International Action to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Production and Trafficking

A/RES/50/148View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 108 International drug control, published in 1996.

What other versions does this mandate have?

5 versions · 1994–1998

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/52/92

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
1998	A/RES/52/92	International action to combat drug abuse and illicit production and trafficking	4,174	68%Compare
1997	A/RES/51/64	International action to combat drug abuse and illicit production and trafficking	4,227	47%Compare
1996	A/RES/50/148	International action to combat drug abuse and illicit production and trafficking	3,443	69%Compare
1995	A/RES/49/168	International action to combat drug abuse and illicit production and trafficking	2,864	26%Compare
1994	A/RES/48/112	International action to combat drug abuse and illicit production and trafficking	2,392	–

What’s in this document?

53 operative paragraphs

I

Reaffirms that the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking should not in any way justify violation of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international law, particularly respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and non-use of force or the threat of force in international relations;

Calls upon all States to intensify their actions to promote effective cooperation in the efforts to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking, so as to contribute to a climate conducive to achieving this end, on the basis of the principles of equal rights and mutual respect;

II.International action to combat drug abuse and illicit

production and trafficking

Renews its commitment to further strengthening international cooperation and substantially increasing efforts against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotics and psychotropic substances, based on the principle of shared responsibility and taking into account experience gained;

Urges all States to ratify or accede to and implement all the provisions of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 7/ as amended by the 1972 Protocol,⁹ the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971¹⁰ and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988;¹¹

⁹Ibid., vol. 976, No. 14152.

¹⁰Ibid., vol. 1019, No. 14956.

¹¹United Nations publication, Sales No. E.91.XI.6.

Calls upon all States to adopt adequate national laws and regulations, to strengthen national judicial systems and to carry out effective drug control activities in cooperation with other States in accordance with those international instruments;

Requests the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to continue to provide legal assistance to Member States which request it in adjusting their national laws, policies and infrastructures to implement the international drug control conventions, as well as assistance in training personnel responsible for applying the new laws;

Supports the focus on regional, subregional and national strategies for drug abuse control, particularly the master-plan approach, and urges the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to continue to complement those strategies with effective interregional strategies;

Reaffirms the danger and threat posed to civil society by drug trafficking and its links to terrorism, transnational crime, money laundering and the arms trade, and encourages Governments to deal with this threat and to cooperate to prevent the channelling of funds to and between those engaged in such activities;

Acknowledges that there are links between the illicit production of, demand for and traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and the economic and social conditions in the affected countries and that there are differences and diversity in the problems of each country;

Calls upon the international community to provide increased economic and technical support to Governments which request it for programmes of alternative and sustainable development that have as their objectives the reduction and elimination of illicit drug production and that take fully into account the cultural traditions of peoples;

Notes the strong support expressed by members of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs for the initiatives of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to establish a dialogue with multilateral development banks so that they might undertake lending and programming activities related to drug control in interested and affected countries, and requests the Executive Director of the Programme to inform the Commission of further progress made in this area;

Stresses the need for effective government action to prevent the diversion to illicit markets of precursors and essential chemicals, materials and equipment used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances;

Commends the International Narcotics Control Board for its valuable work in monitoring the production and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances so as to limit their use to medical and scientific purposes, and urges increased efforts to implement its mandate under article 12 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances concerning the monitoring of the movement of precursors and essential chemicals;

Calls upon the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to continue providing assistance to Member States which request it in establishing or strengthening national drug detection laboratories;

Calls upon States to increase efforts, with international cooperation, to reduce and eliminate illegal crops from which narcotics are obtained, as well as to prevent and reduce the demand for and the consumption of illicit drugs;

Underlines the need for Governments, with international cooperation, to increase and implement alternative development programmes with the objective of reducing and eliminating the production of illicit drugs, taking into account the economic, social, cultural, political and environmental aspects of the area concerned;

Emphasizes the need to maintain the capacity of the International Narcotics Control Board, including through the provision of appropriate means by the Secretary-General, within existing resources, and adequate technical support by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme;

Reaffirms the importance of achieving the objectives of the United Nations Decade against Drug Abuse 1991-2000, under the theme "A global response to a global challenge", by Member States, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the United Nations system;

Takes note of the provisional report presented to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its thirty-eighth session by the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme on the economic and social consequences of drug abuse and illicit trafficking,¹² and invites the Commission to continue considering this issue in the context of the general debate;

¹²See E/CN.7/1995/3.

Welcomes resolution 13 (XXXVIII) of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs¹³ on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 48/12;

¹³See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1995, Supplement No. 9 (E/1995/29), chap. XII, sect. A.

Welcomes with satisfaction Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/16 of 24 July 1995 on the integration of demand reduction initiatives into a cohesive strategy to combat drug abuse, in which, inter alia, the Council requested the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, in consultation with Governments and appropriate agencies and organizations, to define clearly their global strategy for demand reduction and to develop a draft declaration on the guiding principles of demand reduction for submission to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its thirty-ninth session;

Welcomes with satisfaction resolution 5 (XXXVIII) of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs 12/ on strategies for illicit supply reduction, reaffirming the need to apply effective strategies for supply reduction, based on the implementation of plans and programmes for alternative development, which have as their objectives the reduction and elimination of illicit drug production;

Invites the Economic and Social Council, while considering the issue of international cooperation against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotics and psychotropic substances at its high-level segment of 1996, to pay special attention to the recommendations on the follow-up to General Assembly resolution 48/12, contained in the report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs;¹⁴

¹⁴Ibid., chap. VII.

Requests the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, in its report on illicit traffic in drugs, to include an assessment of worldwide trends in illicit traffic and transit in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including methods and routes used, and to recommend ways and means for improving the capacity of States along those routes to deal with all aspects of the drug problem;

III.Global Programme of Action

Reaffirms the importance of the Global Programme of Action 3/ as a comprehensive framework for national, regional and international action to combat illicit production of, demand for and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances;

Calls upon States to implement the mandates and recommendations of the Global Programme of Action, with a view to translating it into practical action for drug abuse control at the national, regional and international levels;

Urges all Governments and competent regional organizations to develop a balanced approach within the framework of comprehensive demand reduction activities, giving adequate priority to prevention, treatment, research, social reintegration and training in the context of national strategic plans to combat drug abuse;

Calls upon the relevant United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies, the international financial institutions and other concerned intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to cooperate with and assist States in their efforts to promote and implement the Global Programme of Action;

Welcomes the efforts made by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to facilitate reporting by Governments on the implementation of the Global Programme of Action, and encourages them to pursue those efforts so as to increase the number of Governments that respond;

Notes the efforts being made by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and other United Nations bodies to obtain reliable data on drug abuse and illicit trafficking, including the development of the International Drug Abuse Assessment System, encourages the Programme, in cooperation with other United Nations bodies, to take further steps to facilitate the efficient collection of data so as to avoid duplication of effort, and encourages also the increased and timely provision of updated information by Member States;

Invites the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to consider ways of providing assistance to Member States which request it in their efforts to establish appropriate mechanisms to collect and analyse data and to seek voluntary resources for this purpose;

IV

Proposal for an international conference to combat the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotic

drugs and psychotropic substances and related activities

Takes note of the recommendations contained in the report of the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 48/12,¹⁵ including the recommendation regarding the proposal to convene an international conference ten years after the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, to review progress made by Governments and the United Nations system in combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking;¹⁶

¹⁵E/CN.7/1995/14.

¹⁶Ibid., para. 50.

Takes note also of resolution 13 (XXXVIII) of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, 12/ in which the Commission decided to keep under consideration the proposal for the convening of an international conference to review progress made by Governments and the United Nations system in combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking;

Takes note further of Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/40 of 27 July 1995, in which the Council recommended that the General Assembly and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs give priority consideration to the proposal to convene an international conference for the purpose of evaluating the international situation and the status of international cooperation against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related activities;

Takes note of the proposal to hold a second international conference and requests the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to discuss this issue fully, as a matter of priority, at its thirty-ninth session, and to present its conclusions and suggestions through the Economic and Social Council to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session;

Stresses that, when discussing this issue, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs should take into account that the proposed conference should focus, with a balanced and integral approach, inter alia, on the assessment of existing strategies, as well as on the consideration of new strategies, methods, practical measures and concrete actions to strengthen international cooperation to address the problem of illicit drugs, including illicit demand reduction, illicit supply reduction, the promotion of alternative development programmes, the combat against criminal organizations and illicit arms trade related to drug trafficking, money laundering, the diversion of essential chemicals, the control of stimulants and their precursors and the promotion of law enforcement cooperation, on the basis of the principles and guidelines set forth in the present resolution;

Also stresses that, when considering the proposal for holding such a conference, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs should take into account international drug control priorities and resources, the financial and other implications of holding such a conference, as well as ways and means to increase the implementation of existing international conventions and other international instruments for cooperation on drug control;

V

Implementation of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control: action by organizations of the

United Nations system

Supports the United Nations System-wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control 5/ as a vital tool for the coordination and enhancement of drug abuse control activities within the United Nations system, and requests that it be updated and reviewed on a biennial basis with a view to continuing efforts to improve its presentation and usefulness as a strategic tool of the United Nations for the drug problem;

Reaffirms the role of the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme in coordinating and providing effective leadership for all United Nations drug control activities so as to increase cost-effectiveness and ensure coherence of action within the Programme as well as coordination, complementarity and non-duplication of such activities throughout the United Nations system;

Endorses the agreed conclusions adopted by the Economic and Social Council at its coordination segment of 1994¹⁷ regarding coordination by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme of drug control-related policies and activities of the United Nations system, including international financial institutions;

¹⁷See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/49/3/Rev.1), chap. III, sect. B.

Urges the governing bodies of the United Nations organizations associated with the United Nations System-wide Action Plan on Drug Abuse Control to help ensure effective follow-up by including drug control in their agendas with a view to assessing the activities undertaken in accordance with the Plan and examining how the drug problem is addressed in relevant programmes;

Invites Member States to inform the Economic and Social Council at its high-level segment of 1996 on progress in international cooperation, especially on specific national efforts to engage the United Nations system and the multilateral development banks in addressing the drug problem;

VI.United Nations International Drug Control Programme

Welcomes the efforts of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to implement its mandates within the framework of the international drug control treaties, the Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outline of Future Activities in Drug Abuse Control, the Global Programme of Action and relevant consensus documents;

Notes with concern the decline of available resources for the Fund of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme;

Urges all Governments to provide the fullest possible financial and political support to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, in particular by increasing voluntary contributions to the Programme, to enable it to continue, expand and strengthen its operational and technical cooperation activities;

Invites Governments and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to consider ways and means of improving the coordination of United Nations drug control-related activities;

Welcomes the work of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its thirty-eighth session on the programme budget of the Fund of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, in accordance with the mandate contained in section XVI, paragraph 2, of General Assembly resolution 46/185 C of 20 December 1991;

Notes with appreciation the efforts made by the Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme to comply with the approved format and methodology of the programme budget of the Fund, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the General Assembly and the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, and encourages the Executive Director to continue his efforts to improve the presentation and transparency of the budget;

Stresses the importance of the meetings of heads of national law enforcement agencies, and encourages them to consider ways to improve their functioning and to strengthen their impact so as to enhance cooperation in the fight against drugs at the regional level;

VII

Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General submitted under the item entitled "International drug control";¹⁸

¹⁸A/50/460 and A/50/461.

Requests the Secretary-General, taking into account the promotion of integrated reporting:

To submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session an updated report on the status of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances;

To include, in his annual report on the implementation of the Global Programme of Action, recommendations on ways and means to improve implementation and provision of information by Member States.