For information only - not an official document
UNIS/NAR/1404
6 March 2020
VIENNA, 5 March 2020 - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) launched today a set of guidelines on the control and monitoring of equipment essential for illicit drug manufacture. The guidelines are intended to facilitate the work of regulatory and law enforcement authorities by providing a range of approaches to prevent and investigate the diversion of such equipment. Measures range from raising awareness with the industry about the misuse of equipment for illicit drug manufacture and voluntary initiatives conducted in cooperation with industry to the establishment of more comprehensive regulatory systems.
The guidelines were launched at an event entitled " Equipment used in illicit drug manufacture: Approaches to preventing and investigating diversion as complementary tools in addressing illicit drug supply" organized by the Governments of Canada, the Netherlands and the United States, in cooperation with INCB, at the margins of the sixty-third session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
At the event, INCB President Cornelis P. de Joncheere highlighted the importance of raising awareness and joint efforts to ensure that essential equipment does not reach illicit laboratories. Mr. de Joncheere said: "I am pleased to launch these guidelines today as one of the first tangible products, which we hope will increase the operational use of article 13 of the 1988 Convention and facilitate the work of regulatory and law enforcement authorities in preventing essential equipment from reaching illicit laboratories. As circumstances and needs regarding equipment controls and monitoring measures vary from one country to another, the guidelines provide competent national authorities and other entities in need of addressing the diversion or misuse of equipment with alternatives that might be considered as part of national measures."
Mr. de Joncheere was joined by a panel of experts from Australia, Canada, the United States, and Europol with experience in controlling and investigating the diversion of materials and equipment essential for illicit drug manufacture.
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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
