In November 2025, the International Human Rights Center submitted an individual communication before the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights regarding France’s refusal to delist Ayahuasca and the plants that are used to make it from the list of controlled substances. The communication was submitted on behalf of a member of the Santo Daime community, a universalistic religious group that incorporates elements of several religious or spiritual traditions, including folk Catholicism, indigenous spirituality, European esoterism, and Afro-Brazilian religions.
The communication argues that Italy’s decision to classify Ayahuasca and its components as a controlled substance violates Article 15(1)(a) an Article 15(1)(b) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), as it effectively prohibits petitioner’s ability to participate in the Santo Daime religious tradition, where Ayahuasca is central to cultural and spiritual practice, thereby infringing on petitioner’s right to take part in cultural life. The communication further challenges France’s claim that the classification is in line with current scientific evidence and instead argues that the sweeping nature of the classification is neither proportionate nor the least restrictive measure pursuant to international norms under Article 4 of the Covenant.