Contents

Foreword

Chapter

I. Overview: Giving more priority to combating money-laundering

1. Fighting money-laundering as an effective way to combat drug trafficking and organized crime
2. United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988
3. International organizational framework and action
4. Role of the United Nations in combating money-laundering
5. Results achieved to date
6. Observations
7. Recommendations
8. Concluding remarks

II. Operation of the international drug control system

1. Narcotic drugs
   1. Status of the international conventions on narcotic drugs
   2. Cooperation with Governments
   3. Assessment of the operation of the international narcotic drug control system
   4. Measures to ensure the execution of the provisions of the international conventions on narcotic drugs
   5. Abuse of pharmaceutical preparations containing narcotic drugs in Schedule III of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
   6. Trade in poppy seeds
   7. Timely provision of controlled drugs in acute emergency situations
   8. Availability of opiates for medical purposes
   9. Demand for opiates and supply of opiate raw materials
2. Psychotropic substances
   1. Status of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971
   2. Cooperation with Governments
   3. Operation of the control system for substances in Schedules I and II of the 1971 Convention
   4. Use of methylphenidate for the treatment of attention deficit disorder
   5. Control mechanism for international trade in substances in Schedules III and IV of the 1971 Convention
   6. Prevention of diversion of substances in Schedules III and IV of the 1971 Convention
   7. Illicit use of diazepam in the manufacture of "black pearls"
   8. Diversion of ephedrine tablets into Africa
   9. Diversion of psychotropic substances from domestic distribution channels
   10. Follow-up conference on control of international trade in psycho-tropic substances in Europe
   11. Veterinary use of psychotropic substances
3. Precursors
   1. Status of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988
   2. Cooperation with Governments
   3. Operation of the control system and prevention of diversion into the illicit traffic
4. Measures against the diversion of psychotropic substances and pre-cursors through intermediaries

III. Analysis of the world situation

1. Africa
2. America
   1. Central America and the Caribbean
   2. North America
   3. South America
3. Asia
   1. East and South-East Asia
   2. South Asia
   3. West Asia
4. Europa
5. Oceania

Annex. Current membership of the International Narcotics Control Board
Table. Production of opiate raw materials, consumption of opiates and balance

Current membership of the International Narcotics Control Board
Table. Production of opiate raw materials, consumption of opiates and balance

1. Consumption of codeine by major user countries, in morphine equivalent, 1980-1994
2. Global consumption of morphine and dihydrocodeine, in morphine equivalent, 1975-1994
3. Global production of opiate raw materials, in morphine equivalent, 1982-1996
4. Global production of opiate raw materials and consumption of opiates, in morphine equivalent, 1982-1996
5. Stocks of opiate raw materials, in morphine equivalent, India and Turkey, 1982-1994
6. Consumption of methylphenidate, in defined daily doses, United States of America and all other countries, 1986-1994

EXPLANATORY NOTES

In the table, two dots (..) indicate that data are not available or are not separately reported.

The following abbreviations have been used in this report:

  
     ADD            attention deficit disorder
     AIDS           acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
     ASEP           South American Agreement on Narcotic Drugs 
                    and Psychotropic Substances
     CICAD          Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
     CIS            Commonwealth of Independent States
     HIV            human immunodeficiency virus
     ICPO/Interpol  International Criminal Police Organization
     LSD            lysergic acid diethylamide
     MDMA           methylenedioxymethamphetamine
     NAFTA          North American Free Trade Agreement
     NDLEA          National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (Nigeria)
     PCP            phencyclidine
     SAARC          South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation
     THC            tetrahydrocannabinol
     TIR            transport international routier
     UNDCP          United Nations International Drug Control Programme
     UNICEF         United Nations Children's Fund
     WHO            World Health Organization 

Data reported later than 1 November 1995 could not be taken into consideration in preparing this report.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Foreword

The International Narcotics Control Board is the successor to the drug control bodies, the first of which was established by international treaty over 60 years ago. A series of treaties confer on the Board specific responsibilities. The Board endeavours "to limit the cultivation, production, manufacture and use of drugs to an adequate amount required for medical and scientific purposes", "to ensure their availability for such purposes", and "to prevent illicit cultivation, production and manufacture of, and illicit traffic in and use of, drugs", in accordance with article 9 of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol.^{1 (see notes)}. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Board acts in cooperation with Governments and maintains a continuing dialogue with them to further the aims of the treaties. That dialogue is pursued through periodic consultations and through special missions arranged in agreement with the Governments concerned.

The Board consists of 13 members who are elected by the Economic and Social Council and who serve in their personal capacity, not as government representatives (see annex for current member-ship). Three members with medical, pharmacological or pharmaceutical experience are elected from a list of persons nominated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and 10 members are elected from a list of persons nominated by the Members of the United Nations and by States parties that are not Members of the United Nations, in accordance with article 9 of the 1961 Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol. Members of the Board are persons who, by their competence, impartiality and disinterestedness, command general confidence. The Council, in consultation with the Board, makes all arrangements necessary to ensure the full technical independence of the Board in carrying out its functions. Revised administrative arrangements prepared on behalf of the Secretary-General by the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) in agreement with the Board were approved by the Council in its resolution 1991/48.

The Board collaborates with UNDCP, of which its secretariat forms a part, and with other international bodies concerned with drug control, including not only the Council and its Commission on Narcotic Drugs, but also the relevant specialized agencies of the United Nations, particularly WHO. It also cooperates with bodies outside the United Nations system, especially the International Criminal Police Organization and the Customs Co-operation Council (also called the World Customs Organization).

The international drug control treaties require the Board to prepare an annual report on its work. The annual report contains an analysis of the drug control situation worldwide, so that Governments are kept aware of existing and potential situations that may endanger the objectives of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961,^{2 (see notes)} that Convention as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971^{3 (see notes)} and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988.^{4 (see notes)} The Board draws the attention of Governments to gaps and weaknesses in national control and in treaty compliance; it also makes suggestions and recommendations for improvements at both the national and international levels. The conventions envisage special measures available to the Board to ensure the execution of their provisions.

The annual report of the Board is supplemented by detailed technical reports. They contain data on the licit movement of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances required for medical and scientific purposes, together with the Board's analysis of those data. Those data are required for the proper functioning of the system of control over the licit movement of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Moreover, under the provisions of article 12 of the 1988 Convention, the Board reports annually to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on the implementation of that article. That report is also published as a supplement to the annual report.

The Board assists national administrations in meeting their obligations under the conventions. To that end, it proposes and participates in regional training seminars and programmes for drug control administrators. A regional training seminar for drug control administrators from countries in northern and western Africa was held at Tunis in March 1995. Twenty-one African countries were represented at the seminar, which was hosted by the Government of Tunisia.

The work of the Board is continuously expanding as a result of the implementation by Governments of voluntary measures to tighten the control of psychotropic substances; the growing number of substances placed under international control; the additional responsibilities assigned to the Board under the 1988 Convention; and the imperative need to study on site situations that could endanger the attainment of the aims of the international drug control treaties and to maintain a continuous dialogue with Governments in order to promote measures to prevent illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse.

Notes

¹ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 976, No. 14152.

² Ibid., vol. 520, No. 7515.

³ Ibid., vol. 1019, No. 14956.

⁴ Official records of the United Nations Conference for the Adoption of a Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropics Substances, Vienna, 25 November-20 December 1988, vol I (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.94.XI.5).