For information only - not an official document
UNIS/NAR/1402
3 March 2020
VIENNA, 3 March (United Nations Information Service) - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) launched Spanish versions of its e-learning modules at a side event of the 63rd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). As part of the global INCB Learning project, these modules were developed to support Governments in estimating and assessing their needs for internationally controlled substances.
The side event of the global INCB Learning project was organized by the Government of El Salvador in cooperation with INCB and the Governments of Australia, Belgium, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, the Russian Federation and Singapore.
At the event, INCB President Cornelis P. de Joncheere highlighted the impact of INCB Learning, which has trained a total of 274 officials from 95 countries and territories through nine regional training seminars held between April 2016 and December 2019. Mr. de Joncheere said: "INCB Learning has already helped several countries to improve the timeliness and quality of reporting to INCB. This includes improved capacity of governments to adequately estimate, assess and report their licit medical requirements, which, in turn, should help improve access to internationally controlled substances for patients in need."
The three INCB
e-learning modules are now available in English and Spanish free of charge to officials of competent national authorities and provide interactive training on the estimates system for narcotic drugs, the assessment system for psychotropic substances and the estimates of annual legitimate requirements (ALRs) for imports of precursors of amphetamine-type stimulants. The modules were developed to assist competent national authorities build capacity and maintain continuity of relevant knowledge despite staff turnover. The Board is looking forward to reaching a larger audience with the development of additional modules and their translation into other UN languages.
The side event on INCB Learning provided an opportunity for beneficiaries of and contributors to INCB Learning to highlight the importance of capacity-building for competent national authorities, as recognized by the United Nations
special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem in 2016. This commitment was reiterated by Member States with the adoption by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of
resolution 62/5 in March 2019, which requests the Board to continue implementing capacity-building and training activities for competent national authorities through INCB Learning.
In his statement, Mr. de Joncheere expressed appreciation for the contributions to INCB Learning made by the Governments of Australia, Belgium, France, the Russian Federation, Thailand and the United States. "In pursuing Commission resolution 62/5, INCB seeks further support from governments to expand and continue implementing INCB Learning," Mr. de Joncheere said.
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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 for media inquiries: (+43-1) 26060 4163
Email:
incb.secretariat[at]un.org
Website: www.incb.org
