INCB Convenes International Expert at its 3rd Meeting to Combat Trafficking of Synthetic Drugs and Precursors with No Legitimate Uses
Vienna, 18 September 2023 - The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) global OPIOIDS Project convened its 3rd international expert group meeting to address the emergence of synthetic dangerous drugs and chemicals with no known legitimate uses. Forty-five experts from over 20 governments, international organizations, and the private sector took part in the five-day meeting at UN headquarters in Vienna. Previous events lead to the Board's lists of dangerous opioids no known legitimate uses, tools critical to voluntary cooperation with governments and industry.
The event gathered law and regulatory enforcement focal points, forensic laboratory, chemical and toxicology experts from Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, European Commission, France, India, Luxembourg, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America to assess the latest intelligence on dangerous substances with no known legitimate use. It also brought together leading global chemical, pharmaceutical and detection technology partners to discuss the latest trends, threats and demonstrate state-of-the-art approaches for rapid detection of suspicious packaging, falsified and illicitly manufactured pharmaceuticals.
Photo: Experts from over 20 governments, international organizations, and the private sector took part in CHEM3
In his opening remarks, Mr. Matthew Nice, INCB GRIDS Programme manager stated, "this is the largest UN gathering of experts to address the issue of non-scheduled synthetic drugs with no known legitimate uses, and the practical results of this groups work will inform policy and support voluntary cooperation with governments and industries." This year's event colloquially referred to as CHEM3 reviews and updates INCB's two existing lists of synthetic opioids and expands to other classes of dangerous new psychoactive substances with no known legitimate uses.
The event followed similar successful meetings held in 2019 and 2021, which established and expanded INCB's lists of fentanyl-related substances and synthetic non-fentanyl opioids with no known legitimate uses, essential in voluntary cooperation with the manufacturing, marketing, movement and online monetization industries. Furthermore, technical recommendations from this and over 25 other events with industry led by the GRIDS Programme since 2018 has resulted in INCB's new series of practical guidance for voluntary cooperation between governments and targeted industries such as express couriers, freight forwarders, e-commerce and internet-related services.
Photo: CHEM3 event announcement from the rotunda at UN Headquarters in Vienna
The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and Project ION and OPIOIDS Project support Governments' capacity to respond to changing trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing and sales of NPS, non-medical synthetic opioids and fentanyl-related substances by providing real-time communication, facilitating information exchange and intelligence development that interdict distribution of dangerous substances at the source.
The GRIDS Programme is strongly supported by the governments of Canada, Japan, and the United States. This event was made possible through generous support from the Government of Canada's Global Affairs Canada and United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
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Click here to learn more about the Project ION