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ID: HR19-1235

Presenting author: Annie Madden

Presenting author biography:

Annie is currently a PhD candidate at University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. She is also a consultant and drug user activist. Annie was CEO of Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) for 16 years until April 2016 and is a founding member of Harm Reduction Australia.

"The Quest for Legitimacy” – Drug User Representation in 'High Level' Drug Policy Settings

Annie Madden

Australia is considered a global leader in drug user representation as one of the only countries with peer-based drug user organisations continuously funded for almost 3 decades. But despite this situation, very little academic research has been undertaken into the theoretical underpinnings and the practice of drug user representation in the Australian drug policy context or globally. The aim of this study is to make a new, scholarly contribution to our understanding of drug user representation 'high level' drug policy settings.

This paper will explore data from the first 'mapping' stage of a larger PhD research project, utilising a peer-based research approach to map some of the drug user representation in 'high level' drug policy settings in Australia and internationally over the past 25 years. The term 'high level' is used to reflect drug policy contexts where strategic-level decision making occurs or can occur such as at the parliamentary, ministerial and UN-levels.

The data presented from the mapping stage will explore questions such as what is drug user representation? Who does it or gets to do it, and under what circumstances? How are drug user representatives 'made' and what is the basis of their ‘authority’ to speak on behalf of people who use drugs? Where does drug user representation occur? Where are the gaps? Who is typically ‘at the table and who's not there? What are the common policy topics? What does drug user representation do or produce? How are the goals and aspirations of drug user representation decided? Who decides and by what process/s? Are drug user representatives accountable to community? What about notions of legitimacy, agency and respect?

This presentation will seek to open up new knowledge in relation to the history, role and scope of drug user representation in the drug policy context.