INCB participates in Commission on Narcotic Drugs thematic discussions
VIENNA, 2 October - The International Narcotics Control Board participated in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs thematic discussions held at the Vienna International Centre from 30 September to 2 October 2025. The discussions focused on challenges identified in the 2019 Ministerial Declaration and were organized following the adoption of the 2024 High-level Declaration.
The INCB President, Professor Sevil Atasoy, participated in the opening segment of the meeting, highlighting how the work of INCB and the cross-cutting issues of cooperation, data collection and analysis, technological innovation, capacity building and resource mobilisation in drug control are safeguarding health & welfare globally. Prof. Atasoy stressed that INCB's achievements had been made possible through collaboration with Member States and were a testament to multilateralism in action and the tangible translation of treaty provisions for the benefit of humankind. The INCB President concluded her statement by drawing attention to the need for stable regular budget and extrabudgetary resources to ensure that the Board's work can continue.
During the three-day meeting, the INCB President, together with Dr. Zukiswa Zingela, Member of the Board, shared INCB's expertise in a series of thematic discussions.
As a panellist in the discussion on adverse health consequences of and risks associated with new psychoactive substances, Dr. Zingela focused on children and youth and the need for training and awareness among health professionals, access to real-time intelligence through INCB & UNODC platforms, and integrated, youth-sensitive care. On the health risks associated with falsified medicines containing NPS, Dr. Zingela emphasized the need for a multi-layered strategy comprising detection and disruption of illicit supply, technology and intelligence sharing, capacity building and public-private partnerships.
During the discussion on drug treatment and health services falling short of meeting needs and the increase in deaths related to drug use, the INCB President recalled that the central objective of the drug control conventions is the health and welfare of humankind, drawing attention to the treaty obligation for States to take all practicable measures for the prevention of drug use and for the early identification, treatment, education, after-care, rehabilitation and social reintegration of affected people. Governments were urged to prioritize the provision of evidence-based prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration services that uphold human rights, including ensuring the availability of controlled substances for opioid agonist therapy.
The INCB President also made a statement during the discussion on the lack of availability of internationally controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, noting that INCB data on global consumption of opioid analgesics continues to reveal persistent regional disparities. These disparities affected access to essential medicines for pain management, mental health and neurological conditions and substance use disorders. INCB urges opioid-manufacturing countries to increase the production of morphine preparations specifically for pain management and palliative care and to fully utilize the provisions in the conventions that provide for expedited movement of controlled substances during humanitarian emergencies. Prof. Atasoy urged Member States to actively engage with the INCB Learning programme as a concrete step towards reducing disparities in access to internationally controlled medicines.
During the discussions, Prof. Atasoy and Dr. Zingela drew attention to the work of the INCB precursor control and GRIDS programme in preventing illicit drug manufacture and stopping NPS, including fentanyls and nitazenes, from reaching consumer markets.
At the margins of the thematic discussions, the INCB President met with the Chair and Secretary of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs to discuss the Board's cooperation with civil society.