Forty-fourth Expert Committee on Drug Dependence

Background

The forty-fourth Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) met from 11-15 October 2021. 

Additional background on the work of the Expert Committee can be found here. 

Please click on the following link to find the list of substances, critical and pre review reports, as well as other documents relevant to the forty-fourth ECDD:

Purpose of the ECDD Virtual Information Session

WHO Expert Committee meetings are closed to the public, however individuals or representatives of public and private institutions and civil society who wish to present information to committee members on issues related to the meeting agenda are invited to register their interest to attend a virtual information meeting on 11 October at 10.00 CEST (Central European Summer Time).

The purpose of the information session is to afford the Expert Committee the opportunity to receive presentations and to question representatives of interested parties concerning data that have been provided about substances under review.

Individuals and partners external to the WHO may listen to an update on current and future activities of the ECDD Secretariat, and to provide comment on issues on the ECDD agenda. Individuals may participate in the Information Session in several ways:

• Observing the meeting
• Sending a written statement for the consideration of the Committee
• Presenting information (live or pre-recorded) at the Information Session

How to participate in the Information Meeting

Deadline for registration: 6 October 2021 23:59 CEST.

Deadline to request to make an oral presentation:  24 September 11:59 CEST

Participation in the Information Session is by registration only. The registration deadline has passed. You can no longer register for the Information Session. 

How to submit information for consideration by the Expert Committee

1. Once WHO has processed your registration, you will receive a form to complete where you can submit a written statement.* 
2. If you would like to make an oral presentation during the meeting, please follows steps 1 and 2.  When you receive the form from WHO to provide comments to the 44^th ECDD, please indicate that you would like to make an oral presentation.  The deadline to request to take the floor is 24^th September to allow the Secretariat time to consider all requests.  Therefore you are encouraged to make a request with an outline of the nature and content of the presentation as soon as possible.** 
3. Once you have completed the comment form, you can amend or upload your full statements until 11^th October 2021 11:59 CEST.  

*You are invited to submit a written statement to the Members of the 44^th ECDD. This written statement may include (but is not limited to) scientific information, comments on the technical documents being considered by the Committee, or a personal testament relevant to a substance under (pre)review by the 44^th ECDD.  You can submit a written statement of a maximum of 500 words. Attachments with supplementary material are permitted in addition to written statements.

** Please be aware that there are a limited number of time slots available for presentations, therefore the ECDD Secretariat may not be able to accommodate all requests to be on the Information Session agenda. All requests for interventions will be considered, and further instructions will be sent to successful candidates after all submissions are received. Successful requests for presentations will be allocated max. 5 minutes at the meeting to present.  

General guidance

There will be no opportunity for questions and answers during the Information Session. If you wish to make an oral presentation during the 44^th ECDD Information Session, you need to express your interest in making an intervention in advance using the steps outlined above.

One request must be completed for each individual wishing to attend or present.
Representation from low- and middle income countries is particularly welcome. English is the working language of the ECDD meetings, but presenters who wish to present in other languages may provide their own translation services (e.g. through English subtitles on videos).

Participants are encouraged to review the meeting documents in advance to provide comments

Please note that comment forms and requests for oral presentations will not be considered if they:

• are submitted after the closing date of the respective registration deadlines
• are presented in any form other than what is provided for in the registration form
• are not related to substances on the agenda of the agenda of the 44th ECDD meeting.

Contact

If you have technical difficulties with the registration form, please send an email to ecddsecretariat@who.int with the subject “44th ECDD Information Session”.

Thank you very much for your consideration and we look forward to your contribution.