Mission to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
A high-level INCB mission visited the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from 8 to 10 May 2016. The mission was conducted by the President of the Board, Mr. Werner Sipp, accompanied by the Secretary of the Board and a member of the INCB secretariat. The purpose of the mission was to continue consultations with the Government of Afghanistan, which the Board had initiated in May 2000. At that time, INCB concluded that the situation in the country, if left unattended, seriously endangered the aims of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 and decided to invoke Article 14 of the 1961 Convention with a view to promote cooperative action at the international level.
The mission was received by H. E. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; the Minister of Counter Narcotics, H.E. Ms. Salamat Azimi; the Minister of Public Health, H.E. Dr. Ferozuddin Feroz; and the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, H.E. Mr. Assadullah Zamir. The President of the Board also held consultations with Mr. Mohammad Hanif Atmar, National Security Adviser to the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Mr. Mohammad Shaker Kargar, Special Envoy of the President for the Commonwealth of Independent States and Senior Adviser to the First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Consultations also took place with the Chair and members of the Parliamentary Commission on Counter Narcotics, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Afghanistan, and representatives of international organisations and the international community. During his short visit to Afghanistan, the President of the Board also undertook a visit to a treatment and rehabilitation centre accompanied by H.E. Ms. Azimi.
Deliberations focused on the current drug control situation, future prospects, the actions and initiatives of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as well as the cooperation of the international community.
The findings of the mission will be presented to the Board at one of its future sessions in the course of 2016.
Chief Executive, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah receives INCB President.