Sowing Change
to Harvest Justice
The Harm Reduction International Conference 2025
Bogotá, Colombia
27-30 April 2025
The Harm Reduction International Conference 2025
Bogotá, Colombia
27-30 April 2025
The Harm Reduction International Conference has helped to put harm reduction on the map for over thirty years. We platform thought leaders, amplify advocacy for change, and shine a light on local innovations in harm reduction.
The Harm Reduction International Conference is convened by Harm Reduction International in a different city every two years. Over four days of presentations, workshops, films, networking events and more, the conference provides a dynamic forum to share the latest research and discussions on best practice in drug use, harm reduction and human rights and attracts a diverse group of over 1,000 delegates and speakers including front-line health workers, academics, researchers, policy makers, politicians, UN representatives, people who use drugs, sex workers and people working in the criminal legal system.
So why will 1,400 of us gather in Bogotá in April 2025?
Our global gathering comes with a rich history. HRI conferences have helped to put harm reduction on the map and to coordinate advances, innovations, evidence, and advocacy in the fields of harm reduction and drug policy for more than three decades.
One thing that we hope we can all do as gatherers is to be curious, be observant, and use this brief moment of time that we all have together to create lasting change.
The Right Honourable Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former administrator of UNDP, addressed the Opening Ceremony of HR23 in Melbourne, Australia.
Tuari Potiki has more than 30 years’ experience in Māori alcohol and drug and mental health services, as a both a clinician and manage. He spoke in a plenary session at HR23 in Melbourne.
Phelister Abdalla is the National Coordinator of Kenya Sex Workers Alliance and a co-founder of African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA). She spoke in a plenary at HR23.
Judy is Executive Director of the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD). She addressed delegates during the closing ceremony of HR23.
His Excellency Kaglema Motlanthe formerly served as President of South Africa. Our delegates heard from him in the Closing Ceremony of HR23 in Melbourne.
Kassandra Frederique is the Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a US non-profit that works to end the war on drugs. She addressed the plenary at HR23 in Melbourne.
Our theme 'Sowing Change to Harvest Justice' considers the challenges Colombia has faced as a country producing drugs and the impact of drug policies on the climate. We come together at the conference to create pathways to peace and justice in the future.
The Harm Reduction International Conference 2025 (HR25) will be held in Bogotá, Colombia on 27-30 April 2025.
Colombia's strong civil society has a long history of providing exemplary harm reduction services. Additionally, in October 2023, Colombia’s new government announced a bold new drug policy that broke away from the war on drugs. It focused on opportunity and justice.
The Harm Reduction International Conference is going to Colombia to support a country that is taking the leap towards a new paradigm and to learn from the country and region.
Read more about how we decide where to take the Harm Reduction International Conference.
With a government keen to lead the way in harm reduction and a strong and diverse civil society that has been working on the issues of harm reduction, drug policy and social justice for decades, the time is right for a conference in Bogotá!
Bogotá is the capital and the largest city in Colombia. The city successfully fuses the past and present, making Bogotá an ideal location with history, entertainment, delicious cuisine, culture, business, and much more. Learn more about Bogotá.
The Ágora Bogotá Convention Center has everything a conference could need. It is inspired by principles of transparency and luminosity. Marrying comfort and practicality, its spaces are integrated with the spectacular mountains that surround Bogotá.
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Harm Reduction International welcomes all potential sponsors for what promises to be another high profile, high impact conference. HR25 in Bogotá is set to be the year’s biggest global gathering for the harm reduction and drug policy community and an important forum for professionals working in public health, human rights, drug policy and services for people who use drugs.
HR25 presents an opportunity too good to miss for organisations and individuals looking to maintain or enhance their profile with this diverse conference audience.
Harm Reduction International has been convening the Harm Reduction International Conference since 1990. From its roots in Liverpool, the conference has grown to become the leading international forum on harm reduction and drug use.
Harm Reduction International (HRI) envisions a world in which drug policies uphold dignity, health and rights. We use data and advocacy to promote harm reduction and drug policy reform. We show how rights-based, evidence-informed responses to drugs contribute to healthier, safer societies, and why investing in harm reduction makes sense.
Hosting the Harm Reduction International Conference is a collaborative effort between HRI and our partner in the host country. We rely on our local partner for essential local knowledge, connections and experience. Our partner for HR25 is Corporación Acción Técnica Social.
The Corporación Acción Técnica Social (ATS) is a civil society organisation that works on drug policy reform, harm reduction, drug market regulation, human rights and consumer participation.
Conference Liaison - Bogotá
Medical Lead
Virtual Coordinator
Media Lead
The Local Support Committee is a gathering of different civil society organizations and some institutional actors with the aim of promoting the conference in Colombia and Latin America, motivating the inclusion of topics of interest to the region, contributing to logistical aspects, relationships with media, and the team of volunteers, among other matters. This Committee, which will expand as the months go by, began with some of the organisations that accompanied Corporación ATS in its application for Bogotá to host the conference, among them: Elementa, Dejusticia, Temblores, Corporación Viviendo, Fundación Ideas Paz, Procrear, Fescol, Viso Mutop, Instituto RIA, Teméride.
| 08/2024 | Abstract submission opens |
|---|---|
| 09/2024 | Abstract submission closes |
| 09/2024 | Awards nominations open |
| 10/2024 | Awards nominations close |
| 11/2024 | Abstracts reviewed by programme committee |
| 12/2024 | Abstract outcomes communicated |
| 01/2025 | Early bird registration ends |
| 02/2025 | Conference Programme Released |
| 03/2025 | Final invited speakers announced |
| 04/2024 | HR25 in Bogotá, Colombia and worldwide |
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