The response however will not have to be criminal and we Proposed that it should not be instead You should as the person with used drugs have to meet for a municipal counseling unit The extra drugs not closely related to personal use will still be criminal offense and very strict criminal offense And then there is no proposal to legalize drugs in the sense of regulated sale for recreational purposes Thank you very much. My name is Ari Knutson, leader of the association for humane drug policy in Norway I'm a drug user activist and we wrote this petition that Ben Töger told about and after this the civil society in general and the drug user organizations Have been included in the work and I remember Mr. Hey how we were standing outside the Parliament with posters and banners and yelling at the government and the Parliament and we didn't go get nowhere and when we were included we have this Cooperation now we are giving him to evidence-based and human rights rights based Politics so this is so just so fantastic and Ben Töger. Thank you so much Discussing this for over 20 years. We have been disagreeing you had right. I had wrong You refer to in your speech that you have been discussing this with civil society for like 10 years So what was the role in civil society in convincing you? The civil society has been the driving force for this reform I was against this reform for like 20 years and have been in many many discussion with the civil society But they convinced me that this is the way forward because they had the best argument and the best facts and also the best Personal experience the Norwegian proposal aims to change the fundamental reactions of authorities to persons using drugs It's an example of how states at their own discretion Can adopt humane policy measures based on a public health oriented approach? It is fully consistent with the conventions to exempt the possession of small quantities of drugs from criminal Prosecution and instead react in a proportionate manner to minor drug offenses through health-centered non-punitive actions the World Health Organization views Drug control measures as means to protect the health and welfare of humankind as required by the pre-order to the conventions As such we welcome the approach Taken by you in Norway from a medical perspective the first definition is premium non-no share and Anything that is just as a punishment Should not have nothing to do and ask nothing to do with the medical and public health approach And it's important. I'm sure this will contribute to reduce the stigma on behalf of our office I welcome Norway's new proposal on the drug reform Which we come in to move away from the punitive approach to supportive approach it had just in drug situation The Norwegian new proposal is not only an important and positive State for the protection of human rights in your own country But surely it will be a good practice model for many others around the world in coming years and decades What do you recommend to other countries who came here to the CND? I recommend them to have a discussion and go into the facts and findings that We know have and discuss their own drug policy