Enhancing Action at the National, Regional and International Levels to Address the Global Public Health and Security Challenges Posed by Synthetic Drugs

Calls upon Member States, consistent with the principle of common and shared responsibility, to carry out coordinated actions at the national, regional and international levels to address, in accordance with domestic law and circumstances, the global public health and security challenges posed by the illicit manufacture of and trafficking in synthetic drugs, as well as their distribution, consumption and use for non-medical and non-scientific purposes, including through the Commission on Narcotic Drugs as the body with a treaty-mandated function to consider all matters pertaining to the aims of the three international drug control conventions and as the policymaking body of the United Nations system with prime responsibility for drug control and other drug-related matters;

Encourages Member States, as appropriate, to explore innovative and forward-looking approaches to more effectively address the threats posed by the illicit manufacture of and trafficking in synthetic drugs, as well as their distribution, consumption and use for non-medical and non-scientific purposes, by involving all relevant sectors, building the capacity of law enforcement and health-care systems to respond to those threats, broadening domestic, regional and international controls over synthetic drugs, and voluntarily establishing and strengthening partnerships or cooperation with civil society, academia, and private sector entities where relevant and in accordance with domestic law, as well as addressing drug-related socioeconomic factors;

Urges Member States to develop and carry out comprehensive, balanced, scientific evidence-based and forward-looking strategies at all applicable levels to effectively address and counter challenges posed by the illicit manufacture of and trafficking in synthetic drugs, as well as their distribution, consumption and use for non-medical and non-scientific purposes, including interventions related to prevention, treatment and recovery support, measures aimed at minimizing the adverse public health and social consequences of synthetic drug use, as well as preventing and countering drug-related crime and violence and the trafficking and diversion of synthetic drugs, their precursor chemicals, including non-scheduled and designer precursor chemicals, and equipment used in the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs;

Calls upon Member States to improve access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes by appropriately addressing existing barriers in this regard, including those related to legislation, regulatory systems, health-care systems, affordability, the training of health-care professionals, education, awareness-raising, estimates, assessment and reporting, benchmarks for consumption of substances under international control and international cooperation and coordination, while concurrently preventing their diversion, abuse and trafficking;

Encourages Member States to enhance information exchange on the illicit manufacture of and trafficking in synthetic drugs and trafficking and diversion of scheduled and non-scheduled precursor chemicals through existing international and regional mechanisms, including those operated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Narcotics Control Board, as well as the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and to share best practices to counter these threats;

Also encourages Member States to continue to collect and share information, in accordance with domestic law, on the adverse impacts and risks to public health and safety posed by new psychoactive substances, using chemical and toxicological data, data from hospitals and treatment and toxicology centres and data reported by individuals;

Calls upon Member States to continue to advance efforts to address and counter international challenges related to synthetic drugs through the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, taking into consideration the midterm review in the Commission in 2024 to take stock of the implementation of all international drug policy commitments and outline the way forward to 2029;

Invites relevant United Nations entities, in particular the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as the leading entity in the United Nations system for addressing and countering the world drug problem, within existing mandates and upon request, to continue to provide technical assistance, including capacity-building, to Member States to support their efforts to address the multifaceted challenges posed by the illicit manufacture of and trafficking in synthetic drugs, as well as their distribution, consumption and use for non-medical and non-scientific purposes;