Report of the International Narcotics Control Board 2006

116 Pages·2007·7.238 MB·English

by  United Nations

INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD
Report
of the International Narcotics
Control Board for
2006
UNITED NATIONS
New York, 2007
UNITED NATIONS PUBLlCATION
Sales No. E.07.XI.l I
ISBN- 10: 92- 1 l482 18-6
-
ISBN-13: 978-92- 1-14821 8-8
ISSN: 0257-3717
Foreword
For many generations, attempts have been made to combat the adverse effects of
illicit drug trafficking and abuse, and institutions have been set up at the national
and international levels to address those issues. Significant progress has been made
in reducing illicit drug trafficking and abuse, though a lot more remains to be done.
Many countries are being targeted by drug traffickers, as evidenced by the shipment
of large consignments of illicit narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and
precursor chemicals to those countries. Larger seizures of cocaine and heroin
suggest the existence of well-organized criminal syndicates that are moving drugs
around the globe with impunity; those syndicates must be dismantled. The seizures
also suggest that there is a need to improve the effectiveness of interdiction efforts
and intelligence-sharing.
Although the phenomenon of the unregulated market is not new, it is of particular
concern to the Board that, in recent years, the variety of internationally controlled
substances available on the unregulated market have been increasing. In addition,
drug traffickers are turning to innovalive ways of diverting and smuggling such
substances, such as the transnational distribution of counterfeit drugs and the use of
the lnternet and postal and courier services.
By making available medicines that are often poorly documented, unsafe,
ineffective or of low quality, the unregulated market exposes patients to serious
health risks. Moreover, this serious development, if it remains unchecked, may
undermine progress made over the years in international drug control. The root
causes of the problem need to be identified and remedial measures taken as a matter
of urgency. The measures require a concerted response from relevant parties,
including Governments, professional organizations and regional and international
organizations.
The national and international organizations established for the purpose of curtailing
illicit drug trafficking and abuse need to cooperate more closely with one another in
order to eflectively address this important issue. All Governments need to show
greater commitment to the ideals of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of
1961 and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, in particular to limit
the possession, use, distribution, import, export, manufacture and production of, and
trade in, drugs exclusively to medical and scientific purposes and to address drug
trafficking through international cooperation aimed at deterring such activity.
In an age where technological developments are being used for sinister purposes,
persons engaged in drug law enforcement and drug regulation need to be better
trained and equipped to seize illicit drugs that are being trafficked and counterfeit or
substandard drugs that appear in national and international distribution channels.
Law enforcement authorities should use their expertise for the good of all by
improving cooperation while fulfilling their mandates. States should share
intelligence to facilitate the interception of illicit drug consignments.
Governments should recognize the importance of drug demand reduction activities
in alleviating the drug problem. Governments should also introduce drug demand
reduction programmes, including programmes for the treatment, rehabilitation and
social reintegration of drug abusers, that are effective, accessible, affordable and
sustainable.
iii
The success of efforts aimed at tackling the world drug problem depends not only
on effective implementation of the appropriate legislation, but also on well-designed
demand reduction programmes that are conducted by well-motivated personnel, as
the personnel of such programmes play a significant role in successful drug control
efforts. There is a need for more circumspection in designating men and women to
lead drug control agencies.
At the international level, organizations involved in international drug control
should work more closely together. Let us put an end to unilateral efforts in the field
of drug control. Ultimately, resolving the world drug problem depends on
responsible action by all of us parents, children, civil society and Governments.
-
Let us join hands to rid the world of its drug problem. This is a wonderful
opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the peoples of the world. Let us
make that difference.
Philjp 0.E mafo
President of the International Narcotics Control Board
Contents
l Puxe
...
Foreword .......................................................................... ....... 111
Explanatorynotes ................................................................. ....... vii
Choptrr
I . Internationally controlled drugs and the unregulated market ..................
A . Background ......................................................
B . Selected features of the unregulated market for drugs ...................
C . The demand for the unregulated market ...............................
D . Some emerging issues .............................................
.
E Requirements of a regulatory system .................................
F . Conclusions .....................................................
G . Recommendations ..........................................
I I . Operation of the international drug control system .........................
A . Narcoticdrugs ...................................................
.
R Psychotropic substances .......................................
.
C Precursors .......................................................
D . Evaluation of overall treaty compliance by selected Governments .........
E . Evaluation of the implementation by Governments of recommendations
made by the Board subsequent to its country missions ...................
F . Measures to ensure the implementation of the international drug control
treaties ..........................................................
G . Specialtopics ....................................................
11 I . Analysis of the world situation ..........................................
.
A Africa ..........................................................
.
B Americas ........................................................
Central America and the Caribbean ..................................
North America .........................................
SouthAmerica ...................................................
C'. Asia ............................................................
East and South-East Asia ...........................................
SouthAsia ................................................
.
D Europe ..........................................................
.
E Oceania ..................................................
IV . Recommendations to Governments. the United Nations and other relevant
international and regional organizations ................................... 644-654 X6
A . Recornmendations to Governments ................................. 646-65 1 86
.
R Recommendations to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ....... 652 91
C . Recommendations to the World Health Organization .................... 653 91
D . Recon~mendationsto other relevant international organizations 654 92
Annexes
I . Regional groupings used in the report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2006 93
.
11 Current membership of the Tnternational Narcotics Control Hoard ...................... 96
Explanatory notes
The following abbreviations have been used in this report:
ACCORD ASEAN and China Cooperative Operations in Response to
Dangerous Drugs
ADD attention deficit disorder
ADHD attention deficitlhyperactivity disorder
AIDS acquired irnmunodeficiency syndrome
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ATS amphetamine-type stimulant
BKA Federal Criminal Police Office (Germany)
CICAD Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
CNCN National Council against Drug Trafficking (Honduras)
CONSEP National Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Control Board
(Ecuador)
CSTO Collective Security Treaty Organization
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
EMCDDA European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
Europol European Police Office
GBL gamma-butyrolactone
GHB gumma-hydroxybutyric acid
GIABA Groupe intergouvernemental d'action contre le blanchiment d'argent
en Afrique de I'Ouest
HIV human immunodeficiency virus
IMPACT International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce
Interpol International Criminal Police Organintion
LSD lysergic acid diethylamide
MDA methylenedioxyamphetamine
MDMA methylenedioxymethamphetamine
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
OAS Organization of American States
SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
SADC Southern African Development Community
SENAD National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Paraguay)
TFIC tetrahydrocannabinol
UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
IJPU Universal Postal Union
WHO World Health Organization
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this
publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the
Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its
frontiers or boundaries.
Countries and areas are referred to by the names that were in official use at the
time the relevant data were collected.
Data reported later than I November 2006
could not be taken into consideration in
preparing this report.
1. Internationally controlled drugs and the unregulated market
A. Background for some narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
-
may be becoming too ubiquitous in certain parts of the
I. The international drug control treaties, world and that the underlying contributory factors wed
particularly the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs to be identified and remedial measures taken.
of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol1 and the
5. The concerns of the International Narcotics
Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 197 1,2 seek
Control Board stem from reported incidences of the
to ensure a delicate balance between making narcotic
availability of internationally controlled drugs in the
drugs and psychotropic substances available for
unregulated market. For example, benzodiazepines,
medical and scientific purposes and preventing their
amphetamines and other internationally controlled
abuse or non-medical use. That delicate balance can be
drugs can be easily obtained in street markets in
achieved through a carefully worked out international
several developing countries. Even in developed
and national system of controls with regard to the
countries, there are reports of the abuse or misuse of
manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution,
controlled drugs originating in the unregulated market.
prescribing, dispensing and use of narcotic drugs and
Through Internet pharmacies, internationally controlled
psychotropic substances.
drugs such as benzodiazepines, opioids, stimulants and
2. Obligations imposed by the international drug barbiturates can be obtained without a prescription.
control treaties must be translated into national According to estimates of the World Health
legislation, and most States have enacted domestic Organization (WHO),3 at least 10 per cent of the
legislation for that purpose. Some States have also world's drugs are counterfeit.
introduced control systems that are in line with what is
6. The Board therefore decided that it would be
prescribed by the treaties, but with modifications to
timely to have the unregulated market as the special
suit local conditions.
theme of its report for 2006. The unregulated market is
3. The international drug control treaties were examined in the present chapter primarily in relation to
conceived as a response to widespread drug abuse and narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances under
as an attempt to reduce to a minimum the medical, international control.
public health and other problems emerging in the wake
of the misuse of drugs while, at the same time, not
B. Selected features of the unregulated
reducing the availability of drugs for medical and
market for drugs
scientific purposes. The drafters of the treaties were
conscious that there would be attempts to defeat
7. The unregulated market for drugs has evolved
whatever control systems that would be in place.
and exists in different forms in different parts of the
Accordingly, the drafters introduced several measures
world. Given the wide variation in the forms of
to minimize the possibility of the treaty objectives
unregulated markets and in the ways they operate, the
being undermined.
phrase "unregulated market for drugs" is commonly
4. Notwithstanding the drug control regime used in a generic sense. From a more technical
prescribed by the international drug control treaties and perspective, an unregulated market for drugs can be
related national laws and regulations, there have been considered to exist where:
reports of the diversion, misuse or abuse of drugs. The
problem has assumed more significant dimensions with (a) Unlicensed individuals and/or entities4 trade
in drugs that they are not authorized or entitled to deal
regard to psychotropic substances under international
control. In more recent times, however, there have
been growing concerns that the unregulated market
-
in general, for medicinal products, and in particular,
World Health Organization, "Countcrfc~tin edic~nes",
Fort Shect No 275, February 2006.
I United Nations, Treut-yS eries. vol. 976, No. 14152 4 The term "ent~tics*c' overs manufactur~ng
Ibid., vol. 10 18, No. 14956. establishments, pharmacics, clinics etc.