For information only - not an official document
UNIS/NAR/1209
19 May 2014
At its 110th session INCB will examine overall treaty compliance by selected countries; the supply of opiate raw materials and demand for opiates for medical and scientific purposes; as well as new psychoactive substances
VIENNA, 19 May (UN Information Service) - The new President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Lochan Naidoo of South Africa, said today he was passionate about ensuring adequate prevention and treatment of addiction and the availability of internationally controlled medicines for pain treatment and for treating mental and neurological illness.
Mr. Naidoo was elected today, in accordance with the Board's rules of procedure and practice, at the Board's 110 th session that is taking place in Vienna from 19 to 30 May. The INCB also elected the members of its Bureau. The new President underscored his commitment to fulfilling the INCB mandate of promoting and monitoring the implementation of the international drug control treaties, which, he noted, "is all the more challenging at a time of increased debate at the national and regional levels on drug policy, and as the international community prepares for the 2016 General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem".
"I am passionate about ensuring adequate prevention and treatment of addiction and the availability of internationally controlled medicines for pain treatment and for the treatment of mental and neurological illness worldwide," he said.
The new President has been a member of INCB since 2010, served as First Vice-President of the Board in 2012, and has also served as a Member of the Board's Standing Committee on Estimates (2011) and Committee on Finance and Administration (2011). The new members of the Bureau, other officers and members of the committees were also elected for a one-year term.
The Board thanked its previous President, Raymond Yans of Belgium, for his work during the last two years.
During this session, INCB will review the progress of Governments in implementing the international drug control conventions and discuss measures to ensure the execution of drug control treaties. The Board will also analyse the international drug control situation, and examine 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 evaluate the findings of its recent missions.
The Board will analyse the situation on new psychoactive substances and review progress on the development of an international electronic import-export authorization system to help trade in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances required for medical use around the world.
INCB's Standing Committee on Estimates will continue its work during the session by 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 HIV, and mental, neurological and other health problems, while preventing their diversion to drug abuse. The Standing 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.
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The composition of the INCB Bureau following 19 May elections:
Officers elected by the Board:
Other Members of the Board:
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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:
INCB Secretariat
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-5638
Email: secretariat[at]incb.org
Website:
www.incb.org
