Statement by Prof. Jallal Toufiq, President,
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)
Opening of the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
10 March 2025, Vienna, Austria
Mr. Chair, Madam Waly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour to represent the International Narcotics Control Board at the opening of the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
First, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Chair, on your election and rest assured you have the full support of INCB.
INCB remains committed to continued cooperation with the Commission and Member States in promoting implementation of the three international drug control conventions and ensuring the functioning of the international drug control system for licit trade in controlled substances, with the ultimate objective of safeguarding health and welfare globally.
I would like to highlight two critical drug control challenges for which continued international cooperation is essential, for no country can handle them alone.
Firstly, I wish to highlight the grave public health threat posed by the rapid proliferation of synthetic drugs, which is the focus of the thematic chapter of INCB's 2024 Annual Report released last week. To address this challenge, INCB is calling for a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to counter illicit synthetic drug manufacture, trafficking and consumption.
The INCB precursor control and GRIDS programmes are currently supporting Governments in addressing this urgent challenge.
For instance, in 2024, INCB prevented and reduced the illicit manufacture of drugs in a number of ways. The Board assessed two fentanyl precursors and 16 precursors of amphetamine-type stimulants and recommended their international control. We monitored nearly 28,000 shipments of 32,000 tons and 5 billion litres of controlled precursor chemicals through the PEN Online system. INCB tracked over 700 shipments of more than 136,000 tons and more than 3 million litres of internationally non-controlled precursor chemicals through the PEN Online Light system. Use of the INCB PICS system prevented the diversion of 2,600 tons and 500,000 litres of precursor chemicals.
Under the framework of the INCB GRIDS Programme, nearly 25,000 incidents involving 850 unique new psychoactive substances in 160 countries were processed through the IONICS system, bringing the total number of events recorded to over 100,000. Operation Zodiac led to seizures of over 285,000 pharmaceutical preparations. Operation African Star targeted shipments of falsified, substandard and other illicitly manufactured pharmaceuticals, leading to the interception of 92 consignments of various pharmaceutical products. Three operational alerts were issued to assist Governments in launching actions to target the diversion and misuse of veterinary pharmaceuticals, and 45 events were conducted for 1,300 officials to coordinate operational responses through GRIDS regional technical officers based in Almaty, Bangkok, Cairo, Lagos, Mexico City and New Delhi.
The second challenge relates to licit requirements and here I wish to highlight that INCB data continues to confirm persistent disparities in the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical purposes. However, this data indicates that the global supply of opiate raw materials is more than sufficient to meet the global reported demand for narcotic drugs for medical and scientific purposes. One reason for this is that the estimated requirements submitted by some countries may not accurately reflect their medical needs. The INCB Learning programme is working to improve the situation and has delivered training to 1,462 officials from 154 countries through five e-modules, virtual training and in-person training.
To ensure the supply of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes, in 2024 INCB reviewed and approved or established over 4,000 estimates for more than 1,500 tons of narcotic drugs used in anaesthesia, pain management and opioid agonist therapy and over 4,500 annual assessments and modifications were processed for more than 2,500 tons of psychotropic substances used in the treatment of neurological and mental health conditions and opioid agonist therapy.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it can hardly get any more impactful and effective than this.
INCB is proud of these achievements made by its hardworking secretariat together with Member States. The mechanisms in place are fine examples of multilateralism at work and treaties being translated into action for the benefit of all.
However, these efforts are dependent upon sustained resources.
The regular budget liquidity crisis faced by the United Nations Secretariat has already led to the Board's 142nd session not being held last month in-person. Interpretation limitations for online meetings and restrictions on platforms impacted the Board's ability to approve and process estimates and assessments for hundreds of tons of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances used in anaesthesia, pain management, opioid agonist therapy and for the treatment of neurological and mental health conditions, with all the potentially very negative consequences for patients worldwide.
Without stable extrabudgetary resources, the activities of the precursor control and GRIDS programmes that I have shared will no longer take place. This means that thousands of shipments, comprising thousands of tons and billions of litres of precursor chemicals will no longer be monitored and tracked. It will impact the Board's ability to review chemicals for possible international control. Thousands of incidents involving hundreds of opioids and new psychoactive substances around the world will no longer be processed. Operations will no longer be conducted, meaning more dangerous substances in circulation and an increased risk to public health. Issuance of operational alerts will cease - meaning that national authorities will be missing crucial intelligence, hampering efforts to interrupt trafficking in dangerous and highly potent synthetic opioids and veterinary pharmaceuticals.
Allow me to recall that, in this Commission, Member States have committed themselves, time and time again, to implementing the provisions of the drug control conventions and international drug policy commitments. Member States have acknowledged their shared responsibility and the need for international cooperation in addressing all facets of the drug control problem.
INCB reconfirms its commitment to supporting the Commission and Member States in fulfilling the provisions of the treaties and achieving their overarching objective of safeguarding health and welfare. However, our ability to support you is dependent upon being entrusted with sufficient resources and, as Ms. Waly has stated, the resources are becoming scarce, endangering the sustainability of our work.
I urge you to take these points into account in your deliberations over the coming days and wish you a successful sixty-eighth session.
Thank you very much.