International Narcotics Control

Board

Briefing for Permanent Missions

to the United Nations (New York)

Professor Hamid Ghodse

President

International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)

Historical overview

• 1909 Shanghai Conference• 1912 Convention• 1925 Agreement; 1925 Convention: Permanent

Central Board established• 1931 Convention: Drug Supervisory Body

established, 1931 Agreement• 1936 Convention

Historical overview (contd.)• 1948 Protocol• 1953 Protocol• 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs:

International Narcotics Control Board established

• 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances• 1988 Convention Against Illicit Traffic in

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

Role of INCB

Overall treaty function:

• To monitor and promote

treaty compliance

Quasi judicial function

SINGLE CONVENTIONon

NARCOTIC DRUGS, 1961

UNITED NATIONS

CONVENTIONON

PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES1971

UNITED NATIONSUNITED NATIONS CONVENTIONAGAINST ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN

NARCOTIC DRUGS ANDPSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

1988

UNITED NATIONS

• To encourage dialogue with Governments

Role of INCB Work focuses on six main aspects :

ensure that cultivation, production, manufacture and utilization of drugs are limited to medical and scientific purposes

ensure availability of drugs for medical and scientific purposes

identify weaknesses in the implementation of the international drug control conventions and suggest remedial action

prevent illicit cultivation, production, manufacture, trafficking and use of drugs

evaluate and recommend chemicals for possible international control

monitor chemicals and prevent their diversion into illicit channels

Composition of the Board

13 members

- 3 nominated by WHO

- 10 nominated by Governments

elected by ECOSOC for a period of 5 years

serve in their personal capacity not as government representatives

Qualifications of INCB members

• Article 9, paragraph 2, 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs– “Members of the Board shall be persons

who, by their competence, impartiality and disinterestedness, will command general confidence.”

Impartiality of INCB members

• Impartiality -central principle– “During their term of office they shall not

hold any position or engage in any activity which would be liable to impair their impartiality in the exercise of their functions.” Article 9, paragraph 2, 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

Impartiality of INCB members

• ECOSOC/Governments should ensure that principle of impartiality is adhered to at the time of election

• INCB has established internal procedure to ensure impartiality during term of office of Board member

Incompatibilities

• Member of Government

• Representation of Government at international forums on drug-related issues

• any private or public activity impairing impartiality

Status of adherence to the international drug control treaties

(as at 1 January 2005)

SINGLE CONVENTIONon

NARCOTIC DRUGS, 1961

UNITED NATIONS

180 parties

CONVENTIONON

PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES1971

UNITED NATIONS

175 parties

UNITED NATIONS CONVENTIONAGAINST ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN

NARCOTIC DRUGS ANDPSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

1988

UNITED NATIONS

170 parties

INCB secretariat

Located in Vienna within UNODC

Responsible only to the Board on matters of substance

Acts on behalf of the Board

INCB missions 2004

• Belgium• Bosnia and

Herzegovina• Denmark• Indonesia• Israel• Madagascar• Mauritania

• Pakistan• Portugal• South Africa• Sweden• Thailand• Timor Leste

Dialogue with Governments

Correspondence

Meetings

Country missions

Technical visits

INCB reports

• Annual Report of the Board

• Technical reports

Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances Precursors

INCB reports The annual report• Analyses global drug control situation• Draws attention of Governments to any

weaknesses in national drug control and treaty compliance

• Suggests possible improvements at both national and international levels.

INCB Annual Report

Three chapters:

•Chapter I: Review of topical issue

•Chapter II: Operation of the international drug control system

•Chapter III: Analysis of the world situation

Chapter I

Integration of supply and demand reduction strategies:

Moving beyond the balanced approach

Availability (supply) influences demand for illicit drugs

Price

Social and economic factors

Prevention and education efforts

Illicit drug markets

Central national authority with balanced representation of supply and demand reduction agencies

Training

Research and analysis

Compile effective experiences of supply and demand strategies

Recommendations

Focus interdiction efforts

Alternative development

Combine street-level law enforcement activities with other demand reduction activities

Provide alternatives to incarceration for non-violent drug abusers

Sustained education programmes

Recommendations (contd.)

Chapter II

Implementation of the international drug

control treaties

Public incitement to drug abuse• Article 3, paragraph 1 c (iii) of 1988

Convention requires parties to establish as criminal offences:“publicly inciting or inducing others, by any

means, to commit any of the offences established in accordance with this article or to use narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances illicitly;”

Afghanistan

• Overall drug situation in Afghanistan appears to have deteriorated;

• Illicit drug crop cultivation and related activities at an unprecedented levels;

• Control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes remains inadequate;

• Article 14, 1961 Conventions remains invoked until the situation improves.

Dutch policy on cannabis

• Crucial and significant change in Dutch cannabis policy;

• Recognition that coffee shops are “not blameless” in the maintenance of the illicit drug trade and are not satisfactory in terms of suppressing drug-related crime.

• Important step in the right direction• Recognition of health and social problems

associated with cannabis abuse, cultivation and trafficking is important for the Netherlands, Europe and beyond.

Other important issues

• Control of cannabis used for medical or scientific purposes

• Provisions regarding travellers under treatment involving the use of medical preparations containing controlled substances

• Use of narcotic drugs manufactured from seized materials

• Medical prescription of heroin

Chapter III

Analysis of the

World Situation

Analysis of the world situation (1)

AFRICA• Abuse of cannabis remains an issue of concern

but trafficking and abuse of cocaine, heroin and amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) also continue to rise;

• Uncontrolled sale of medications containing internationally controlled substances persists in many African countries;

• Most African countries have no adequate legislative framework or administrative mechanisms to address the drug problem.

Analysis of the world situation (2)AMERICAS• North America remains the world’s largest drug market

but drug abuse has declined significantly in the United States;

• Eight major international drug trafficking organizations were dismantled in 2004 and the operations of 7 others were weakened;

• In Central America, youth gangs are involved in violent crime and drug trafficking;

• In South America, the total area under illicit coca bush cultivation has declined for the third consecutive year.

Analysis of the world situation (3)ASIA

• Illicit drug production and related activities have reached unprecedented levels in Afghanistan and threaten the stability of the country;

• Illicit opium production continues to decrease in Myanmar and Lao People’s Democratic Republic;

• Significant increase in seizures of MDMA (Ecstasy) in East and South-East Asia.

Analysis of the world situation (4)EUROPE• Cannabis abuse has shown an upward trend in almost

all countries in Europe over the past decade;• After three successive years of bumper harvests of

opium poppy in Afghanistan, heroin trafficking has regained some momentum in Europe;

• Abuse of cocaine has increased over the past five years, with a tendency towards stabilization;

• Availability of treatment for drug addicts has increased steadily over the past few years.

Analysis of the world situation (5)OCEANIA

• In Australia, heroin abuse has significantly declined;

• Considerable increase in the illicit manufacture and abuse of ATS in Australia and New Zealand;

• Pacific island countries continue to be vulnerable to drug transit trafficking and the abuse of ATS.

Report of the

International Narcotics

Control Board

for 2004

End of presentation