For information only - not an official document
UNIS/NAR/1281
27 May 2016
VIENNA, 27 May (UN Information Service) -Following two weeks of deliberations, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) concluded its 116th session on 27 May 2016.
The Board began work on its 2016 Annual Report, which will focus on the topic of "Women and drugs". INCB President Werner Sipp saidthat "within drug control policy and practice there are very specific gender considerations, and the thematic chapter of our next annual report will be dedicated to precisely this topic - both drug use among women and the impact of drug use on women, but also the policy response of governments to the specific situations of women". The 2016 INCB Report will be finalized at the Board's November 2016 session and published in March 2017. It will report on the functioning of the drug control system and the drug control situation regionally. President Sipp said: "Over the coming months, I encourage Governments to provide us with information on the situation in their countries, their successes, and the challenges they faced in implementing the treaties over the past year."
The outcomes of recent country missions, such as those to Afghanistan, Oman and Viet Nam, were also discussed and feedback will be transmitted to those Governments and reported upon in the 2016 INCB Annual Report. Since country missions form a major activity of the Board's interaction with governments, the INCB President called on Governments to engage in the planning of those and "respond rapidly and positively" when approached by the Board.
The Board also reviewed Governments' progress in implementing the provisions of the three drug control conventions, including meeting the treaty requirements for reporting to INCB, and continued its work towards ensuring the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes.
The Chair of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs Vladimir Galuska and the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Yury Fedotov held consultations with the Board during the session as part of cooperation on implementing the drug control treaties. These discussions focused on the outcome of the special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem (UNGASS 2016) held in April 2016. The Board also held consultations with representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), focusing in particular on cooperation in furthering the availability of controlled medicines.
The Board assessed the progress made on the use of the international electronic import and export authorization system for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (I2ES). The electronic platform is available to Member States free of charge, and facilitates real-time licit trade and monitoring of the import and export of controlled substances, sharing information to prevent diversion to illicit channels. The Board will further develop its new global INCB Learning project, under which training for national authorities was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 25 to 29 April 2016. The next training will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in July 2016. Both of these initiatives aim at contributing to improving the availability of controlled medicines and prevent their diversion and abuse, an essential element of the Board's work as emphasized in the UNGASS outcome document. The INCB President urged Governments to provide resources to ensure the continuity of I2ES and INCB Learning, and other activities of the Board such as those relating to precursor control and new psychoactive substances.
The 117th session of the International Narcotics Control Board will take place in Vienna from 1 to 18 November 2016.
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The Vienna-based Board is an independent body, established by the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs to monitor and support governments' compliance with the international drug control treaties. Its 13 members are elected by the Economic and Social Council to serve in their individual capacities for a term of five years.
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For further information, please contact:
INCB Secretariat
Telephone (+43-1) 26060-4163
Email:
secretariat@incb.org
Website:
www.incb.org
