Making it possible for governments to do what they say.

During the last century, narcotic drugs, particularly opiates, were freely available throughout the world. The opium trade had become a profitable business with financial interests leading to two opium wars, while the pharmaceutical and food industries developed products containing heroin and cocaine which were freely available to the population. As a result, addiction was a mass phenomenon in Asia, as well as in some European countries.

Against this background, 13 nations came together at Shanghai, China, for the first international conference on narcotic drugs in 1909. Their forum became known as the Opium Commission, and their meeting led to the signing of the first drug control treaty - the International Opium Convention - the first binding instrument of international law governing the control of drugs.

Since that time, a tight control network of Conventions (see * on page 27) has gradually been established to limit the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances to medical and scientific purposes only and to prevent illicit trafficking both in drugs and in chemicals used to manufacture them.

In order to ascertain whether the objectives of the international conventions are being met, the INCB may investigate all aspects of the licit activities related to drugs, as well as government action to counter illicit trafficking and abuse.

It also receives information on illicit drug trafficking from Governments, competent organs of the United Nations, including the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, and other international organizations. This information is analyzed in order to examine whether the drug control treaties have been implemented. If inconsistencies or possible violations of treaty provisions are detected, the Board addresses the Governments concerned.

Ensuring a balance between the supply of and the demand for opiate raw materials for medical and scientific purposes is a field where commercial interests and agricultural and social concerns interact closely with the objective of preventing proliferation of sources of supply. The INCB organizes informal meetings between representatives of major producers and importers of opiate raw materials at which participants can exchange data and views.

In agreement with the Government concerned, confidential visits to countries are arranged to examine national drug control structures, legislative measures, administrative practices and other action taken to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking, in the light of a country's obligations under the international drug control treaties. After the missions, the Board formulates recommendations; if the country has not yet become a party to the Conventions, the Board also discusses accession to and ratification of the treaties with the Government. As a result of this "quiet diplomacy", several countries have strengthened their legislation to give effect to the provisions of the international drug control treaties or have established committees which coordinate national action against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. One recent example is the accession of Viet Nam to all international drug control treaties which came about after an INCB mission.

The Board also arranges training programmes for drug control administrators from developing countries on the implementation of treaty provisions. It also organizes meetings in order to encourage and facilitate countries to work together in fighting the global scourge of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. An example is the meeting on Information Exchange Systems for precursor control, which was held in the first week of July 1997, bringing together delegates from 37 major exporting, importing and transit countries of precursor chemicals, which succeeded in defining and agreeing practical procedures and actions to implement the previously agreed measures to thwart the diversion of chemicals from licit channels to illicit drug manufacture.

If unsatisfactory situations persist despite interventions by the INCB, the Board brings these to the attention of Governments, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Economic and Social Council. The annual report of INCB also provides a comprehensive picture of the global situation with respect to drug abuse and illicit trafficking and, as it receives good coverage in the media, the associated publicity helps to bring about or accelerate changes that the Board would like to see in particular countries.

While these actions of the Board usually suffice to get Governments to do what they have vouched to do, article 14 of the 1961 Single Convention accords extensive powers to the INCB, including the authority to propose sanctions against defaulting countries. So far, fortunately, it has not been necessary to formally invoke article 14 in order to bring government action in line with the Conventions. On the contrary, the international drug control regime has generally functioned in a very satisfactory manner.

In particular, the international control system on narcotic drugs has succeeded in limiting, for each country and territory and in the world as a whole, the licit cultivation of narcotic plants and licit production, manufacture and distribution of and trade in narcotic drugs to the quantities required for medical and scientific purposes. Another achievement of the system has been that the diversion of narcotic drugs from licit sources into illicit channels has been kept to a minimum, despite the large volume of narcotic drugs manufactured and distributed each year for medical purposes. The more Governments exercise similar controls over psychotropic substances and chemicals, the more we can be sure that similar results can be achieved.

All in all, despite repeated pronouncements that it "has failed", drug control has been a successful venture and, it is worth remembering that when the first international drug control treaty was concluded in 1912, there were more abusers of opiates in a limited number of countries than there are currently throughout the world. By universal ratification of the Conventions and their universal implementation, with global cooperation and collaboration, and finally by supporting the treaty organ which they created to monitor the application and commitment of each and every party, Governments will be able to do what they say, and the INCB will truly be the guardian of the Conventions.

Fact: Estimated global interception rates for drug consignments being smuggled within and across borders have been between 10% and 15% for heroin and 30% for cocaine in recent years.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) was established to ensure that cultivation, production, manufacture and utilization of drugs is limited to medical science and, at the same time, to secure the availability of drugs for medical and scientific purposes.

Within its overall responsibility of monitoring treaty compliance, the Board has been given the responsibility, under the drug control conventions, of administering a statistical control system for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, whereby it monitors worldwide all licit activities in drugs.

An estimate system ensures that countries can manufacture, import, export and use drugs only within the limits of their legal retirements as confirmed by the Board.

The INCB consists of 13 individual members who are elected in their personal capacity by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. They include three members with medical, pharmacological or pharmaceutical experience firm a list nominated by the World Health Organization. Prof. Ghodse, who is from Iran, is among those so elected.

Once elected, the board members act independently and command general confidence by their competence, impartiality and disinterestedness.

The INCB blasted a growing "culture of drug-friendliness" in its annual report for 1997, released on 24 February 1998. The report noted progress in some areas, but said efforts were too often undermined by the increasing spread of popular messages promoting drug use. "The most worrisome development ... is a culture of drug-friendliness that seems to be gaining prominence", the authors of the 76-page report said. The report therefore calls on Governments to counteract the pro-drug messages of the youth culture to which young people are increasingly exposed.

In a message on its release, Hamid Ghodse said: "The environment, in its broadest sense, has a major influence on the nature of demand for drugs. Over the last years, we have witnessed how drug abuse is increasingly regarded as being acceptable or even glamorous. The fashion industry coined the term 'heroin chic' and certain pop stars have made statements to the effect that the recreational use of drugs is a normal and acceptable part of a person's lifestyle and even include such messages in the lyrics of their music. Powerful pressure groups run political campaigns aimed at legalizing controlled drugs. All these developments, to name but a few, have created an environment which is tolerant of or even favourable to drug abuse and undermines actions to address the problem."