Attached for your information is a copy of the subject report minus the
appendices.
Attachment
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
Page |
| 1. Introduction |
1 |
| 2. Work of the Conference |
2 |
| 3. Future Meetings |
6 |
| 4. Comments |
7 |
| 5. United States Delegation |
Appendix I |
| 6. Statement of U.S.
Representative |
Appendix II |
| 7. Organization and Agenda |
Appendix III |
| 8. Participation |
Appendix IV |
[Page 3]
INTRODUCTION
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), a functional sub-commission of the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC), is the
only agency in the UN system
concerned exclusively with drug abuse control. It meets regularly
every odd-numbered year. This Special Session was convened by ECOSOC on the advice of the last
regular CND in order to address
problems raised by the current world drug epidemic.
Delegations’ attending the session represented the 30-members of the
CND, 27 observer countries, 16
international governmental, organizations and 3 non-governmental
organizations. The United States delegation consisted of 12 members
representing the Departments of State, Justice, Health, Education
and Welfare and Treasury, as well as the Special Action Office for
Drug Abuse Prevention.
[Page 4]
WORK OF THE CONFERENCE
The most important topic raised at this Special Session from the
US point of view was Item 9—World
Opium Supply. Our delegation undertook, successfully as events
unfolded, to promote a consensus on the Commission concerning
various aspects of the world opium supply situation. (The Statement
of the US Representative is attached
at Appendix II.) During its discussions the Commission reached
general agreement that ensuring sufficient supplies of opium for
legitimate uses does present a problem to the international
community, but not one of such a nature as to create alarm. It also
emphasized that this problem must be met in a manner that does not
endanger the control procedures created over many years. It was also
agreed that the UN Narcotics
Laboratory should coordinate international research and itself
conduct research on possible means to increase the production of
codeine to the maximum per unit of cultivated area, concentrating on
production and processing from unincised and incised poppy straw and
means of control. The Commission decided to keep the supply question
under review and to take the matter up again at its session in 1975.
The Commission asked the International Narcotics Control Board to
continue providing advice on the supply and demand situation. The
US confirmed at this session that
it will continue to meet its requirements for opium from
imports.
With respect to the other items on the agenda, the Commission
discussed at length recent developments in the areas of drug abuse
(Agenda Item 4) and illicit traffic (Agenda Item 3). Statements on
drug abuse adduced few new statistics, but some indicated trends
developing towards reduction in drug abuse. Participants manifested
greater interest in treatment and prevention efforts than in years
past.
The illicit traffic problem was discussed by representatives of 33
delegations. Their statements generally reflected increased
awareness of the international nature of the drug abuse problem and
of the need to increase enforcement efforts in individual countries,
including streamlining the organization of
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enforcement agencies and improving the
training of narcotics officials. Many delegations emphasized the
need for international cooperation among narcotics enforcement
authorities and recommended increased exchanges of intelligence on
major traffickers. Delegations reported continuing high traffic in
marihuana, hashish and hashish oil, the last of which some described
as alarmingly widespread.
The Commission recommended to ECOSOC the adoption of a draft resolution endorsing the
recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on Illicit Traffic in the
Far East and requesting the Secretary General to convene regular
meetings of operational heads of the national narcotic law
enforcement agencies of the countries of the region. It also
recommended to ECOSOC (by a vote
of 22 (US)-0–4) a resolution co-sponsored by the US, France and
Pakistan recommending governments give urgent attention to the abuse
of customs transit systems by drug smugglers.
The Commission spent two and one-half days discussing the proposed
revision of the annual form for reports by governments to the
Division of Narcotic Drugs (Agenda Item 5). The Commission reviewed
less than one third of the proposed revision, discussing that
portion at length and making extensive deletions. It decided to
review the rest of the revised form in plenary at its next regular
session (1975) and rejected a proposal that governments be invited
to send comments on the revised form to the Secretariat in advance
of the next session. Governments remain obliged to continue using
the previous form for 1974 reporting.
The Commission’s discussion of the Operations of the UN Fund for Drug Abuse Control (Agenda
Item 6) involved statements by 18 Commission members, three observer
governments and seven observer international organizations. Most
statements were constructively critical in tone, reflecting approval
of progress to date coupled with a desire for more dynamism in
soliciting contributions, in planning and executing programs and in
achieving results. The US announced
an additional $2 million contribution to the Fund ($800,000 of which
was earmarked for research on poppy straw to be coordinated and
conducted by the UN Narcotics
Laboratory) for a total contribution of
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$10 million. Other governments pledged over
$1.25 million (most of which was subject to parliamentary approval)
for a grand total of $1.4 million pledged or paid to the Fund so
far.
Discussion of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Report for 1973 (Agenda Item 7)
opened with the statement of retiring Board President, Sir Harry Greenfield, Which provided a
brief panoramic survey of the current international drug control
situation. The US Representative
complimented the Board on its report and for its leadership under
treaties in reminding nations of their control obligations and in
promoting international cooperation. Compliments in honor of
retiring members of the Board were repeated by most delegations. The
Commission approved the Report for transmittal to ECOSOC.
Discussion of Scientific Research (Agenda Item 8) revealed that no
new or unusual information has become available since the previous
Commission meeting.
The Commission recommended to ECOSOC a draft resolution urging governments to ratify
or accede to the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The vote on
the draft resolution was 18 (US) in favor, none against and five
abstentions (UK, Mexico, Canada,
Peru, Hungary).
The Commission also, by a Vote of 17 (US)-0–0, recommended to ECOSOC a draft resolution on the
cultivation and chewing of coca leaf initiated by France and
co-sponsored by the US and 12 other
countries including Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru. The draft
resolution recommends that governments concerned intensify efforts
to reduce coca-cultivation, to eliminate clandestine manufacture of
and illicit traffic in cocaine and to abolish coca-leaf chewing.
The Commission dealt with the Periodicity of its sessions (Agenda
Item 11) by recommending to ECOSOC a draft resolution proposed by the US which states the principle of
biennial sessions for ECOSOC
functional commissions and the need for more frequent meetings of
the Commission can both be recognized by convening special sessions
of the Commission in even
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years during the current drug emergency. It provides that the
Commission should meet in special session for two weeks in Geneva in
1976 and that this special session should consider whether another
special session needs to be held in 1978. Finally, it suggests that
whenever it is decided to hold a special session, the duration of
the following regular session shall be reduced to two weeks instead
of three. The Commission adopted the resolution by 22 (US) in favor,
none against and six abstentions (USSR, Hungary, Switzerland, Mexico, Jamaica and
Romania).
The Commission adopted (27 (US)-0–0) a resolution proposed by the
US with nine co-sponsors which
decided as an economy measure that summary records for future
meetings will be kept to a minimum and that the Commission at the
beginning of each session will determine which items are to be
included in summary records.
FUTURE MEETINGS
After a discussion of topics and priorities under its Program of work
(Agenda Item 9), the Commission decided the provisional agenda for
its next regular session would include, in addition to the regular
agenda, the following priority items: illicit traffic, drug abuse,
INCB Report, revision of annual
forms, operations of UNFDAC,
scientific research, world licit opium supply, reports on cannabis
and the chemistry of khat, report of the Division of Narcotic Drugs
and the report of the World Health Organization. The commission
decided that the next regular session would last two weeks.
[Page 8]
COMMENTS
The United States Delegation was generally satisfied with the
accomplishments of the Third Special Session. The discussions of
illicit traffic, drug abuse and scientific research publicized the
latest information in all these fields. The discussion of the INCB Report illumined the contribution
the Board makes to drug control and strengthened its international
support. The consideration of UNFDAC operations elicited constructive criticism which
should benefit the Fund in the future. The discussion of world opium
supply developed the international consensus prerequisite for
searching for solutions to the supply problem without endangering
control procedures. The various resolutions adopted by the
Commission were designed to improve the efficiency of international
organizations concerned with drug control and to encourage
governments to increase their efforts in eliminating drug abuse,
goals which the United States shares fully. This special session of
the Commission maintained the momentum of past international
activity designed to eliminate drug abuse as a major world
problem.
