Date post: | 27-Mar-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | tyler-coughlin |
View: | 221 times |
Download: | 1 times |
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