Wednesday, 25 March 2026 (London, UK) – Harm Reduction International (HRI) announced today the appointment of Catherine Cook as its Executive Director. She has been acting in the role since April 2025. HRI’s Board of Trustees led an extensive due diligence process, before formally appointing Catherine permanently into the Executive Director role. 

Catherine has nearly two decades of experience in harm reduction research and advocacy. At HRI, she has built a groundbreaking portfolio tracking donor and government investment in harm reduction, producing widely used data, tools, and analysis that inform UN agencies, governments and civil society. Catherine was responsible for conceptualising and developing HRI’s flagship project, the Global State of Harm Reduction. She has also spearheaded HRI’s advocacy calling for the redirection of funding from punitive drug control to health, rights and community-based responses.   

Mina Barling, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Harm Reduction International, said: “We are thrilled that Catherine has accepted the offer to lead Harm Reduction International.  Her work tracking harm reduction funding and the inordinate spend on damaging punitive drug policies is second to none. Her expertise is crucial at this time of profound political volatility when War on Drugs rhetoric is ramping up, just as funding for our movement is under greatest threat.”  

She added, “Yet it isn’t only Catherine’s technical leadership that makes her perfect for this role. Her care for the community and HRI staff has revealed her as a truly exceptional leader. She brings HRI the stability and foresight necessary to navigate the challenging terrain.”  

Catherine Cook said of her appointment: “It is an honour and a privilege to lead Harm Reduction International and its exceptional team at such a pivotal and politically challenging moment. With services closures, funding declines and civic space shrinking under resurgent punitive drug policies, HRI’s role in holding governments and donors to account is more vital than ever. I am committed to ensuring that HRI continues to support a strong harm reduction movement through our advocacy, by convening diverse partners and generating the evidence needed to challenge punitive systems and advance health, dignity and justice.” 

Harm Reduction International is an international NGO which uses data and advocacy to promote harm reduction and drug policy reform. HRI shows how rights-based, evidence informed responses to drugs contribute to healthier, safer societies, and why investing in harm reduction makes sense.  

HRI publishes the only independent analysis of the state of harm reduction around the world. It also tracks the death penalty for drug offences and the funding landscape for harm reduction. HRI convenes the Harm Reduction International Conference – the main global forum for the exchange of information at the intersection of human rights, public health and drug policy. 

Image of Catherine Cook by Nigel Brunsdon.