VIENNA 11 March 2026
Mr. Chair, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to recall that, under this agenda item, the International Narcotics Control Board has repeatedly addressed the challenges and possible solutions to counter the proliferation of non-scheduled chemicals, including custom-made designer precursors.
INCB has discharged its functions under article 12 of the 1988 Convention by assessing and recommending for international control the chemicals which Member States have proposed for scheduling, and we have made our own proposals for certain key, alternative precursor chemicals. All of this has been done in recognition of the fact that scheduling in the Tables of the 1988 Convention is the only internationally binding mechanism to disrupt global supply chains for precursor chemicals. The scheduling decisions of the Commission have proven to be effective, significantly reducing or eliminating the diversion and use of scheduled chemicals for the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances controlled under the 1961 and 1971 conventions.
However, we now see the emergence of new classes of drugs such as nitazenes, orphines, etomidate analogues, just to mention the most recent. Several of them are at least as potent, and often more potent, than “traditional” drugs. This means that small quantities of chemicals can yield significant quantities of deadly end products. The majority of these chemicals are not controlled anywhere, and they may or may not have legitimate uses. To date, no seizures of the precursor chemicals required to produce these drugs have been brought to the Board’s attention. However, seizures of the end products and fatalities involving their consumption provide ample, but sad, evidence that the precursor chemicals were available and used by drug traffickers.
Last year, INCB brought a group of nitazene precursors to the attention of the Commission, and we will continue to do the same for other emerging drug classes. However, I would like to draw your attention to a highly effective, yet still underutilized tool, the INCB PEN Online Light system. PEN Online Light is a platform for the voluntary exchange of information about chemicals which are not controlled internationally but which could potentially be used for unregulated purposes or even illicit drug manufacture. Greater use of PEN Online Light would increase our collective knowledge of precursor-related supply-chain dynamics, including knowledge of legitimate markets and operators.
Greater precision in predicting emerging drug precursors and their earlier identification would further enhance the preparedness of the international community to address emerging new drugs. Tools like PEN Online Light are available to Member States free of charge and I seize this opportunity to encourage all of you to work with us and our secretariat to make the best use of these tools to safeguard health and wellbeing.
Thank you for your attention.
