Acknowledgements

            The work of the Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem 2016 was carried out under the leadership of its Steering Committee, comprised of:

- Mr. Esbjörn Hörnberg, Chairperson CSTF and Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC);

- Ms. Heather Haase, Vice-Chair CSTF and Chairperson, New York NGO Committee on Drugs (NYNGOC);

- Ms. Elisa Rubini, Vice-Chair CSTF and Deputy Director for International Relations, San Patrignano;

- Mr. Allan Clear, CSTF Secretary and former Executive Director, Harm Reduction Coalition (December 2014-Fenruary 2016) and

- Mr. Diederik Lohman, CSTF Secretary and Associate Director, Health and Human Rights Division, Human Rights Watch (February-June 2016).

Operational support was provided by Mr. Daniel Quittan, Project Officer, VNGOC; Ms. Maria Loredana Idomir, Project Officer, VNGOC and Mr. Benjamin Philipps, Special Projects Coordinator, Harm Reduction Coalition/NYNGOC.

Our special gratitude goes out to the thematic and regional civil society representatives on the CSTF for their considerable outreach efforts at local, national, regional and international levels.

         Furthermore, the CSTF acknowledges the open dialogue with and the assistance of the Secretariat to the Governing Bodies within the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UNODC Civil Society Team, the Office of the President of the United Nations General Assembly and the NGO Branch of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.