🌐 Global Advocacy and
UN Engagement
At Ágora, we believe that true social transformation requires direct engagement in global governance spaces. This is why we actively participate in multilateral processes—particularly within the United Nations system—to amplify grassroots voices, promote inclusive policies, and defend the rights of young people, communities affected by inequality, and people who use drugs.
Our advocacy work includes official interventions, side events, thematic consultations, and collaborative publications, ensuring that our communities are present, heard, and able to shape policy at the international level.
🧭 Strategic Participation in UN Processes
We regularly engage in official forums and high-level segments of the UN system, including:
Commission for Social Development (CSocD), 2024 – New York
We contributed to discussions on the priority theme with interventions centered on inclusive development, youth leadership, and equitable access to social protection systems.
📺 Watch intervention
ECOSOC High-Level Segment, 2025 – New York
Our intervention emphasized the need for intersectional approaches to sustainable development that effectively address the world drug problem, drawing on the example of Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
📺 Watch participation
Science, Technology and Innovation Forum (STI) – Financing Panel, 2024 – New York
We brought a youth perspective to discussions on equitable access to innovation financing, with a strong focus on social justice and digital equity.
📺 Watch intervention
Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), 2023 – Vienna
Through youth delegations and side events, we advocated for alternatives to punitive drug policies, emphasizing human rights and public health.
📺 Watch participation
High-Level Dialogue on Social, Economic and Environmental Determinants of Health, 2025 – New York
In July 2025, Member States, UN agencies, and civil society came together to explore how housing, education, employment, clean water, and social protection shape sustainable health systems. We highlighted the importance of political commitments, intersectoral approaches, and universal health coverage that advances equity.
📺 Watch participation
Youth, Peace, and Climate Security at COP29
Following the historic process launched at COP28 to create a global framework on Youth, Peace, and Climate Security—led by the COP Presidency, UNFPA, and YOUNGO—this roundtable brought together youth leaders, ministers, and UN representatives. We worked to advance conflict-sensitive climate action with an intergenerational lens and youth at the center of decision-making.
📺 Watch participation
🗣️ Statements, Side Events, and Consultations
We organize and co-organize side events at UN commissions and thematic forums, such as the CND and CSW, creating spaces where youth and community voices can directly shape dialogue and policy. In these spaces, we:
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Elevate lived experiences and testimonies.
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Present public policy recommendations.
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Build partnerships with state and international actors.
📚 Publications and Collaborative Contributions
In partnership with global and regional networks, we co-author reports, policy analyses, and thematic contributions that are submitted to UN bodies and mechanisms. These documents inform monitoring processes and official reports by Special Rapporteurs and UN agencies.
OHCHR – Harm Reduction and the Right to Health
In April 2024, we responded to OHCHR’s call for input on harm reduction and the right to health. Drawing from the study “The War on Drugs is a War on Us”, we highlighted the impacts faced by young people who use drugs in the Global South under prohibitionist and racist policies. We emphasized the urgency of youth-centered, human rights–based harm reduction approaches, offering recommendations to strengthen progressive and community-led programs.
Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls – Impacts of the War on Drugs
Together with the Latin American Network of People Who Use Drugs, we contributed to the Rapporteur’s report, documenting how militarized drug policies in Latin America exacerbate gender-based violence. We exposed patterns of femicide, sexual violence, criminalization of poverty, and stigmatization, drawing on reports such as Las Dos Guerras and Liberarlas es Justicia. We stressed the need for gender-sensitive, comprehensive responses that transform security and justice policies.
UNODA – Rising Military Expenditure and the SDGs
In 2025, we submitted an input to UNODA analyzing how rising global military spending undermines the Sustainable Development Goals. This report built on the side event “Rethinking Militarized Budgets in Latin America” (CCPCJ 2025), where experts and activists debated the consequences of militarization on democracy, state repression, and social fragmentation. Our contribution recommended redirecting budgets toward peace, justice, and sustainable development.
Access to Justice for People Who Use Drugs in Mexico
Ahead of the expert meeting on “Equal Access to Justice for All” (Resolution 78/227), we partnered with LANPUD-Mexico to highlight the barriers faced by people who use drugs. Our analysis identified systemic discrimination, stigmatization, and inadequate legal services, while also showcasing good practices and opportunities to expand equitable access to justice.
Independent Expert on Human Rights and International Solidarity – Corporations and Drug Policy
As part of Psychedelic Science 2025, we contributed to the Independent Expert’s report, addressing the role of corporations in human rights violations linked to the war on drugs. We proposed the Holistic Healing & Community Resilience (HHCR) model—grounded in community alliances—as a pathway to promote solidarity through reducing violence, healing trauma, and advancing restorative justice in affected communities.
🤝 Building Social Movements
Our work goes beyond international advocacy. We also strengthen grassroots participation through training, mentorship, and collective mobilization spaces. These efforts allow us to engage directly with governments, turning community demands into international commitments.
🔗 Interested in Joining Our Advocacy Efforts?
Write to us and be part of the change.