For information only – not an official document
UNIS/NAR/1454
31 January 2022
VIENNA, 31 January (UN Information Service) — The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has commenced its 133rd session, during which it will be assessing three fentanyl precursors that may warrant international control. In October 2021, INCB received a proposal from the Government of the United States to schedule three precursors of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances, namely 4-AP, boc-4-AP and norfentanyl. Governments were invited to submit information on the matter to the Board, which noted a good level of responses. The Board will be reviewing this information and making a recommendation to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in advance of its 65th session in March.
The Board will advance its work to support governments in preventing the use of equipment in illicit drug manufacture through enhanced application of article 13 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Controlled Substances of 1988, and in building global consensus to address the proliferation of non-scheduled chemicals.
As part of efforts towards ensuring availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes, INCB will review the situation surrounding the use by national authorities of electronic import and export authorizations for trade in these substances.
The Board will meet Member States and the Chair of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and representatives of the World Health Organization, as part of ongoing cooperation towards addressing the world drug problem.
The session will continue until 4 February in a hybrid format to allow Members from around the world to participate in-person and online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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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
Tel.: (+43-1) 26060-4163
Email: incb.secretariat[at]un.org
www.incb.org
