Drug menace to be focus of special session; international panel to be set up.

Deep concern over the devastating effect of drug abuse on individuals and society" led the General Assembly on 1 November to call for a special session to spearhead the international fight against drug abuse and narcotics trafficking (44/16).

Scheduled for 20 to 23 February 1990 at UN Headquarters, the session will aim at rallying international efforts to counter the drug scourge as a matter of urgency, with representation at a high political level.

In a particularly strong statement before the plenary, Colombia President Virgilio Barco Vargas had recommended holding a special session to consider urgent action to address the serious problem of consumption and production of illegal drugs.

President Barco Vargas said that narcotics, and its companion, terrorism, pay "no respect to borders". A global commitment is needed, he explained, to reduce the demand for drugs, control the supply of chemicals used to process cocaine, reduce and control arms sales to drug traffickers and terrorists, and halt money-laundering.

A threat to millions

The Assembly on 15 December called for intensified efforts to counter the spread of drug abuse and to increase international action to curtail narcotics production and trafficking.

Citing alarm at what it termed a "dramatic increase" in drug abuse and illicit production and trafficking "threatening the health and well-being of millions of people, in particular youth, in the majority of States in the world", the Assembly asked (411141) the SecretaryGeneral to select a panel of international experts to work with UN officials to enhance the efficiency of UN drug control bodies.

It also requested States to consider the possibility of declaring a UN decade against drug abuse and the establishment of a reserve pool of experienced narcotics agents and experts pledged by States for limited term service to other States. The feasibility of a UN anti-drug force to help States interdict the supply and help eliminate illicit trafficking of drugs will also be examined. Establishment of an international criminal court for crimes involving illicit narcotic drug trafficking across national frontiers is to be studied by the International Law Commission at the Assembly's request, according to a decision (44/39) adopted without a vote on 4 December.

Drug control given top priority

The Assembly lamented the lack of resources hindering UN organs in the drug control area. The Secretary-General was asked to give priority to narcotics control activities" and States were urged to support a "truly comprehensive" global programme of action for drug abuse control.

In other action, the Assembly asked (44/142) for a study of the economic and social consequences of illicit traffic in drugs, focusing on the magnitude of economic transactions related to drug trafficking and the impact of drug-related money transfers and conversion on national economic systems.

Some Governments have made serious efforts" in crop substitution, rural development and interdiction programmes, the Assembly noted, asking that international economic and technical cooperation in that area be stepped up. The Assembly said a system should be established to identify the "methods and routes used for transit traffic of illicit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances" as an aid to interdiction. States were urged to deal with the "demand side" of the drug control equation by taking "prevention and rehabilitation measures and also increasingly stringent political and legal measures" to eliminate the demand for drugs. The Assembly cited the United Kingdom proposal to convene an international conference on drug demand reduction in April 1990. Drug treaty garners more support

The UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, adopted in Vienna on 19 December 1988, had 89 signatories-43 signed immediately-by 20 December 1989. Four States have ratified it. Twenty ratifications are needed for entry into force.

The Convention covers a host of drug control areas: sanctions for drug trafficking offences, confiscation of proceeds and property from drug trafficking, extradition, legal assistance, international co-operation in law enforcement and training, monitoring of substances used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs, and measures to eradicate illicit cultivation of narcotic plants and demand for illicit drugs.

A world war against drug abuse

Margaret J. Anstee, Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna and co-ordinator of UN drug control programmes, offered no apologies for using the word "war" when she warned heads of national drug law enforcement agencies of "the rapidly gathering threat" to the stability of societies posed by drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

"World-wide traffic in drugs is now second only to that in armaments", Ms. Anstee told a September 1989 meeting of drug agency heads. The global community must face the "sobering fact that humankind is predominantly engaged in the commerce of self-destruction".

The Vienna-based UN drug apparatus includes:

A 40-member UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs-established in 1946 by the Economic and Social Council as the main UN policy-making body on international drug control.

A UN Division of Narcotic Drugs-the secretariat and executive arm of the Commission, which assists Member States in implementing the drug control treaties, performs tasks entrusted to the SecretaryGeneral under the treaties, and is the nucleus of UN information training, and research on drug-related issues.

A 13-member International Narcotics Control Board-established to limit the cultivation, production, manufacture and use of drugs to an adequate amount required for medical and scientific purposes. The Board reports annually on the world-wide drug control situation.

The UN Fund for Drug Abuse Control-created in 1971, is the main source of funding for drug-related activities in the UN system. Financed entirely by voluntary contributions, mainly from Governments, 152 Fund supported projects were being carried out in 49 countries in 1989.