(LONDON 15 November) – Harm Reduction International (HRI) announced today the appointment of Shaun Shelly as its new Executive Director. Shaun took the position on 1 November 2024, replacing Naomi Burke-Shyne who had served as Executive Director since 2018 until retiring from the position in May of this year. 

Shaun was previously the Human Rights and Policy lead at TB/HIV Care, where he founded South Africa Drug Policy Week. He holds a post as a researcher at the University of Pretoria, Department of Family Medicine. He is the former Deputy Secretary of the United Nations VNGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs. He is a co-founder and chairperson of the South African Network of People Who Use Drugs (SANPUD) and sat on several Boards and advisory groups, locally and internationally.  

Shaun was awarded the 2016 SASOP Special Achievement Award for advancing psychiatry based on his notable contribution to addressing the stigma and difficult socioeconomic circumstances associated with addiction. He was a 2016 Open Society Drug Policy Fellow and has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on subjects ranging from police culture to the neurobiology of dependent drug use.  

Harm Reduction International Board vice-chair, Billy Pick, said: “We are thrilled that Shaun has accepted the offer to lead Harm Reduction International. Shaun’s lived experience as a person who used drugs, battling on the frontlines of those effected by drug policies, makes him a unique and ground-breaking choice for Executive Director. He is dedicated to furthering the understanding of drug use, the rights of people who use drugs, and the development of effective drug policy.  This, along with his combination of academic, programmatic, research, clinical and lived experience, makes us confident that he will build on the great work that Naomi did and take the organisation from strength-to-strength. We would also sincerely thank Colleen Daniels and the team for their exemplary leadership leading up to and during the transition.”

Shaun Shelly said of his appointment: “When I attended my first Harm Reduction International Conference in 2015, I found my place, purpose, and people. Just five years earlier, while living on the streets of Cape Town, I could never have imagined having the good fortune and privilege to be appointed Executive Director of the leading harm reduction organisation in the world.  I look forward to working with the global team at Harm Reduction International, whose expertise and dedication are evident and inspirational. I thank the Board of Trustees for trusting me to guide the organisation at this crucial time for health and rights.” 

Harm Reduction International (HRI) 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, with the latest publication released on 29 October 2024. HRI’s flagship research also includes tracking of the death penalty for drug offences and funding for harm reduction.  

HRI will be holding the Harm Reduction International Conference (HR25) in Bogotá, Colombia on 27-30 April 2025. The conference is the main global forum for the exchange of information at the intersection of human rights, public health and drug policy. It attracts over 1000 international delegates, including policy makers, researchers, advocates, harm reduction service providers and networks of people who use drugs, among others.