International Narcotics Control Board participates in sixty-sixth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
VIENNA, 22 March - The International Narcotics Control Board participated in the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which took place from 13 to 17 March 2023.
The INCB President, Ms. Jagjit Pavadia, participated in the opening segment of the Commission by making a statement on drug-related challenges to health and wellbeing. The INCB President presented to the Commission the 2022 INCB Annual Report, Precursors Report and supplement entitled "No Patient Left Behind: Progress in Ensuring Adequate Access to Internationally Controlled Substances for Medical and Scientific Purposes". Statements were also made by the President of the Board on challenges in the review of substances for possible international control and on ensuring the availability of internationally controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes.
INCB participated in a number of side events held at the margins of the session. Two of the events focused on the issue of availability of internationally controlled substances, and provided an opportunity to share the findings of the Board's supplementary report: " No Patient Left Behind: Progress in Ensuring Adequate Access to Internationally Controlled Substances for Medical and Scientific Purposes" published a few days earlier. On 14 March, the President of the Board participated in a side event "No patient left behind - availability, affordability of and access to controlled substances", organized by the Government of South Africa. On 16 March, Ms. Pavadia took part in the side event "Innovation responses to promoting access to controlled medicines, while preventing diversion and non-medical use: following up on the global "access and availability" campaign led by the chair of the 65 th CND", organized by the Government of Belgium.
On 14 March, the INCB President participated in a side event, "Dame. Zettai." (Never. Ever.) "Value yourself", organized by the Government of Japan to mark 30 years of drug prevention efforts by the Drug Abuse Prevention Centre based in Japan.
Also on 14 March, two Board members participated in the following events. Professor H. H. Sevil Atasoy, Rapporteur of the Board, participated in the side event "Progress in addressing the evolution of illicit drug manufacture - good practices, approaches and experiences in particular regarding designer precursors and innovative ways of scheduling". Ambassador David T. Johnson, Vice-Chair of INCB's Standing Committee on Estimates, briefed representatives of Member States on the overhaul of the international drug control system database used by INCB to process, store and analyze data reported by governments to INCB under the drug control treaties.
On 16 March, the President of INCB held an informal dialogue with civil society, organized by the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs. During the dialogue, the President of the Board responded to questions in a range of areas, including drug use prevention, cannabis control, availability of controlled substances for medical purposes, responses to drug-related criminality, human rights and use of social media.
Informal consultations were held with Member States on reporting of cannabis and cannabis-related substances, and on the supply of opiate raw materials and demand for opiates for 2023.
During the session, INCB's 2022 technical publications on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were launched.
The session also saw the Commission adopting four resolutions and deciding to place seven substances under international control in the schedules of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Over 2,500 registered participants from governments, international and regional organizations and civil society participated in the discussions.
At the margins of the session, the President of the Board met with representatives of Member States and international and regional organizations as part ongoing cooperation to further the implementation of the drug control conventions and towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG3 on health and wellbeing.