INCB convenes its first Member States consultation to identify concrete steps for addressing the diversion and use of equipment essential for the illicit manufacture of drugs
VIENNA, 12 October 2022 -The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Member States held a virtual consultation on 11 and 12 October 2022 to identify concrete steps for global action to address the diversion and use of equipment essential for the illicit manufacture of drugs.
The consultation provided a platform for a global dialogue with and among Member States on practical measures to increase the operational use of article 13 of the 1988 Convention. It builds on the Board's awareness-raising initiatives and its resources that aim at guiding international policy efforts and encouraging multilateral cooperation in this new frontier of illicit drug control.
During the two-day event, more than 150 experts and Governments' representatives from Permanent Missions, competent national authorities, national regulatory and law enforcement entities as well as representatives of regional and international organizations exchanged opinions, experiences, good practices and devised concrete practical future steps for action.
The event was used by INCB to launch its technical paper on "Illicit drug manufacturing equipment and article 13 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988". This paper provides a situation analysis related to equipment used in the illicit manufacture of drugs, in the context of article 13 together with the related UN, regional and national normative/regulatory frameworks. An analysis of the current trafficking trends and developments and a set of practical suggestions on the steps ahead complete this first INCB paper entirely devoted to essential equipment used in the illicit manufacturing of drugs.
INCB is the independent, quasi-judicial body charged with promoting and monitoring Government compliance with the three international drug control conventions: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Established by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the thirteen members of the Board are elected in a personal capacity by the Economic and Social Council for terms of five years