For information only - not an official document
UNIS/NAR/1168
7 May 2013
VIENNA, 7 May (UN Information Service) - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) elected Raymond Yans as its new President at its 107 th session that is taking place in Vienna from 6 to 17 May 2013. A national of Belgium and member of INCB since 2007, Mr. Yans most recently served as the INCB President (2012) and has also served as First Vice-President (2011), Rapporteur and Member of the INCB Standing Committee on Estimates and Committee on Finance and Administration.
On 6 May, the Board held the election of its Bureau with the following results:
o Raymond Yans - President of the Board
o Galina Korchagina - First Vice-President
o Sri Suryawati - Second Vice-President of the Board and Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates
o Werner Sipp - Rapporteur and Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
The Board also elected officers as follows:
o Viroj Sumyai - Chair of the Committee on Finance and Administration and Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
o Wayne Hall - Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates and Member of the Committee on Finance and Administration
o David T. Johnson - Member of the Committee on Finance and Administration
o Marc Moinard - Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
o Rajat Ray - Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
o Francisco Thoumi - Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates
The members of the Bureau, other officers and members of the committees were elected for one-year terms, until the beginning of the 110 th session of the Board, which will take place in May 2014.
The Board congratulated Professor Sri Suryawati (Indonesia) on her election by the Economic and Social Council on 25 April to fill the vacancy of the remaining term of the late Professor Hamid Ghodse, member and former President of the Board. The Board also paid tribute to the contribution made by Ambassador Jorge Montaño, who had resigned on 24 April 2013 after four years of service.
During the present session, INCB will focus on the emergence of new psychoactive substances and the use of non-controlled chemicals in the illicit manufacture of drugs as well as possible action for enhancing international preventive measures. The Board will continue to review the progress of Governments in implementing the international drug control conventions, including by analyzing the international drug control situation, examining the movement of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals for licit purposes, as well as the supply of opiate raw materials and demand for opiates for medical and scientific purposes, and reviewing the findings of its recent missions. The Standing Committee on Estimates will continue its work during the session reviewing information provided by Governments to promote the adequate availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances globally, to ensure that citizens around the world have better access to medicines to treat pain, including from cancer, and psychiatric, neurological and other health problems, while preventing their diversion to drug abuse. The Committee will also consider the annual legitimate requirements reported by Governments for precursor chemicals frequently used in the illicit manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs of abuse in order to ensure their availability for legitimate use and prevent diversion to criminal activities.
INCB is the independent, quasi-judicial body charged with promoting and monitoring Government compliance with the three international drug control conventions: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Established by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the thirteen members of the Board are elected in a personal capacity by the Economic and Social Council for terms of five years.
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For further information please contact:
Raechelle
Newman
Drug Control Officer, INCB Secretariat
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-5638
Email: raechelle.newman[at]incb.org
Website:
www.incb.org
