Mission to Guyana
A mission of the Board visited Guyana from 5 to 7 December 2017. The mission was conducted by Mr. Raul Martin del Campo Sánchez, Member of the Board, accompanied by Mr. Stefano Berterame of the INCB secretariat. The primary objective of the mission was to discuss with relevant government counterparts progress made by Guyana in the implementation of the international drug control conventions. The last mission of the Board to Guyana was in 2002.
The mission held high-level talks with the Vice President and Minister of Public Security, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Forces and senior officials from the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Protection as well as the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Revenue Authority. The mission was coordinated by the newly established National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA).
Discussions focused on compliance with the international drug control treaties, national and international drug control policy, the vulnerability of Guyana to drug trafficking and the proposals and action taken by the Government to address these issues.
The findings of the mission will be considered by the Board at its 121st session in February 2018.
Mission to Australia
From 27 to 29 November 2017, an INCB mission visited Australia. The mission was led by Ms. Jagjit Pavadia, Second Vice President of the Board and Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates, accompanied by Mr. Paul Rabbat of the INCB Secretariat. The objective of the mission was to discuss the implementation by Australia of the three international drug control conventions.
The mission was coordinated by the Department of Health and included meetings with officials from the Drug Strategy Branch, the Office of Drug Control, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Attorney General's Department, the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian advisory Council on the Medicinal use of Cannabis.
In Melbourne, the INCB delegation also held meetings with the Office of Medicinal Cannabis Regulation of Victoria and the Agriculture Research Division of the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources of the State of Victoria.
In Sydney, the delegation visited the National Measurement Institute and a container examination facility administered by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
The findings of the mission will be considered by the Board at its 121st session in February 2018.
Mission to the Russian Federation
An INCB mission visited the Russian Federation from 20 to 24 November 2017. The mission was carried out by Dr. Viroj Sumyai, President of the International Narcotics Control Board, accompanied by Ms. Beate Hammond of the INCB secretariat. The objective of the mission was to review the implementation of the international drug control treaties by the Russian Federation and to examine drug control developments since the last mission of the Board in 2005.
The mission, which was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held consultations with several high-level officials of the Russian Federation, including the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Health, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and the Chief of the Ministry of Internal Affairs General Administration as well as senior officials from these authorities. The mission visited the Moscow Endocrine Plant, a state-owned manufacturer of pharmaceutical preparations as well as facilities which provide emergency care, treatment, counselling and rehabilitation of drug users. In addition, the mission met with non-governmental organizations (NGO) active in the area of drug prevention and rehabilitation and visited a therapeutic community operated by an NGO.
The findings of the mission will be considered by the Board at its 121st session in February 2018.
Mission to Switzerland
An INCB mission visited Switzerland from 20 to 22 November 2017. The mission was conducted by
Prof. Dr. Galina Korchagina, Member of the Board, accompanied by Ms. Ha Fung NG (Cilla) of the INCB secretariat. The objective of the mission was to discuss the implementation by Switzerland of the three international drug control conventions and to review drug control developments in the country regarding the implementation of the international drug control conventions since the Board's last mission in 2000.
The mission, which was coordinated by the Federal Office of Public Health, held consultations with the directors and senior officials of the Federal Office of Public Health, Swissmedic, Foreign Affairs, Federal Police and Cantonal Police Berne. Meetings with members of Federal Commission on Addiction and NGO representatives were also held. The mission also visited a company manufacturing internationally controlled substance and the drug injection facilities provided by the NGO "Contact Foundation" in the Canton of Berne.
Discussions focused on latest developments in drug control situation in Switzerland, trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and control precursor chemicals, and measures taken to address them, as well as challenges regarding access and availability of substances under international control for medical purposes.
The findings of the mission will be considered by the Board at its 121st session in February 2018.
INCB President presents annual report to ECOSOC and holds consultations with Presidents of the General Assembly and ECOSOC
Dr. Viroj Sumyai, President of the Board, presented the INCB annual report for 2016 to the Economic and Social Council at its Coordination and Management Meeting.
In his presentation, the President highlighted the 2016 report's focus on the issue of women and drugs and highlighted the fact that women continue to be disproportionately affected by drug use and dependency given their comparatively lesser access to treatment than men. He echoed the Board's call to States to integrate gender perspectives in the elaboration of their drug policies to address this discrepancy.
The President also drew the attention of council members to the Board's pronouncements on the need for proportionate responses to drug-related criminality, including through the use of alternative measures to conviction and punishment, and called upon States that continue to retain the death penalty for drug-related crimes to consider abolishing it for this category of offence. The President also reiterated the Board's condemnation of extrajudicial responses to drug-related criminality.
The full text of the President's speech can be accessed online here.
During his mission to New York, the INCB President also held consultations with H.E. Mr. Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, President of the Economic and Social Council, as well as H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly.
Mission to the Arab Republic of Egypt
An INCB mission visited the Arab Republic of Egypt from 11 to 14 June 2017. The mission was conducted by Mr. Bernard Leroy, Member of the Board, accompanied by Mr. Adrian Moicean of the INCB secretariat. The objective of the mission was to discuss the implementation by the Arab Republic of Egypt of the three international drug control conventions and to review drug control developments in the country regarding the implementation of the international drug control conventions since the Board's last mission in 2001.
The mission, which was coordinated by the Anti-Narcotics General Administration (ANGA), held consultations with Deputy Ministers and senior officials of the Ministries of Interior and Social Security, Health, Justice and Foreign Affairs. Meetings with senior officials of the Customs Authority, the Fund for Rehabilitation and Countering drug abuse of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Attorney General Office were also held. The mission also visited the Elmatar Hospital for Drug Abuse Rehabilitation in Cairo. A visit to the UNODC Regional Office for Middle East and Northern Africa (ROMENA) in Cairo was also included in the programme of the mission.
Discussions focused on latest developments in drug control situation in Egypt, trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals and measures taken to address them, as well as challenges regarding availability for medical purposes of substances under international control.
The findings of the mission will be considered by the Board at its 120th session in November 2017.